35 arrested in Oakland after Ferguson protest march

Bay City News
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Ferguson protesters in Oakland.
KGO

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Protesters marched from Frank Ogawa Plaza at 7 p.m. Wednesday evening in the third such event this week responding to a grand jury's decision to not indict Ferguson, Missouri, Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown on Aug. 9.

Police quickly herded the group, which was smaller Wednesday than in the previous two nights, through downtown Oakland streets, forcing them to constantly move. Some demonstrators ran as police jogged behind yelling "Move, move, move."

Others walked with their hands up, shouting to their fellow protesters, "Don't run" and to the police, "Hands up, don't shoot."

PHOTOS: Dozens block Oakland streets, highway over Missouri slaying

Some were vandalizing businesses, smashing windows and spray-painting walls.

The group marched through West Oakland. At the Grand ARCO ampm gas station, demonstrators smashed through a window, enraging some residents.

"What's that going to change?" said West Oakland resident Raymond Lindsey. "It's going to make it worse. My mother comes to this store, my sister comes here. These people probably don't even live here."

Although many of the protesters said they were from Oakland, some said they had come in from Davis or Palo Alto to join in the melee. Davis resident Sabrina Clark, 18, said nothing was happening in her town and she wanted to join in on the historic moment.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Darren Wilson talks with George Stephanopoulous

"My father is 80 years old, and he marched with (Martin Luther King Jr.) in Detroit," Clark said. "Right here, we're living in history right now. I wanted to be part of that."

As the protesters headed from West Oakland to downtown, police herded the group along, separating them from each other and thinning their ranks.

For several hours, the group tried to maintain form while attempting to reconvene at Frank Ogawa Plaza. The police were not far behind and formed lines across the street to block them in.

At one point, the protesters and police got into a verbal confrontation. An officer raised his baton against the protester and the protesters swarmed, shouting obscenities into officers' faces as they looked another way.

Eventually, the officer put his baton down and the protesters dispersed. As the protesters moved from the confrontation and back onto the street, multiple officers arrested a man by tackling him to the ground.

Around 11 p.m., when only two to three dozen protesters remained, the police blocked the group in on both sides and only let people leave one or two at a time.

Nearby, dozens were arrested during a sideshow at the Port of Oakland.

PHOTOS: Dozens arrested after sideshow in Oakland.

35 people had been arrested for a variety of crimes linked to the protests as of 2 a.m. this morning, according to Oakland police spokeswoman Johnna Watson.

Police have arrested over 150 people within the past three nights of protest on suspicion of charges including looting, vandalism, assault, failure to disperse, obstruction and obstructing a highway.

For full coverage on the Ferguson protests, click here.

Related

Brown's Parents 'Taken Aback' by Officer's 'Clean Conscience'

    What Happened to Ferguson Bakery Is What Thanksgiving Is About

      Snow brings calm to Ferguson

        Dozens arrested at sideshow in Oakland

          Darren Wilson says "I know I did my job right" in exclusive interview with George Stephanopoulos

            Ferguson protesters shut down highways, loot in Oakland

              Live updates in the aftermath of the Ferguson decision

                Here is the full text of Darren Wilson's grand jury testimony

                  RAW VIDEO: Protesters react to Ferguson decision

                    People gather at Glide to watch Ferguson announcement

                      LIVE UPDATES: Ferguson protests following grand jury decision on Michael Brown shooting

                        VIDEO: Prosecutor reads decision on Ferguson shooting

                          Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson gets married

                            Tension grows as Ferguson awaits grand jury decision

                              Grand Jury 'Unfair,' Michael Brown Family Lawyer Says

                                Oakland police ready for verdict in Ferguson shooting death

                                  Family: New tapes contradict Ferguson police officer's story

                                    Hundreds march in Oakland against police brutality

                                      Protesters march through Oakland, Berkeley over Michael Brown shooting

                                        Powerful photographs from Ferguson, Mo. protests

                                          Dramatic Images Capture Violence in Ferguson

                                            Howard Students 'Surrender' in Solidarity With Michael Brown

                                              Another police shooting near site of Missouri protests

                                                Looting, vandalism after vigil for Missouri man killed by cop