San Jose mayor's home vandalized as hundreds protest downtown against police brutality, Jacob Blake shooting
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Friday's demonstration in Downtown San Jose brought hundreds to the heart of the city.
Protesters were peaceful for the most part, but there was some vandalism to Mayor Sam Liccardo's home. Video posted to social media showed protesters spray painting near his front door.
A spokesperson for the mayor said Saturday morning that protesters spray painted expletives, fired paint balls and burned a flag outside of his house.
Liccardo was not home at the time of the vandalism.
In a statement, the mayor said he was grateful for his neighbors who helped clean up the graffiti.
"Many of these same neighbors' homes bear 'Black Lives Matter' signs, and they represent the true spirit of the movement, and of our San Jose community," Liccardo said. "They contrast sharply with the roughly hundred so-called "protesters" who stood by silently-or even cheered-as a flag was burned and while "f*** you" and other messages were scrawled on our home."
WATCH: Home of San Jose mayor vandalized during protest
The San Jose Police Department said they responded to the mayor's house around 10:45 p.m. Friday night for the vandalism.
A spokesperson said another case of vandalism occurred later that night at city hall. Police arrested a suspect in that case on a felony vandalism charge, though it's unclear if the suspect is connected to the incident at the mayor's house.
Earlier in the night, the crowd of peaceful protesters first gathered at San Jose City Hall.
From there, the hundreds marched through downtown toward San Pedro Square. Protesters crashed dinner for many dining outdoors.
Demonstrators joined together to dance the "Cupid Shuffle," all while holding signs, demanding justice for Jacob Blake and the end to police brutality.
Earlier in the day, ABC7 News spoke with Pastor Jethroe Moore II, president of the San Jose-Silicon Valley NAACP.
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He said the association was present, mainly to observe and make sure San Jose Police Department officers "behaved themselves."
Pastor Moore explained demonstrations, and the continued push for change, really hurts in a different way, each time.
"It's eerie. 57 years after the March on Washington, what was a peaceful march," Moore recalled. "And we're marching again, claiming peace, but yet we're still getting no peace from those that are supposed to protect us."
ABC7 News asked Pastor Moore about previous protests in both Oakland and Sacramento which turned violent, earlier this week.
He said supporting and protesting is commendable, but to burn and destroy does no one any good.
"I don't want to see nobody die. Nobody in the hospital," he told ABC7 News. "And college kids, sophomores, juniors. They're all in it, and they have aspirations of being a lawyer. Pick up a felony. Then they can't go into law school or something because of something they did on a night when they really meant good, but they got caught up."
One protester said she also took part in the George Floyd protests in San Jose.
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She said the video of Jacob Blake reignites the fire, and reinforces why protests are necessary.
Moore added, "We watched a black man getting pulled from his shirt, shot seven times, in fear of getting a weapon. Then we turn around and two nights later and we see a young white boy walking down the street with a weapon strapped around him. After shooting two people, nothing's happened."
"So, it hurts even more. And you got to wonder more and more about which direction is this world is going to," he continued.
Pastor Moore told ABC7 News, "The goal is not to hurt anybody. The goal is not to kill anybody. The goal is to get systemic changes."
More protests are expected around the Bay Area over the weekend.
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