Covering the verdict reaction for Oakland Local, I saw many young white boys in black skinny jeans with their faces covered trying to get local folks to tear up the downtown. We've seen these outsiders before. They like to cruise into Oakland whenever there's a possibility that things might get extra tense. They are the type of people who feel comfortable destroying the hard work of others to make their vague point. I won't go into how easy it is to cause destruction rather than work constructively on complex issues. I also won't get deep about how many of these so-called anarchist wouldn't even begin to know the everyday struggle many poor people of color face in our city.
Don't get me twisted; Oakland is hella mad and frustrated about the verdict. The deliberation by the LA jury was a joke and the involuntary manslaughter verdict was weak. And on top of that, community relations with Oakland Police is shaky in many corners. Nevertheless, this is our city and we can hold our own. Oakland's rich social justice history speaks for itself. There's a reason the Black Panthers rose from our soil. We don't need or welcome others to be our voice. We'll decide when it time to tear things up.
Most of Oakland is interested in building something positive from this horrible experience. I hope others will join me in actively discouraging these knuckleheads from acting out in our city.
Oakland is ours. Take your bullshit somewhere else.
*Thanks Maureen Benson
**Photo credit: Associated Press
Bravo! As an outsider, I feel a little weird using the phrase "outside agitator" given its past abuse. These kids simply thrive off the chaos and the media attention, and then go back to their comfortable lives after wrecking the progress and hard work put in by others who have much at stake.
ReplyDelete*golf clap*
ReplyDeleteWhat mommy did not give you your allowance so, you riot?
ReplyDelete"knuckleheads"? Didn't Chip Johnson use the same term in his last column? Isn't that a mild way of insulting someone who showed such disrespect and stupidity? I can think of a compound word, combined of seven letters starting with an A, that would be more appropriate for the looters and vandals
ReplyDeleteAs some of us say, they need to revolution they ass back to Berkeley.
ReplyDelete