Results tagged “riot”

Akin to Judy Garland's death or Adam Lambert losing last night's American Idol finale -- damn you to hell, Bill O'Reilly! -- 30 years ago today the White Night riots erupted after supervisor Dan White was given a lenient verdict for murdering supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone. Windows were smashed, property destroyed, and police cruisers set ablaze. Then, after watching the gays get hysterical, SFPD raided a Castro gay bar (Elephant Walk, now known as Harvey's) in retaliation, thus escalating tension.

Even though BART officer Johannes Mehserle was arrested and charged with the murder of Oscar Grant, violence hit the streets of Oakland last night as yesterday's protest ended. About 18 people were arrested last night after a "splinter group" went on a window smashing rampage. If you recall, Mehserle, who is white, fired a fatal shot into the back of unarmed Oscar Grant, who is black, at the Frutivale BART station on New Year's Day. Inexplicably, angry "activists" then used Grant as a signifier of anything from a fascist police state to violence in the Gaza Strip.

           

Remember how there was supposed to be a protest cum riot at Civic Center tonight? "The kids in Oakland know how to party. Let's show them they are not alone," they puffed chest-ily declared over on IndyBay?

Police in riot gear closed down a main street in Oakland after protesters tried to stop cars, light a fire, and threw trash cans into the street last night. Office buildings around 14th street and Broadway were evacuated in anticipation of more rioting as well, but the action turned out to be not nearly as frantic as Wednesday night's protest turned riot. Let's hope all of the anger doesn't make its way to delicate San Francisco.

           

Scenes from last night's BART shooting protest turned riot in Downtown Oakland.

Several hours of violence erupted Wednesday night as demonstrators at "smashed storefronts and cars, set several cars ablaze and blocked streets in downtown Oakland." The riot started after a protest was held at the Frutivale BART station, voicing anger at the New Year's Day shooting death of Oscar Grant. The "roving mob" went to town, indiscriminately going on a rampage throughout downtown Oakland.