After a dining hall riot broke out at San Quentin on Sunday, four prisoners were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The minor melee involved at least 200 convicts. No idea what, exactly, prompted the fisticuffs. However, the Examiner reports that "[t]he men ended up with stab and slash wounds after the riot erupted around 6:50 p.m." and no staff members were injured. more ›

After Johannes Mehserle received the minimum sentence of 2 years jail time, as many as 500 people gathered outside Oakland City Hall to sing songs and present speeches in protest. However, according to authorities, "unruly marchers were tearing up the city" as darkness fell. CNN reports: "They were throwing rocks, bottles and trash, and ripping up fences." more ›

Oakland riots, will they or won't they happen? Johannes Mehserle, the BART cop accused of killing Oscar Grant at the Frutivale station, could face 2nd degree murder (15 years - life), voluntary manslaughter (3 - 11 years), involuntary manslaughter (2 - 4 years), or acquittal. If the latter verdict is read in court, the city of Oakland could explode to bits. Or not. more ›

The spirited folks over at Indybay.org bring our attention to this video, one that chronicles last week's I-880 protest that resulted in the temporary closure of I-880 by 'Day of Action' protesters. Carrying a bizarre (and unfocused) banner reading "We Have Decided Not To Die" and chanting about class war, the young and attractive kids walked out onto I-880, stopped traffic, and, well, sat down. more ›

Presumably moments before last night's rally / dance party flash mob at UC Berkeley, sparked by cranky tuition-hike protesters, gained momentum, this student protester was swallowed up by riot police. According to the this video's maker, Narukami, the girl was "taken and arrested by police while she was telling everyone how a police officer punched her in the nose." more ›

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. more ›

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. more ›

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? more ›

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. more ›

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

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. more ›