Messages of "Cancel Rent," "Defund OPD," and "Wake Up, Libby" were among the less profane messages in a 2 a.m. graffiti and fireworks hit job on Libby Schaaf’s Oakland home.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf is in a pretty tough spot. On one hand, she’s got President Trump threatening to send jackbooted thugs into Oaktown to do their Portland-style unaccountable body snatchings because, in his words, the state of the city is “like living in hell.” On the other hand, this morning she and her family woke up to their home thoroughly vandalized and spray-painted, according to NBC Bay Area. Neighbors’ accounts describe somewhere between a dozen and 40 masked vandals arriving at 2 a.m. and lighting fireworks during the strike.
Some of the messages that were spray-painted on #Oakland Mayor @LibbySchaaf’s house include: “defund OPD! Cancel Rent! Homes for all! Drop the charges!” Someone spray painted “Blood on your hands” on the public sidewalk. There’s also some graffiti with expletives. @nbcbayarea pic.twitter.com/7SsJ4k0F8w
— Melissa Colorado (@melissacolorado) July 21, 2020
As we see from the “Chopper 7” video below and an accompanying KGO report from the scene, graffiti on the sidewalk ranges with messages from “"Defund OPD" to "Cancel rent," to “Fuck your comfort.” KPIX adds that “the vandals allegedly shot projectiles at the Mayor’s house and set off fireworks.”
We're getting a look from the air of #Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf's house that got vandalized.
— Eric Shackelford (@ABC7Shack) July 21, 2020
"F*** your comfort"
"Take responsibility now"
"Blood on your hands"
are some of the messages written on the sidewalk as her #BlackLivesMatter sign hangs in the window. pic.twitter.com/bm2PEVZcf2
The Oakland Police Department says they’re still investigating, and seeking any video surveillance.
The mayor's spokesperson Justin Berton released a statement saying, “This attack, designed to intimidate the Mayor and strike fear into her family, will not stop her from advocating for the policies she believes are in the best long-term interests of her beloved hometown. Like all Oaklanders, she supports passionate protest but does not support tactics meant to harm and terrorize others.”
Press release from Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf’s office: last night, projectiles were shot at and graffiti like “Defund OPD” was painted on Schaaf’s house. “An attack at the home of a publicly elected official does not advance democracy,” said spokesperson Justin Berton. pic.twitter.com/tJoKN6a6Me
— Sarah Belle Lin (@SarahBelleLin) July 21, 2020
While there is an unattributed message on IndyBay taking credit for the job, neighbors suspect this was not exactly Black Lives Matter activity. “This is not Oakland, this the right-wing,” a neighbor and witness told NBC Bay Area’s Melissa Colorado. “This has Trump written all over it.”
“Libby came out pretty hard yesterday that she doesn’t want the military here,” said another. “I think this is a reaction to that.”
“This is not what #Oakland says to people. That’s not us.” These neighbors think the vandals who targeted Mayor @LibbySchaaf’s house overnight were outsiders. @nbcbayarea pic.twitter.com/GUvv9tliy0
— Melissa Colorado (@melissacolorado) July 21, 2020
As the Chronicle also reminds us, just yesterday Schaaf said that “We are not experiencing any civil unrest right now, but the presence of Trump-ordered military troops to Oakland would likely incite it.” Such low-level vandalism doesn't really constitute civil unrest, but the writing is on the wall that this incident could be used as a subtext for escalation.
Related: Oakland Artists Follow D.C. In Painting 'Black Lives Matter' on City Street [SFist]
Image: @APTPaction via Twitter
