Posted on 07/14/2010 10:55:24 PM PDT by thecodont
I missed out on the spree looting of Footlocker and other businesses in Oakland after the Johannes Mehserle verdict. But about 200 other people seemed to be having a great time burning and smashing. Out-of-town agitators, officials said, in kind a weird throwback to establishment terminology about protests in the 60's. Only "The Man" in Oakland these days is Mayor Ron Dellums and no one can ever find him. Also a cop (ex-cop, Mehserle) is going to jail in this case, so there are all sorts of interesting twists here.
One of them is another group activity, rather different from last week's riot. According to a Facebook event, there will be a rally in support of Mehserle this coming Monday afternoon at the Walnut Creek courthouse. That's a long tunnel's ride away from Oakland but maybe that's the point. Friendlier territory for the former BART officer out in the burbs.
Organizers already have 67 confirmed guests, according to the FB page, 455 replies pending and 150 turn-downs. I'm still waiting for my invitation.
Update: According to Mercury News, an earlier version of the Facebook event declared: "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. ITS TIME TO STOP THROWING OUR OFFICERS UNDER THE BUS. ITS TIME TO STEP UP AND SUPPORT JOHANNES AND OUR OFFICERS AND TAKE A STAND. OSCAR GRANT WAS RESISTING ARREST. JOHANNES MEHSERLE TOLD THE TRUTH!"
[...]
From the looks of some of the photos of people who've said yes, it looks like there might be a little diversity in the group. Planners say the event will be "PEACEFUL," and "NOT about inciting violence, destruction, intolerance, hatred, racism, riots" or intended to upset the family of the late Oscar Grant. That may be a tall order, even in Walnut Creek.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/bronstein/detail?entry_id=67876#ixzz0tjA5BsnG
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Has anyone checked the videotape of the looters? That's the first place I would look for him to turn up.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.