Oscar Grant protesters marching down International Boulevard

Oakland Tribune ^ | 6/12/11 | Harry Harris

[SmithL]

More than 150 people, many carrying signs critical of police, are marching down International Boulevard in Oakland en route to a rally protesting the prison release of the officer who killed Hayward resident Oscar Grant two years ago.

The crowd has been chanting ``We are all Oscar Grant,'' and ``The people united will never be defeated.'' They are also carrying a mock casket to symbolize Grant's death at the hands of former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle, 29.

The protest has been peaceful so far and the crowd was heeding the words of Keith Muhammad of the Nation of Islam.

``We came here for justice,'' he said. ``We did not come here for foolishness.''

The protest was organized by The Coalition for Justice for Oscar Grant, and included a 3 p.m. rally at the Fruitvale BART station. The march is expected to end at 14th Street and Broadway in downtown Oakland for a community speak out.

Mehserle was convicted of killing Grant, 22, on New Year's Day 2009 on the Fruitvale station platform. Mehserle shot and killed Grant around 2 a.m. after BART officers had responded to reports of a fight on a train.

Mehserle admitted that he shot Grant but said he had meant to use his Taser and fired his gun by mistake.

Last year, jurors convicted Mehserle of involuntary manslaughter.

On Nov. 5, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Robert Perry sentenced Mehserle to two years, but his prison term was shortened and he is expected to be released Monday from Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail, according to Grant's family. Community members are upset about Mehserle's short prison term.

The march is being monitored by police who are blocking side streets as the crowd walks by.

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan has said that the city will not tolerate the rioting and vandalism that has marked previous protests.

Fruitvale station remained open Sunday and passengers were seen entering and disembarking from trains.

Grant's family is not in Oakland but in Los Angeles awaiting Mehserle's release.

Check back for further details.

[SmithL]

The crowd has been chanting "We are all Oscar Grant,"

That means that they are all thugs.

[popdonnelly]

Why don’t they protest like this when black criminals are released back into their communities?

[reagandemocrat]

Could get real ugly, real fast.

[Navy Patriot]

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan has said that the city will not tolerate the rioting and vandalism that has marked previous protests.

Undoubtedly,... THIS time strongly worded reprimands will be published in the Oakland Tribune for the rioters to read, as individual mailings are impossible due to the fact the rioters masks don't display their home addresses.

[SpaceBar]

You want a straight answer? The “culture” of the American negro was subtly hijacked over the last half century by heavily marxist values. “Black culture” drips with it. The current demonstration is just black commie agitprop. An excuse to “stick it to the man”. They really couldn't care less about the actual youth that was shot on the BART platform, who incidentally was mouthing off to cops just prior to his death. The dead kid is a prop. One of the eggs that had to be broken for the omelet of black marxism.

[Repeal The 17th]

“The crowd has been chanting
“We are all Oscar Grant,”
...That means that they are all thugs...”
-
No, that means they are all dead.

[Rodney Dangerfield]

Oscar Grant and his hoodlum friends went out looking for trouble on that NYE

They found it.

[null and void]

I need new glasses...

[Falconspeed]

Punks in Oakland are protesting. Nothing new. They’ll cause headaches for a few hours and then go away. There are too many protests in SF/Berkeley/Oakland for one to become bigger than usual. 150 is a little bigger than the monthly Critical Mass. I

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks SmithL.