News

Oakland Protests Verdict in Philando Castile Death

Published

7 years ago

June 22, 2017

A subdued crowd of about 200 people gathered in front of Oakland’s City Hall to protest last Friday’s verdict in the case of the policeman who killed Philando Castile in a traffic stop in St. Anthony, Minn., in July of last year.
Oakland’s impromptu rally, held last Saturday evening, was one of many held across the nation after the acquittal of Officer Jeronimo Yanez.

Captured on video and broadcast live on Facebook by his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, Castile’s death shocked the nation, occurring just one day after Alton Sterling died at the hands of police in Baton Rouge, La.

The public outcry in 2016 included Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton and led to the rare arrest of Yanez, who shot Castile even as he was complying with Yanez’ request to show his license.

It seemed, at the time, that for once a Black life would matter.

That it didn’t was all too much for 16-year-old Lucy Siale. Unable to accept that Oakland did not appear to be rallying behind the Castile family in particular and Black Lives in general, Siale took things into her own hands.

From behind the closed door of her Walnut Creek bedroom, Siale, a Tongan student at North Gate High School, mounted the call for the rally on Facebook even while her parents inquired what she was doing. Carrying signs that read “Black Lives Matter,” the mostly white crowd began to chant that slogan while they waited to see who was organizing thee protest. Dressed in rolled-cuffed jeans and T-shirt, a red bandana tied over hair braided in two long plaits, Siale stepped up like she had been leading protests all of her life.

After leading call-and-response cheers, Siale smoothly outlined the program for the evening. “We have to fight with and for Black people,” Siale said and exhorted the crowd to remember that Black people have been at the forefront of resistance in the United States for hundreds of years and deserve much more respect than they get.

To prove her point, she told the crowd that the primary people who would be speaking to them that night were to be Black: even the non-black people of color were asked to fall back. After a long pause, Oakland native Jena Terry took the stage.

“If you wonder why nobody came up right away, it’s because we’re tired,” she said. “We’ve been talking. Nobody’s been listening.”

Lucy Siale, a Tongan resident of Walnut Creek, led the rally in front of Oakland’s City Hall on Saturday, June 17. Photos by Tobaji Stewart.

San Leandro nurse Leslie Silket, who turned down a shift to come to the rally, said sacrifice is necessary to support the mothers who had no choice in becoming part of this “club.”

“I am here because Philando’s mom compelled me to be here,” Silket said, recounting that her 18-year-old son’s new habit of putting his license on the dashboard of the car so he doesn’t have to reach in his wallet in case he is stopped by police.
“Everybody can do something. Write a check, buy a latte for a homeless person.”

Gilda Baker became a member of that club in 2005 when her son, Diallo, was killed in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident with the CHP.

“I have been carrying this pain for 12 years,” Baker said. “When they say ‘angry Black woman’ you damn right. When they say ‘strong Black woman’ you damn right.”

Young pastor Leon Scoggins of The Life Church at the DeFremery Recreation Center said, “God is not pleased with police terror,” and that the community should not have to face that battle by itself and the church should be more involved.
Siale asked for nine Black people to come to the dais, where she distributed candles for them to hold. Requesting a moment of silence to think of the lives lost, “the Black lives that should still be here,” Siale then asked the non-Black members of the crowd to do more than lip service to the pain of Black people.

“Provide them with resources, but most of all give them something they can’t touch. Give them love. They deserve it. Now, raise your fists.”
Siale waited until the fists were up and called out one last time: “Black Lives Matter.”

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Activism

NAACP California-Hawaii State Convention Highlights Black Voter Engagement, and More

A Friday panel featuring NAACP Chairman Leon W. Russell and Regina Wilson, Executive Director of California Black Media, examined Project 2025, an initiative perceived as a potential threat to civil rights, healthcare access, and environmental protection. This session emphasized Project 2025’s projected impact on Black communities, noting that policies within the initiative could diminish gains in civil and environmental rights over decades. Russell and Wilson highlighted the need for vigilant monitoring and community mobilization to address these challenges.

Published

9 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

NAACP State Conference President Rick Callender (right) engages in a discussion on voter engagement and community advocacy with NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson during the 37th NAACP California-Hawaii State Convention in Los Angeles. Photo by Rich Woods.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

The 37th NAACP California-Hawaii State Convention concluded on Sunday, Oct 27, following four days of discussions and workshops at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott. Bringing together civil rights leaders, policymakers, and advocates from California and Hawaii, the convention operated under the theme “All In.” The participants discussed critical issues impacting Black communities, including criminal justice reform, health equity, economic empowerment, education, environmental justice, and voting rights.

On Saturday, the President’s Fireside Chat brought together NAACP President Derrick Johnson and CA/HI State Conference President Rick Callender, who discussed the urgency of voter engagement and community advocacy.

Guest speakers included Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA-43), who spoke at the Women in NAACP (WIN) Labor Luncheon about the intersection of labor rights and civil rights. California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond delivered remarks at the Leadership Dinner on education equity, focusing on policies to ensure all students have access to high-quality education.

Honors were given to longtime social justice advocate and former Assemblymember Mike Davis for his work in community activism. At the same time, actor and activist Danny Glover and the Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown received the 2024 Legacy Hall of Fame Awards, recognizing their lifelong commitments to advancing civil rights.

The convention also offered practical workshops, including “What’s On Your Ballot?,” where coalition leaders provided analyses of California propositions, explaining their potential impacts on community rights and resources. The Voter Turnout Workshop provided background and encouraged participants to promote voter turnout through community-centered outreach strategies.

Sunday’s events closed with a Prayer and Memorial Breakfast honoring the contributions of past and current civil rights leaders.

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Bay Area

Alameda County Judge Blasts Defendants Over Delay in West Oakland Fire Trial

Judge Kimberly Lowell excoriated the RadiusRecycling/SchnitzerSteel defendants in court for causing delays in prosecuting this case. Since the defendants first appeared in court on July 23, they have obtained three extensions of the arraignment date.

Published

9 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Criminal charges announced this week are related to the August 2023 scrap metal fire at Radius Recycling Inc., formerly Schnitzer Steel. Photo courtesy of Oaklandside.

Special to The Post

District Attorney Pamela Price announced that a hearing was held on October 30 in the criminal prosecution of the Radius Recycling/Schnitzer Steel involving a fire at the West Oakland facility on Aug. 9-10, 2023.

The Alameda County criminal Grand Jury indicted radius Recycling and two of its corporate managers in June 2024.

The court clarified that the defendants will not receive more extensions on their arraignment and plea.

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price agreed with the court that defendants should not get preferential treatment. Price and her team appreciated the court for clarifying that future delays by Radius will not be tolerated.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s (BAAQMD) public data shows that during and after the fire, the smoke plume traveled across Alameda County with high levels of PM 2.5 (Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter) detected around Laney College in Oakland, Livermore, Pleasanton, and West Oakland.

PM2.5 is particularly harmful to infants and children, the elderly, and people with asthma or heart disease.

“This fire posed a great health hazard to the people of Alameda County,” said Price. “High, short-term exposures to a toxic smoke plume have been shown to cause significant danger to human health.

“Additionally, in this case, Oakland firefighters battled the blaze under extremely dangerous conditions for 15 hours with assistance from a San Francisco Fire Department fireboat and a fireboat from the City of Alameda Fire Department,” Price observed.

The team prosecuting the case from the DA’s Consumer Justice Bureau looks forward to resolving any future motions and having the defendants arraigned in court on Dec. 9.

The media relations office of the Alameda County District Attorney’s office is the source of this report.

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Alameda County

D.A. Price Charges Coliseum Flea Market Vendors in Organized Retail Theft Case

The charges against Octavio Ambriz Valle, 52, Devora Ambriz Valle, 49, and Felipe Del Toro Trejo, 54, include multiple felony counts of possessing stolen property and organized retail theft in concert. It is alleged that the trio of vendors possessed stolen property valued at $348,466 from nine different retailers, including Kohl’s, Macy’s, PetSmart, Sephora, Sunglass Hut, TJX, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart.

Published

9 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Alameda County courthouse. Courtesy photo.

Alameda County Courthouse File photo.

Special to The Post

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price announced today that her office charged three people in connection with multiple organized retail theft crimes stemming from a sophisticated criminal enterprise operating at the Oakland Coliseum Flea Market from March 26, 2023, through April 17, 2024.

It is alleged that the trio of vendors possessed stolen property valued at $348,466 from nine different retailers, including Kohl’s, Macy’s, PetSmart, Sephora, Sunglass Hut, TJX, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart.

Last year, the District Attorney’s Office successfully competed and received a $2 million grant from the California Department of Justice to combat organized retail theft. Price added another $2 million to bolster the Organized Retail Crime Alameda (ORCA) unit which is fully operational and collaborating with numerous law enforcement agencies.

“For over a year, this enterprise supported criminal networks by requesting and buying specific products from brazen boosters who repeatedly terrorized retailers,” said Price. “I want to acknowledge our Organized Retail Crime Alameda (ORCA) Vertical Prosecution Unit for its great work and the role they played in this multi-jurisdiction investigation, which included the California Highway Patrol Golden Gate Division Organized Retail Crime Task Force, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, and San Ramon Police Department.”

If convicted and sentenced on all charges, Octavio Ambriz Valle faces a maximum sentence of nine years in County jail; Devora Ambriz Valle faces a maximum sentence of five years in County jail; and Felipe Del Toro Trejo faces a maximum sentence of three years and eight months in County jail.