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Oakland Protests Verdict in Philando Castile Death

Published

8 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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Remembering George Floyd

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing.

Published

6 days ago

June 2, 2025

Oakland Post

Mural showing the portrait of George Floyd in Mauerpark in Berlin. To the left of the portrait the lettering "I can't Breathe" was added, on the right side the three hashtags #GeorgeFloyd, #Icantbreathe and #Sayhisname. The mural was completed by Eme Street Art (facebook name) / Eme Free Thinker (signature) on 29 May 2020. (Wikimedia Commons)

By April Ryan
BlackPressUSA Newswire

“The president’s been very clear he has no intentions of pardoning Derek Chauvin, and it’s not a request that we’re looking at,” confirms a senior staffer at the Trump White House. That White House response results from public hope, including from a close Trump ally, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. The timing of Greene’s hopes coincides with the Justice Department’s recent decision to end oversight of local police accused of abuse. It also falls on the fifth anniversary of the police-involved death of George Floyd on May 25th. The death sparked national and worldwide outrage and became a transitional moment politically and culturally, although the outcry for laws on police accountability failed.

The death forced then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden to focus on deadly police force and accountability. His efforts while president to pass the George Floyd Justice in policing act failed. The death of George Floyd also put a spotlight on the Black community, forcing then-candidate Biden to choose a Black woman running mate. Kamala Harris ultimately became vice president of the United States alongside Joe Biden. Minnesota State Attorney General Keith Ellison prosecuted the cases against the officers involved in the death of Floyd. He remembers,” Trump was in office when George Floyd was killed, and I would blame Trump for creating a negative environment for police-community relations. Remember, it was him who said when the looting starts, the shooting starts, it was him who got rid of all the consent decrees that were in place by the Obama administration.”

In 2025, Police-involved civilian deaths are up by “about 100 to about 11 hundred,” according to Ellison. Ellison acknowledges that the Floyd case five years ago involved a situation in which due process was denied, and five years later, the president is currently dismissing “due process. “The Minnesota Atty General also says, “Trump is trying to attack constitutional rule, attacking congressional authority and judicial decision-making.” George Floyd was an African-American man killed by police who knocked on his neck and on his back, preventing him from breathing. During those minutes on the ground, Floyd cried out for his late mother several times. Police subdued Floyd for an alleged counterfeit $20 bill.

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Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 3, 2025

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1 week ago

May 30, 2025

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Black Feminist Movement Mobilizes in Response to National Threats

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States.

Published

1 week ago

May 30, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States. The event, led by the organization Black Feminist Future, is headlined by activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis. Paris Hatcher, executive director of Black Feminist Future, joined Black Press USA’s Let It Be Known to outline the mission and urgency behind the gathering, titled “Get Free.” “This is not just a conference to dress up and have a good time,” Hatcher said. “We’re building power to address the conditions that are putting our lives at risk—whether that’s policing, reproductive injustice, or economic inequality.” Hatcher pointed to issues such as rising evictions among Black families, the rollback of bodily autonomy laws, and the high cost of living as key drivers of the event’s agenda. “Our communities are facing premature death,” she said.

Workshops and plenaries will focus on direct action, policy advocacy, and practical organizing skills. Attendees will participate in training sessions that include how to resist evictions, organize around immigration enforcement, and disrupt systemic policies contributing to poverty and incarceration. “This is about fighting back,” Hatcher said. “We’re not conceding anything.” Hatcher addressed the persistent misconceptions about Black feminism, including the idea that it is a movement against men or families. “Black feminism is not a rejection of men,” she said. “It’s a rejection of patriarchy. Black men must be part of this struggle because patriarchy harms them too.” She also responded to claims that organizing around Black women’s issues weakens broader coalitions. “We don’t live single-issue lives,” Hatcher said. “Our blueprint is one that lifts all Black people.”

The conference will not be streamed virtually, but recaps and updates will be posted daily on Black Feminist Future’s YouTube channel and Instagram account. The event includes performances by Tank and the Bangas and honors longtime activists including Billy Avery, Erica Huggins, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs. When asked how Black feminism helps families, Hatcher said the real threat to family stability is systemic oppression. “If we want to talk about strong Black families, we have to talk about mass incarceration, the income gap, and the systems that tear our families apart,” Hatcher said. “Black feminism gives us the tools to build and sustain healthy families—not just survive but thrive.”