BART Police Shooting of Oscar Grant - Aftermath - Fruitvale Protest and March; Downtown Rioting

Fruitvale Protest and March; Downtown Rioting

On January 7, 2009, protests over the shooting and administration of justice began peacefully about 3:30 p.m. with about 500 people gathering at the Fruitvale station. In the early evening, some of the protesters marched toward Oakland's central business district and downtown. Over 200 Oakland police officers were dispatched in an attempt to disperse the protesters. Police roadblocked streets and diverted vehicle and foot traffic.After entering the central business district the march continued to BART Police command and control headquarters at 8th & Madison streets near the Lake Merritt BART station.

Once at BART Police Command and Control, a contingent of angry protesters surrounded a police car. The officer driving the car fled on foot. Meanwhile, the rioters broke out the cruiser's windows and attempted to overturn it. A line of police wearing gas masks swept up behind the rear of the march and deployed tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowd.

The protest continued as the crowd marched along 8th Street through Chinatown. At Broadway, officers wearing gas masks deployed more tear gas canisters and acted quickly to charge and disperse the crowd as they approached the vicinity of Oakland Police headquarters at 7th and Broadway.

The protest regrouped downtown at the intersection of 14th and Broadway, blocking motor vehicle traffic. Some of the protesters lay face down in the intersection, in a symbolic act of solidarity with Grant, who was killed in the same position. Others shouted at police and chanted in unison. Others carried signs that read, "Your idea of justice?" and "Jail Killer Cops" and lit candles in remembrance of Grant.

Police in helmets and gas masks grouped in standing line formations on the south, west, and north sides of the intersection, allowing an avenue of retreat down 14th Street on the East side of the intersection.

About an hour later Police gave orders to disperse and fired tear gas grenades, rubber bullets, and other "less lethal" weapons and devices at demonstrators. Protestors threw bottles, rocks, and other objects at police. Police pushed the crowd east along 14th Street into the Lakeside Apartments District and the scene dissolved into a riot along the 14th Street spine.

Numerous helicopters which had been airborne throughout the evening, converged on the area. Law enforcement helicopters shined powerful spotlights down onto surface streets, while media helicopters shot video of developments from overhead, which were broadcast in real time on local television stations.

In the ensuing hours, a small clutch of rioters burned the contents of trash cans, dumpsters, newspaper boxes and set fire to at least five cars, including an Oakland police patrol car. Some rioters jumped from parked car to parked car, smashing in the front and rear windshield like crushed eggshells The riot spread deep into the Lakeside Apartments District and cars were burned and heavily damaged on Madison Street. Other rioters in this clutch broke storefront windows, to include those of a McDonalds fast food restaurant at Jackson and 14th Streets in the Lakeside Apartments District. The night of the riot coincided with trash collection day the following morning and numerous trash dumpsters and containers were parked curbside. Rioters used these dumpsters to start fires along city streets. Rioters damaged some of the carefully restored historic woodwork and terra cotta on the nearly restored Fox Theater. Damage to the Fox was preliminarily estimated at $10,000 to $20,000.