I sent the following opinion piece to the media today and thought I should share it with Facebook followers. End Violent Protests in Oakland! Violent people have targeted Oakland. Most reports say there are about 50 of them. They march at night, under the cover of darkness, ostensibly to protest police misconduct. They throw rocks and bottles, break windows, and batter police and non-violent protesters who implore them to stay peaceful. They have hit peaceful protesters in the head with hammers, launched projectiles at police officers, and assaulted reporters who, ironically, cover their marches and bring attention to their protests. Their targets for destruction include Downtown, Uptown, Temescal, and recently Jack London Square. They say they are protesting police misconduct. Their actions suggest something more sinister. They are baiting the police to meet their violence with violence so they can say, “see I told you about police abuse.” The band of 50 also calls for an end to poverty, improved social services, and more opportunities for people of color - issues that Oaklanders agree must be addressed. However, their violent behavior toward people who call for peaceful protests suggests that they are using these messages as slogans and exploiting the plight of people who need help. Meanwhile, the cost of police coverage reaches into the millions, further reducing the ability of Oakland leaders to fund the very services that are desperately needed. We know the power of non-violent protests. During the Civil Rights movement brave men and women peacefully stood up to lynch mobs, water cannons, attack dogs, and violent southern cops. They occupied the moral high ground, and because of their personal sacrifices, America started its incomplete journey down the road to fair housing, voting rights, access to education, and equal opportunities. The people terrorizing Oakland only bring us destruction. How is vandalizing a family owned Temescal sandwich shop an appropriate response to the killing of Michael Brown? Does trashing the Christmas tree at Jack London Square lead to the end of racial injustice? Does smashing windows and looting BevMo and Subway end misconduct by rogue cops around the nation? Without intending to point fingers, a few questions must be asked. Our police officers go out night after night. They follow the crowd, witness the damage being done, but make few arrests. Who tells them to stand down? Why? These are not random or spontaneous acts of violence. They are planned and well orchestrated. Surely, law enforcement can identify the perpetrators. When will they be charged as criminal conspirators and made responsible for their crimes? The danger we see is that if legal authorities do not bring this to an end, sooner or later some shop owner or employee is going to lose his or her head and respond to the mayhem violently. Then, we will have an even bigger problem than we do now. Everyone we talk to is sick and tired of violent people destroying the city. Our city leaders must come up with a strategy that ends the current madness in a lawful and responsible way. We need a clear message that the right to peaceful protests is honored and respected, but Oakland will not tolerate violence in our streets. We have high hopes that Mayor Elect Schaaf will change the way protests are handled in Oakland. We support her leadership and pray she can help end violence in Oakland. Greg McConnell
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 18:17:18 +0000
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