Loaves vs. Lofts Gourmet catering company objects to being relocated by high priced live work/lofts. (Part two in an ongoing series of special reports from "the inside" on gentrification) by Giovonna Willis-Barela staff writer, POOR Magazine
(Eight shots by a po-lice officer, according to a speaker.)
“This our holocaust!”
A couple of giant black banners are brandished in the crowd, bearing names and pictures of young lives like unsolved cold cases:
Sheila Detoy, 1998
Idriss Stelley, 2001
Asa Sullivan, 2006
Sean Bell, 2006
Gary King Jr. 2007
Michael Cho, 2007
Anita Gay, 2008
Andrew Moppin, 2008
Brownie Polk, 2009
Oscar Grant, 2009
All of them struck down by dark blue uniformed figures who are sworn to “protect and serve.” A T-shirt is worn by numerous victims at this event, showing a stick-figured po-lice officer gunning down a man.
“DANGER, POLICE IN THE AREA!” it read.
“NO MORE STOLEN LIVES!” everyone yelled!
“My only child was gunned down in 2001 while he was having a psychological breakdown: 48 shots!” mesha Monge Irizarry emotionally exclaimed to the crowd. Since then, Idriss’s death is her daily drive to do the work that she tirelessly continues to do.
October 22nd, National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, Repression, and the Criminalization of a Generation, is certainly more than just a traditional methodical way for everyone deeply impacted (including myself) to combat po-lice terrorism. Physical and verbal visibility had to be everyone’s direct approach towards a universal, monumental change that has been long overdue from receiving justice.
No more injustice to be served to us from a just-us “system.”
No batons would be swung at us, no tear gas or water hoses would be sprayed on us. No dogs would be turned on us. No guns would definitely be fired at us. Just like the 60’s era, our struggle continues in the 21st century. Our silenced voices and visible stances would be the exchanged fire that guns us down each day.
I awaited for my family of POOR, outside our office at 10:30 a.m. Nearly a half hour later, my mentor, POOR co-founder, “Tiny” Lisa Gray Garcia arrived. Afterwards, my other comrades, Kim Swan (a.k.a Queenadi), Ruyata McClothin (a.k.a RAM) and Carina Lomeli appeared.
We then headed to the rally, which was at the Oakland City Hall Plaza, in Oakland, CA where we were joined with another comrade of ours, POOR comrade Muteado, and other comrades in our struggle against this endless oppression, which is the government’s arm of control.
Our march destination would be at the entrance of the very building that has had a wicked history of patrolling and controlling communities of color:
THE OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT!
Po-lice culture trained and militarized by governments consisting of men and women of all races and faces instructed to kill.
To serve and protect the interests of only the arm that pays their bills and fill their dinner plates.To oppress, depress, and repress, not to really service those in duress. That always being the primary case in poor communties of color, poor communities in general, and even some cases of the privileged.
“I think this rally is good because it brings different units in the resistance movement.” Minister of Information, Jr. who’s a columnist for the S.F Bayview National Black Newspaper Paper, and voice for the Block Report Radio, explained to me. “Against the police, the government, murder and terrorism. Together to come up with creative solutions.”
We were all centered together in the middle of the plaza, resisting the scorching heat beaming down us. We ignored the smug and stern faces from the very few Oakland Police Officers who surrounded, and observed us as they prepared to walk alongside of us for crowd control and traffic safety.
(Although we only marched on the sidewalk, and our march would only be an estimated six blocks.)
From the director of the Idriss Stelley Action Resource Center, mesha Monge-Irizarry, Rita Akayama of the October 22nd Coalition, Christine Lynn Harris, Anti-Organized Stalking/Covert Terrorism Activist, and my family of POOR Magazine/POOR News Network, numrous other groups and families of po-lice brutality; the true heatwave felt in the air was everyone’s anger aimed at the unrelenting injustice by po-lice and the “justice system.”
The recent ‘change of venue” motion granted by a judge in the Oscar Grant Case for his killer, Johannes Mehserle to possibly be held in a capacity of an ignorant uncaring jury, in an unknown California County greatly increased all of our feelings towards the system and its corruption.
“My life was stolen! I am Oscar Grant!” yelled a female speaker on the mic.
“This is a chance for everyone who have lost a loved one through police brutality to tell people.” Kathleen Espinosa, mother of Asa Sullivan had said to me. She gave an emotional address to us at what the aftermath has been like for her and her family after Asa was killed by two members of the San Francisco Police Department, as he hid in a 2 ½ ft attic in 2006.
“I could’ve been Asa” I stated in “Beyond Chron” article a short time later after his death. This was ever so true, when I sat peacefully in my Single Room Occupancy Hotel at the Allstar, on a cold dark October 7th, 2005 evening. I was preparing to go to the supermarket for groceries.
The thought of twelve cops illegally opening up my door, drawing their firearms, and snatching me out of the sanctity of my home in a “mistaken identity scenario” forever stays with me. It has been one of the main cores of what I do in my work for POOR.
My ears captured numerous emotional, tearful and angry testimonies from people victimized by what everyone has called “an epidemic.” Before we marched, my family of POOR began to perform………Po Poets style!
Educating and skating on police hatred in the bay. RAM, “No More Stolen Lives.”
Is this the land that the Lord have made? Shot dead was my unarmed neighbor just the other day. Now Oscar Grant lies beside him in a King’s marked grave. Queenandi, “I am tired of being a slave.”
The night riders are back.
And this time, they are not wearing white.
They are dressed in blue.
With handguns and a badge. Muteado, “Another Brotha gets lynched.”
(dedicated to the memory of Oscar Grant)
“This is totally unacceptable that every year we all have to protest this ongoing problem in our society.” I said to the crowd. I concured Muteado’s poem by stating the history of the po-lice as being the original “slave catchers.”
I also brought to the attention to everyone in attendance regarding the seemingly invisible terror that existed, which is an instrument of “law enforcement” with the means of organized stalking via covert terrorism that uses electromagnetic weapons and destructive technologies against unsuspecting citizens.
I referenced my statements to Christine Lynn Harris who has been highly active around the un-reported issue in corporate mainstream media, as she held up a sign that said, “STOP ELECTROMAGNETIC WEAPONS!”
Fresh from an anti-covert terrorism protest that took place a week ago in front of San Francisco City Hall; Christine expressed to me, in a tearful interview of how horrible the entire year has been for her regarding senseless coverts acts that have resulted in the significant damages to her organs, courtesy of electromagnetic weapons. She continues to seek justice from covert culprits that involve members of the San Francisco Police Department Mission District Station.
Our march began after a few more testimonies from po-lice victims and survivors. Glancing at the onlookers, we chanted,
“No more stolen lives!
“Justice for Oscar Grant!”
(among other justice chants of stolen lives in unison to Oscar Grant )
“Join us!”
“Stop police brutality!”
Approximately 20 mins and six blocks later, we arrived to the entrance of the Oakland Police Department.
Standing in unison with my POOR family at the front entrance of with the hot sun beaming steadfastly, my mentor Tiny revealed a startling sign that was on department’s front door entrance:
“PATROL DESK CLOSED TODAY”
It was blantly clear to us that the po-lice refused to hear our voices.
“Our country's national crime is lynching. It is not the creature of an hour, the sudden outburst of uncontrolled fury, or the unspeakable brutality of an insane mob.” Ida B. Wells
I Am Un-armed-Don't Shoot! - PNN on Oct 22nd Day to End Po'Lice Brutality:
