The northern corridor of the Plaza was a completely different scene, however. A few dozen teenagers, the kids who hang out in the Plaza every night, stood in a chaotic circle just past the BART entrance as folks from the camp ran toward them.
Moments later, an Occupy Oakland medic jumped on top of the victim and began performing CPR while others helped break up the circle to create room for the emergency workers who began to arrive. There must have been a moment of panic among others–as there was in myself–as the first responders arrived but Occupiers were vigilant in making room for the paramedics, firefighters and, yes, even the police. The chaotic confrontation that could have erupted was avoided by cool heads and strong organization by many experienced activists.
Stories have circulated about a TV news videographer being attacked for attempting to film the scene, resulting in a concussion. I did not witness that incident but it is definitely unfortunate. One photojournalist who was at the scene told me that “some of those TV guys” can be very aggressive in that sort of crime scene and backed herself up as soon as she saw the confrontation. In that context, it was not surprising that somebody felt they needed to defend the dignity of the victim, even if they took things further than necessary.
On the other hand, I did overhear a KCBS radio reporter on the scene comment on the fact that the shooting occurred just beyond the meditation tent. “I love it,” he chuckled with a big grin on his face.
I am a critic of the corporate media but I also recognize that most journalists are a part of the 99%. Many of them are decent people trying to make a living by telling an honest story but the cynicism and condescending commentary among some of them can be disturbing. Those journalists in the media who feel they have been disrespected by the Occupiers should consider taking a look at the behavior of some of their colleagues.
For my own part, I reflexively pulled out my phone and began to take a picture only to lower it in embarrassment at my own insensitivity just as the flash went off, capturing nothing more than a snapshot of the walkway directly in front of me which I promptly deleted. It just seemed too awful, in the middle of this tragedy, to take a picture of this young man as his life slipped away.
The police quickly put up their yellow tape and then repositioned it moments later to cover most of the northern corridor of Oscar Grant Plaza, literally hanging the tape at the edge of the grass-covered encampment. For a moment it seemed that they were going to transform the entire camp into a crime scene. Once again, however, cooler heads on our side prevailed in spite of the escalation on the part of the police.
Shortly afterward, the media parade began while many around Occupy Oakland were wheeping at the tragic death of this youth that most of us did not know. Three helicopters flew overhead and Councilmember Larry Reid arrived on the scene. The previous day he and several other Councilmembers attempted to hold a press conference near Lake Merritt–presumably City Hall was too chaotic, but not too chaotic for this photo-op–before they were shouted down by Occupiers. In the same form on Thursday night, he announced that he had nothing more to say as soon as a few questions were asked about Scott Olsen and others who were seriously injured by the police. Apparently, only violence that legitimizes his political position is worth discussing, not the violence inflicted on peaceful protesters. And that’s all Jean Quan’s fault anyway, in case you were wondering.
Even Police Chief Howard Jordan was on the scene with an impromptu press conference before he too was shouted down. “Turn the lights on!” people shouted, regarding the lack of electricity at the Plaza over the last few days. Jordan promptly disappeared behind the yellow tape, having received his appropriate amount of face time.
Anybody who has watched The Wire will find these scenes all too familiar. Politicians are much quicker to jump out in front of a crisis for the benefit of their own careers than they are to offer real solutions. To be perfectly blunt, this was the one hundred and first murder in Oakland this year. Where were all the helicopters for the other one hundred? Where was Jordan–or his predecessor Batts–for those photo-ops? The tragic death of a young African-American man is suddenly made “important” by the political crisis around Occupy Oakland and the opportunity that the establishment sees in the impending take-down of Jean Quan. Like the Bush administration sharpening it’s knives after 9/11, salivating over the opportunity to reshape the Middle East, the Oakland political establishment sees their opportunity to win a few political points over a dead man’s barely cold body.
It has become increasingly clear that a raid will happen and soon, possibly as early as tonight. The temperature in this city has been ramped up so high over the last couple of days that Jean Quan’s political survival depends on it. Every day that Occupy Oakland continues to exist is another nail in the coffin of her career and her rivals in the City Council and now the Chamber of Commerce have made that clear. They all agree that it cannot continue and are now going all in, insistent that the Plaza needs to be emptied out of various supposedly unsavory elements.
Whatever faults of Occupy Oakland found by Jean Quan and the City Council pale in comparison to the deeper structural problems of the city. Anybody who thinks that crime in downtown Oakland began with the occupation should say that statement out loud and hear how ridiculous it sounds. Ten years ago I lived on 14th and Harrison, just three blocks away from the Plaza which I walked past every day on my way to BART. Yes, Larry Reid, there was crime in downtown Oakland even then. I was personally mugged on the southwest corner of 14th and Broadway and, as far as I can remember, there were no tents on the lawn at the time.
This is part of what we are protesting. Occupy Oakland has always been about more than Wall Street and inequality. In many ways it is an organic outgrowth of the struggle around the murder of Oscar Grant and the failure of the city to meet the social crisis faced by its population. Billions of dollars flow through the Port of Oakland while impoverished workers live just footsteps away. Many of them stood on their lawns as Occupy Oakland marched to shut down the Port during the General Strike. They are the people who have suffered the brunt of inequality, racism, police brutality and more. They are the people who can transform this city and they are on our side.
The young man, whose name we are told is “Alex,” died shortly after the shooting. Now, the city is going to use his death to unleash yet another assault on a peaceful encampment, likely producing only more tragedies and needless assaults as they did on people like Scott Olsen, Kayvan Sabeghi and Scott Campbell. We need to stand strong against this impending assault but also be aware that it could be even more severe than the last two attacks by the police. The city is no longer looking for a temporary solution–they have made it clear that they are now intent on eliminating Occupy Oakland altogether and they are preparing a brutal assault over the next few days.
Another Oakland is possible. So far, there is no sign that it will come from inside City Hall but it just might come from the mass democracy taking place in the amphitheater and the encampment outside if we are able to defend it.
Source:
Occupy Oakland Tribune. http://occupiedoaktrib.org/2011/11/11/tragedy-at-14th-and-broadway/
