There can be no doubt over the source of the anger felt by thousands of Oakland residents after the verdict in the case involving the New Year’s Eve death of Oscar Grant was announced. Johannes Mehserle, a former BART police officer, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, far short of the second-degree murder conviction prosecutors and many Oakland residents wanted. The case, which saw a white officer shoot an unarmed black man suspected of participating in a brawl, reminded many of a history of poor relations between blacks and the justice system in the Bay Area, a history that includes Oakland’s infamous “Riders” controversy.
But the rioting and looting which followed the verdict’s announcement was simply inexcusable. In the trial, the justice system did what it was supposed to do. The jury looked at the case and came out with what is, to the best of our knowledge, a fair verdict. Even if the verdict handed down was faulty, ransacking private businesses which had nothing with the shooting would not have made a whit of sense.
To echo what many, including Oscar Grant’s relatives, have said, being upset with the decision does not constitute a good reason to trash Oakland; if anything, peaceful, reasoned protest and debate was called for. Of course, considering that anarchist groups have been planning to use the verdict announcement as an excuse to manufacture chaos, it may have been naive to expect peaceful protest.
The Oakland Police Department deserves praise for responding with appropriate restraint. An overreaction on their part could have seen the entire situation spin out of control. Far more violence could have easily resulted, the last thing an already blood-stained city needs.
On the other hand, our response to the actions of city leaders is more mixed. Oakland City Councilmembers and mayoral candidates Jean Quan and Rebecca Kaplan were out on the streets, doing their best to keep the peace. On the other hand, Mayor Ron Dellums made his call for calm in a press conference. He should have been more visible in the effort to keep protests from degenerating into rioting.
Sadly, it is quite possible that this will not be the last unfortunate story in the history of citizen-police relations. We hope that people will keep in mind the lessons of the events of recent days. Rioting did not bring Oscar Grant back to life. Nor did looting a Foot Locker change what some feel is an unjust system. Ultimately, it is a shame that rather than dealing with the serious issues involved, those who rioted chose to participate in a pathetic, juvenile distraction.