Community
Protesters Chant: “I Can’t Breathe”
By Post Staff and news reports
Protests have erupted in cities across the country following a grand jury decision clearing a white New York City police officer Wednesday in the videotaped chokehold death of Eric Garner, a Black man who had been stopped on suspicion of selling loose, untaxed cigarettes.
Many people are astounded and angry at the failure to indict despite the facts of the case: Garner was unarmed; police chokeholds are banned in New York; the coroner had ruled that Garner’s death was a homicide; and the killing was captured on video.
“More heart-wrenching news…there will be no indictment in the murder of Eric Garner. Our system is broken. The Department of Justice should act immediately to investigate this tragedy and ensure justice is done,” wrote Congresswoman Barbara Lee on her Facebook page.
Promising action, President Obama said, “I’m absolutely committed as president of the United States to making sure that we have a country in which everyone believes in the core principle that we are equal under the law.”
The reaction to this week’s grand jury decision builds on the protests that are still continuing over a Missouri grand jury’s failure to indict the white police officer who killed Michael Brown in Ferguson.
Many New Yorkers have been watching closely to see if Officer Daniel Pantaleo would be charged for killing Garner on July 17.
“I am actually astonished based on the evidence of the video tape, and the medical examiner, that this grand jury at this time wouldn’t indict for anything, is really just astonishing,” said Jonathan Moore, an attorney for Garner’s family.
The grand jury could have considered a range of charges, from murder to a lesser offense such as reckless endangerment.
Protesters around the country have been chanting, “I can’t breathe,” evoking Garner’s last words – repeated 11 times before he died and caught on the videotape of the incident.
Peaceful protests sprang up on Wednesday throughout Manhattan, including at Grand Central Terminal, Times Square and near Rockefeller Center. Protesters also took over the Brooklyn Bridge. Police reported 83 arrests.
Peaceful protesters in downtown Oakland voiced their outrage.
“The only difference is their names,” Karissa Lewis, 32, of Oakland said of the Garner and Brown grand jury outcomes, speaking to the Huffington Post. “The system won’t work for Black folk.”
In San Francisco, protesters staged a “die-in” at Powell and Market streets near the cable car turnaround, chanting “Black lives matter!”
“I came down here because I’m disgusted about what happened,” said Edward Collins, a 19-year-old student, speaking to the SF Chronicle. “It’s beyond a race thing to me. No matter what race you are, no one has the right to murder you.”
In Palo Alto, about 150 protesters blocked both directions of Highway 101 off University Avenue.
“We can no longer not be heard and not be seen,” said Jessica Salinas, speaking to ABC-7 News. “Business cannot go on as usual. This is something that cannot be seen and be heard…and everyone needs to know so that everyone can have an impact on it.”
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
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Alameda County
DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland
Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.
Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.
City Government
Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.
Special to The Post
At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.
Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.
Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”
According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.
“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”
When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.
At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”
While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.
On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.
“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.
The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.
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