Sunday, May 27, 2012

Oakland community meeting about police shooting ends with Occupy members surrounding car so police couldn't leave, pushing and spitting on police

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5/24/12, "Community meeting about police-involved shooting turns raucous, Occupy Oakland members arrested," Oakland Tribune, Bender and Harris

"About 100 people, friends and family of the victim and others turned out at Acts Full Gospel Church for the meeting, including more than two dozen Occupy members.

Police said the Occupy protesters were heckling and disruptive at the meeting.

As people left the church, protesters tried to block (Police Chief) Jordan from heading out, followed him outside and surrounded his car, preventing him from leaving. Some at the meeting deny that claim.

Additional officers were called for crowd control and one officer was pushed and spat on by an Occupy protester, police said.

Though protesters left, the person who police said pushed the officer and a man who had an arrest warrant for a parole violation were later arrested at the Coliseum BART station.

Mike King, a member of the Occupy Oakland movement, said Occupy protesters were upset because they believe Jordan was not addressing an overall systemic problem with police brutality.

"People are angry because (the Oakland Police Department) keeps killing unarmed black kids in the street," King said. "There's a long history around police brutality cases."

King said he only knew of one arrest for the parole violation."

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