Poster by Jesus Barraza and Melanie Cervantes.
It is approximately 10 pm Wednesday night, and I can still see and hear the helicopters outside my window. Earlier this afternoon, at least 1,000 people gathered peacefully in front of Oakland City Hall to protest the shooting of Oscar Grant by a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) police officer early New Year’s day. Grant, 22, was lying face down when one of the officers pulled out his gun and shot him in the back. The peaceful protest from earlier today turned violent when a reported few dozen people lingered around and smashed in some windows and cars.
When we left the march around 6 pm, we were hoping to pick up some dinner from our favorite Chinese restaurant, but it was closed. It seemed that about 70 percent of the businesses in Chinatown closed early due to the protests, because of its proximity to downtown. And most of the downtown businesses also closed early, with many boarding up their windows.
Like Claire’s recent post about the violence in Gaza, you might be wondering, what does Oscar Grant have to do with Asian America? Well, besides also being outraged at the shooting and non- or delayed responses from authorities, I feel like this is a story that affects all of us. At the protests last week and today, there were many Asian Americans present. Grant’s death has touched us all in some way. And living in an area where you hear of police killings every few months, it’s unfortunately an issue that’s embedded in our city and culture. Grant’s death is only bringing this issue to light, one that you would be blind not to notice if you lived here.
BART’s police chief, Gary Gee, is Asian American. One of the three people charged from last week’s protest that turned into a so-called riot is Asian American. And many, many of the 300 or so shops that were damaged from last Wednesday are owned by Asian Americans, from nail salons to restaurants. In fact, most of the businesses damaged were small shops owned by people of color — with the exception of a McDonald’s. People have been calling this a Rodney King part II.
In many ways, I understand why people are angry and want to smash things. But I feel for the businesses that are basically innocent. In fact, many of the owners interviewed say they support the protesters and are also angry at the shooting. But in the larger scheme of things, I think there are a few things to remember — that overall, the hundreds and up to thousands of protesters were peaceful, and that the focus should remain on Grant’s case and making sure there is a thorough investigation. And the focus should also remain on the issue of police killings and brutality. Oscar Grant’s case is unique because so many people have viewed his shooting online. But for every Oscar Grant, there is unfortunately many other people who are shot and killed without a cell phone camera as a witness. That’s why this case has garnered so much attention, and hopefully it will shed light on an issue that’s usually swept under the rug.
I’m curious if those not from the San Francisco Bay Area have heard of Oscar Grant or have seen the videos online? (post originally appeared on www.hyphenmagazine.com/blog).
