Dozens of black activists arrived at newly inaugurated Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf’s house, attempting to wake her up at 5 a.m.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day was the backdrop for this political wake up call, as demonstrators used quotes and speeches by MLK as part of their efforts to wake up Mayor Schaaf. From the early morning hours onward, these demonstrators sang, chanted, and held candles, “to remember black lives lost to state violence.”
At 5 a.m. organizers were prepared with banners, a large LED sign and a projector. In front of the sign that said "DREAM," activists drew crime-scene style chalk outlines on the pavement.
Chalking body outlines outside #Oakland mayor's house #wakeupthemayor #ReclaimMLK #MLKShutItDown pic.twitter.com/6RfGgl7T7O — Julia Carrie Wong (@juliacarriew) January 19, 2015
"Anyone who looked out their window would've seen the ten-foot word DREAM," said Xan West, an organizer and Oakland native.
Activists gathered at Mayor Schaff’s home to encourage her to take action to help black citizens. The demonstrators said they opposed some of Schaaf’s previous actions as a councilmember in Oakland. They said they are wary of how her future policies will impact black communities. The demonstrators also cited Libby Schaaf’s first day in office spent with the Oakland Police department as cause for concern.
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Karissa Lewis, who protested at the mayor’s house this morning, said that Schaaf’s first day with the police department, “was a clear message to the black community in Oakland that her priority is not to stop the police violence in our neighborhoods.”
Social media has played a large role in catalyzing demonstrations like the one at Schaaf’s home, which was unified under the hashtag #WakeUpTheMayor. According to the black direct action group Blackout Collective, the #WakeUpTheMayor group met through the #BlackLivesMatter demonstrations over the last year.
The #WakeUpTheMayor action was organized by Black folks in Oakland that met through #BlackLivesMatter. We supported and participated. — BlackOUT Collective (@blackoutcollect) January 19, 2015
The wake-up protest at Mayor Schaaf’s home is one of many demonstrations happening today across the Bay Area and around the country. In fact, many of the protestors from #WakeUpTheMayor have joined in on other marches in the East Bay. Demonstrators are using the hashtag #ReclaimMLK in hopes of using MLK day to bring attention to race and civil rights.
The city of Oakland was anticipating these Martin Luther King Jr. Day protests. In a press release on January 16th, Mayor Schaaf asked the city of Oakland,“to honor the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by demonstrating peacefully, as he did with great courage and powerful impact.”
Mayor Schaaf has not yet responded to the demonstrators.
But a man said to be her husband spoke with them briefly. He reportedly asked demonstrators to have some sympathy for the neighbors.
"We feel like if (Schaaf) was really to honor the true legacy of Martin Luther King, she would have come outside to speak with us," West said.
"It's a violation of who he was for (Schaaf) to go to events on Martin Luther King Day and try to tell a story of (him) that she doesn't really enact in her policies," West added.
As a personal example West shared a story about receiving a $372 ticket for jaywalking in her neighborhood, where there are no crosswalks. She called that an expensive example of unequal distribution of resources and selective penalization.
Police responded to this morning's demonstration, but no arrests were made. They later described the protest as peaceful.
