Hundreds of protesters gathered in downtown Oakland on Thursday evening for a second night of demonstrations against the election of Donald Trump as president.
A growing crowd stood at Frank Ogawa Plaza at 14th Street and Broadway for at least two hours before moving down 14th about 8:30 p.m. But police had set up blockades and stalled the gathering, then steered the march down Jefferson Street and up 16th Street toward Latham Square.
Initially, Oakland police appeared to be better prepared and organized in controlling and containing the demonstration than they were the two previous nights.
But some of the marchers split from the main assembly and were able to make their way onto Interstate 580 at Telegraph Avenue, bringing traffic to a standstill starting around 9:30 p.m. Police and CHP officers had the freeway lanes cleared in about 35 minutes, and protesters scattered through surface streets.
Two arrests were made on eastbound I-580, according to Oakland police.
On Wednesday night, an estimated 7,000 people protested. Demonstrators grew violent as the evening wore on, with police using tear gas and flash bang grenades and protesters throwing rocks, bottles and fireworks.
Cat Brooks of the Anti Police Terror Project addressed the crowd on Thursday, saying that it was the police who incited the violence. But police said they used tear gas only after provoked.
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"This is censorship at the hands of Libby Schaaf and OPD," Brooks said, but called for discipline during Thursday's march. "We do not accept or acknowledge the fascist regime of Donald Trump or Libby Schaaf nor do we recognize the authority of her gestapo, otherwise known as OPD."
