Thousands of fans protested at the Oakland Coliseum for the A's 2024 season opener Thursday night as many fans did not step inside the stadium.
Two fan groups, the Last Dive Bar and the Oakland 68s, were asking fans to stay in the parking lot during Thursday's game between the A's and the Cleveland Guardians for a block party protest.
The groups have launched a website to "channel our collective frustration into positive action." They're sending a message to billionaire team owner John Fisher that they want the team to stay in Oakland and not move to Las Vegas.
Some fans told NBC Bay Area Thursday that the happiness they usually feel during Opening Day was gone due to the team's planned move to Vegas.
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There were lots of “sell” shirts, signs, and flags as fans continued to ask the A's ownership to sell the team.
“We love this team like no other and it hurts and it's painful. We hope that Manfred, and John Fisher will work on the side and work a deal, where he can sell the team and we can get local ownership to keep the A’s rooted in Oakland,” said Bryan Johansen, co-owner of Last Dive Bar.
“The community deserves to have a say in what happens in our own backyards. The Fisher family, the A’s corporation should not be the ones determining what’s happening in East Oakland. They should not be allowed to continue to block safety, health, a thriving and vital community,” said Vanessa Riles.
For some fans attending the boycott and staying in the parking lot, it meant missing Opening Day for the first time in decades.
“I have not missed an Opening Day, being inside in over 25 years,” said Anson Casanares, vice president of the Oakland 68s. “Why would I spend my money inside? Why spend my passion inside there if they’re trying to leave here?”
San Jose resident Maggie Robles is also a lifelong A’s fan. She opted to tailgate instead of going into the ballpark. She said that she was missing Opening Day for the first time in years, but understands the bigger picture of showing solidarity with A’s fans, coming to grips with the team moving to another city.
“It hurts me that I’m not in there but sometimes you have to take a stand for things you believe in, to get the message around,” she said.
Local groups are also demanding the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to terminate their agreement to sell their portion of the Coliseum to A’s ownership partners and instead sell it to the city of Oakland.
Fan groups are also working to raise $100,000 that would go towards Nevada-based group “Schools Over Stadiums.”
The group is looking to stop the public funding of the new $1.5 billion Las Vegas ballpark the team is expected to move into in 2028. MLB owners approved the A's move to Las Vegas last fall.
The A’s lease at the Coliseum is up at the end of this season. The team, the city of Oakland and Alameda County are in discussions about a possible extension, though nothing has been confirmed.
In the meantime, organizers of Thursday's boycott said they are just getting started with these type of events. They said to expect more tailgate boycott events throughout the A's season.
