UPDATE: Oakland Police informed: We are investigating a shooting of two security guards. The incident happened in the area of 12th and Clay. At this time, it appears the shooting is unrelated to tonight’s demonstration. We will keep you updated.
Thanks to Oakland Legend and friend Monza Nitoto, who sent the Jmal Davis Facebook Live Video to me via text, we have perhaps the longest and most comprehensive livestream video account of the events of the Oakland, California version of the George Floyd Murder Protests.
For those who were under a rock, all of this started with the Memorial Day murder of an innocent, unarmed Minnesota black man named George Floyd by four Minnesota Park Police Officers. Formost among the four Minnesota Park Police Officers were the actions of 19-year-Officer Derek Chauvin, who was caught on smartphone video camera putting his knee into Floyd’s neck and literally digging into it for a full 9 minutes. It was the most horrifying act I’ve ever seen a police officer do – period.
Moreover, the fact that George Floyd was accused of, though not proven to have passed, a fake $20 bill, makes Derek Chauvin’s actions all the more terrible – and that was matched by the fact that three of his co-workers were holding Floyd down. There was no reason to do so, because Floyd was not resisting the officers to start with. Floyd died as a result of Chauvin, putting his knee into Floyd’s neck. And while Officer Derek Chauvin was charged with 3rd-degree-murder and manslaughter, it was not enough for million in America who wanted murder convictions and jail for all four officers.
An America, weary of the constant story of black men being killed at the hands of white cops, and the police in general, erupted in protest. And given that Oakland had its own version of the George Floyd Murder, the 2009 Oscar Grant Murder at Fruitvale BART Station, it was just a matter of time before Oakland was the center of protest. And on social media.
On Facebook, Christl Asprey said “Where the fuck is the media coverage!! Why isn’t this on the news??” What she and many others, miss, is that, today, this is the news component, ready to be seen on Facebook or embeded in Oakland’s only daily blog Oakland News Now.
Davis livestream was seen 376,000 times and was shared 9,745 times on Facebook.
Stay tuned.