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Mayor Quan: Stop the brutality against Occupy Oakland
  1. Signatures
    17,491 out of 25,000
    Petitioning
    1. Councillor (+ 8 others)
      Petitioning
      close
      • Councillor (Desley Brooks)
      • Council President (Larry Reid)
      • Councillor (Rebecca Kaplan)
      • Mayor (Jean Quan)
      • Councillor (Jane Brunner)
      • Councillor (Patricia Kernighan)
      • Councillor (Nancy Nadel)
      • Councillor (Libby Schaaf)
      • Mayor Jean Quan and Oakland City Council (Ignacio De La Fuente)
  2. Created By
    Shanelle Matthews
    Oakland, CA
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

On the early morning of October 25, a violent police raid tore apart the Occupy Oakland encampment at Frank Ogawa Plaza (rechristened "Oscar Grant Plaza" by protestors, after the Oakland man gunned down by police in early 2009) under the cover of darkness while people were still asleep in their tents. With authorization by Mayor Quan, hundreds of baton-wielding police officers used tear gas, flash grenades and rubber bullets on the mostly peaceful crowd, dangerously escalating a situation that in no way called for this level of violence.

To add insult to injury, instead of citing the more than 75 arrested protestors and releasing them, the police will hold them until an October 27th arraignment, where they will be released upon paying a $10,000 bond.

Later in the day on October 25th, Oakland-area police once again set upon peacefully gathered protestors in shocking videos now broadcast across the globe. The whole world is watching. Help set an example for cities around America: Demand Mayor Quan allow the protestors to keep occupying Oscar Grant Plaza, hold accountable those who authorized this needless show of force, and cite and immediately release those arrested.

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Stop the repression of Occupy Oakland

Mayor Quan and members of the Oakland City Council,

I strongly condemn the brutal crackdown on Occupy Oakland protestors, authorized by your office, which turned a peaceful protest into a war zone.  You must immediately cite and release the arrested protesters, fire the decision-makers who authorized the use of authoritarian police tactics, allow the occupiers to immediately resume their around-the-clock protest at Oscar Grant Plaza, and remunerate protestors for the destruction of property at the hands of Oakland-area police officers.

In the early hours of October 25, hundreds of baton-wielding officers assaulted protesters and members of the media with tear gas before arresting dozens of protestors and destroying the encampment at Oscar Grant Plaza. Some protestors report the use of flash grenades and rubber bullets during the early morning raid on the plaza. To add insult to injury, instead of citing the arrested protestors and releasing them on their own recognizance, police are holding them in jail until an October 27th arraignment, where they will have to pay a $10,000 bond to be released.

These harsh measures are completely out of proportion to the peaceful assembly at Oscar Grant Plaza. Ultimate responsibility for the heavy-handed police response lies in your hands. I urge you to do the right thing and allow Occupy Oakland to keep Oscar Grant Plaza.

[Your name]

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