Oakland Riots Triggered After Mehserle Verdict

OAKLAND (GaeaTimes.com)- The verdict of the Oscar Grant murder case on Thursday resulted in a riot scenario in Oakland in the evening as hundreds of protesters gathered at the Oakland City Hall and started the demonstrations. The protesters felt that the verdict lacked justice which propelled them to throw bottles and taunt the police officials. The authorities feared a reprise of the January 7, 2009 riots that saw extensive damage to property and over a hundred arrests. On Thursday, the police were assisted by officers from as many as 15 other agencies to restore peace in the area. More than 50 arrests have been made so far and the damages included the looting of a foot locker. The demonstrators also set fire to a number of trash bins and dumpster that called for the fire department to come to the rescue.

The Los Angeles Angels team which is scheduled to play a weekend series at the Oakland Coliseum was also warned by Major League Baseball about the volatile situation and were also offered extra security. The team arrived at Oakland on Thursday evening and will be taking a bus to the Oakland Coliseum from their hotel. The coach of the Los Angeles Angels Mike Scioscia said that he was quite aware of the situation in Oakland but he will continue with the game.

The shooting of Oscar Grant by the BART police officer Johannes Mehserle became a highly sensitive issue in Oakland after videos surfaced that showed the police officer shooting an unarmed Oscar Grant lying face down on the ground. The case assumed a racial color owing to the fact that Johannes Mehserle was a white cop who shot the 22 year old black with Oakland having a racially diverse population. The Oakland riots of 2009 has had a strong impact on the case that was shifted to the Los Angeles court due to fears of violence earlier.