Protesters shut down Oakland freeway
Over 150 arrested, including Laney Students
Reginald James
Issue date: 3/18/10 Last update: 3/18/10 at 2:48 AM PST
Section: March 4 Demonstrations
Enraged by budget cuts to higher education, students throughout California held sit-ins, rallies and took to the streets on March 4. In Oakland, a group of demonstrators went even further.
More than 150 protesters were arrested-including at least 11 Laney College students-after marching onto a freeway off-ramp in downtown Oakland. Traffic came to a standstill in both directions on Interstate 880 and 980 for over an hour during the evening commute.
Some motorists honked, waved and smiled in support of the action, while others were visibly angered by the tactic.
Oakland police and California Highway Patrol officers scrambled after protesters who went onto the freeway, jumping over the concrete divide onto 880 south. Some officers attacked protesters with batons, clubbing them in the legs, back, buttocks or jabbing them in the arms and ribs.
One Skyline High student, Francois Zamany, 15, fell off the freeway into traffic on 5th St. below, and was transported to Highland Hospital. Zamany suffered a fractured skull and his mother stated he doesn't remember what happened. He is recovering.
Among those arrested on the freeway were 10 minors who were cited and released to their parents' custody, according to Oakland Police.
The situation began when a group of about 300 people took to the streets following a day-long rally at Frank Ogawa Plaza around 4 p.m. Police in riot gear cordoned off the intersection of 14th and Broadway in all directions, except north on Broadway. The demonstrators walked up to 15th St. and turned east, then walked down Franklin St against traffic.
Protesters marched to 11th and Franklin to the Office of the UC President, where they held a "dance party" while holding up signs across from the of UC Police guarding the building's entrance.
Afterward, they went West on 11th past Broadway, followed by police. After turning onto Martin Luther King Way, demonstrators ran into a police barricade and were forced towards Castro St., near the 11th St. exit off of the 880 freeway. With another police barricade in place, a few protesters walked onto the freeway waving flares to slow down traffic. After cars slowed, more protesters followed, while others chose not to enter the freeway.
On the freeway, protesters chanted, "No budget cuts" while yelling to "stick together."
After being arrested, protesters were booked and photographed on the Jackson Street off-ramp. Many were transported to North County Glen Dyer Jail, near OPD headquarters, while others were bused to Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. Most were charged with unlawful assembly and obstructing public places, while some also were charged with failure to obey traffic signs.
The majority of the protesters were released then next day, and will be arraigned Friday, April 2 and Monday, April 5.
More than 150 protesters were arrested-including at least 11 Laney College students-after marching onto a freeway off-ramp in downtown Oakland. Traffic came to a standstill in both directions on Interstate 880 and 980 for over an hour during the evening commute.
Some motorists honked, waved and smiled in support of the action, while others were visibly angered by the tactic.
Oakland police and California Highway Patrol officers scrambled after protesters who went onto the freeway, jumping over the concrete divide onto 880 south. Some officers attacked protesters with batons, clubbing them in the legs, back, buttocks or jabbing them in the arms and ribs.
One Skyline High student, Francois Zamany, 15, fell off the freeway into traffic on 5th St. below, and was transported to Highland Hospital. Zamany suffered a fractured skull and his mother stated he doesn't remember what happened. He is recovering.
Among those arrested on the freeway were 10 minors who were cited and released to their parents' custody, according to Oakland Police.
The situation began when a group of about 300 people took to the streets following a day-long rally at Frank Ogawa Plaza around 4 p.m. Police in riot gear cordoned off the intersection of 14th and Broadway in all directions, except north on Broadway. The demonstrators walked up to 15th St. and turned east, then walked down Franklin St against traffic.
Protesters marched to 11th and Franklin to the Office of the UC President, where they held a "dance party" while holding up signs across from the of UC Police guarding the building's entrance.
Afterward, they went West on 11th past Broadway, followed by police. After turning onto Martin Luther King Way, demonstrators ran into a police barricade and were forced towards Castro St., near the 11th St. exit off of the 880 freeway. With another police barricade in place, a few protesters walked onto the freeway waving flares to slow down traffic. After cars slowed, more protesters followed, while others chose not to enter the freeway.
On the freeway, protesters chanted, "No budget cuts" while yelling to "stick together."
After being arrested, protesters were booked and photographed on the Jackson Street off-ramp. Many were transported to North County Glen Dyer Jail, near OPD headquarters, while others were bused to Santa Rita Jail in Dublin. Most were charged with unlawful assembly and obstructing public places, while some also were charged with failure to obey traffic signs.
The majority of the protesters were released then next day, and will be arraigned Friday, April 2 and Monday, April 5.
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