Protests raged across the streets of Oakland and Los Angeles Monday night following a controversial decision by a grand jury well over a thousand miles away.
Hundreds of angry demonstrators descended on Oakland’s downtown area within minutes of the announcement that Ferguson, Missouri Police Officer Darren Wilson would not face charges for the fatal shooting of young African-American Michael Brown. At around 9:45 p.m., officers began arresting people who had walked onto Interstate 580, some climbing the center divider and blocking eastbound traffic. While there were no immediate reports of injury, city officials confirmed instances of vandalism and a broken bank window. Piles of trash were lit aflame in the streets, while retail stores reported incidents of looting.
As early as last week, Mayor Jean Quan cautioned the public to prepare for potential violence.
“Although we don’t anticipate problems to occur, keeping peace on our streets and protecting the safety of Oakland residents and businesses is our top priority and we will be prepared,” Quan wrote in a letter to residents and business owners. “We are providing this information to raise awareness about these events, not to alarm, and so that you may plan ahead.”
Protests in Los Angeles prompted a lockdown of the University of Southern California campus. While the demonstrations were described as largely peaceful, at least one individual was arrested outside police headquarters in downtown L.A. where crowds remained until around 3:30 a.m. Some protestors even made their way onto Beverly Hills’ posh Rodeo Drive, where they laid in the middle of the street for four-and-a-half minutes, referencing the four-and-a-half hours that Michael Brown laid dead in the road after being shot.
"Michael Brown's death has ignited deep passions across the nation, and Los Angeles is no exception,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. He and community leaders throughout Southern California urged peace and calm in the wake of the verdict.
Eighteen-year-old Michael Brown was shot dead on August 9 during an altercation with Officer Wilson. Witness accounts of the shooting were contradictory and the confusion was further compounded by longstanding tensions between the police department and the city’s black community. The shooting led to weeks of unrest throughout St. Louis and surrounding areas. Finally, on November 24, a team of 12 grand jurors concluded that there was not enough evidence to indict Wilson for any crime.
Read more about the reactions to the Ferguson verdict here.