In Oakland, young heroes seek justice
 Protesters took a largely peaceful path after an unpopular verdict in the Los Angeles trial of the BART officer who killed Oscar Grant. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) |
The city could have erupted in violence after an unpopular verdict. Largely because of a group of young people, it didn't.
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Oakland dodged a bullet last week after the verdict in the racially charged case of a young black man shot by a Bay Area Rapid Transit policeman.
The day ended with a few rubbish fires, looting at a Foot Locker and scattered broken windows downtown. But it was nothing like the mayhem after the shooting last year, when hundreds of looters rampaged for hours, ravaging businesses and torching cars.
The response this time was a textbook case of collaboration. Downtown employees were sent home early to clear the area for protesters. Churches and civic groups organized forums to let residents vent. The family of the dead man issued public appeals for calm. And police turned out in such force, there seemed to be more officers than protesters.
But much of the credit belongs to Oakland's young people and to the adults who taught and trusted them.
Their campaign to promote nonviolence "really made the difference," said Ron Wakabayashi, a Department of Justice mediator. "They seeded the community for peace."
They soaked their neighborhood with peace messages and produced an anti-violence video that drew thousands of YouTube views. After the verdict, they roamed through the crowd downtown, handing out fliers that read "Violence Is Not Justice."
These were kids hit hard by the death of Oscar GraIn Oakland, young heroes seek justice - latimes.com
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