On November 19th the BART Board of Directors was once again paid a visit by members and supporters of the Black Friday 14 – a group who stopped BART for hours at the West Oakland station on Black Friday of last year in protest against police executions and in support of #BlackLivesMatter.
After their previous visits, the Board had agreed not to seek monetary restitution, but had balked at asking the District Attorney to drop charges against the protesters. As the one year deadline for filing misdemeanor charges approached without charges either being prosecuted or dropped, supporters came back calling once again on the BART Board of Directors to take a stand against racism and for justice (as many point out only black protesters still have charges hanging over them; white Oakland protesters who performed other similar acts of civil disobedience in solidarity were never arrested).
It is unclear what action, if any, the Board will consider taking at a future meeting (it presumably could not take any action at the Nov 19th meeting for lack of an agendized item).
Spporters spoke for hours. Here are some tweets, tweetpics and a video from the that testimony.
Mollie Costello is one of the Black Friday 14.
@missmollie33 to BART board: “We stand in a tradition of doing things that may not be legal, but they are necessary” pic.twitter.com/d4O8cBvTzD
— Darwin BondGraham (@DarwinBondGraha) November 19, 2015
VIDEO: #BlackFriday14 member Mollie Costello tells #BART board to side on right side of history #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/vDnQFIFWte
— Joe Fitz Rodriguez (@FitzTheReporter) November 19, 2015
Two ministers present the case for justice…
My @SFBART station is #fruitvale where #oscargrant‘s blood has stained the … https://t.co/OdioAgEuFA pic.twitter.com/x2ngosAyhs
— Bay Solidarity (@BaySolidarity) November 19, 2015
The BART Board meeting today is filled with people who want DA O’Malley to drop charges against the Black Friday 14. pic.twitter.com/XhYYLwkCVS
— Darwin BondGraham (@DarwinBondGraha) November 19, 2015
White allies make the case…
.@AlamedaCountyDA has chosen not 2/prosecute cops who murder but is prosecuting #BlackFriday14. Are u on her side? pic.twitter.com/44aV9uIMZG
— Bay Solidarity (@BaySolidarity) November 19, 2015
U want ur grandkids to be able to be proud of u & know u were on the … https://t.co/i8OKDAhHQl pic.twitter.com/fWe3kusPur
— Bay Solidarity (@BaySolidarity) November 19, 2015
And a reminder that Labor stands against these charges.
Lots of labor unions passing resolutions to #DropTheCharges. #whichsideareyouon @SFBART? #BLACKLIVESMATTER #BlackFriday14 @AlamedaCountyDA
— Bay Solidarity (@BaySolidarity) November 19, 2015
both SF & Alameda Labor Councils have passed resolutions in support of #BlackFriday14
— Terri Kay (@TKOakWWP) November 19, 2015
A parting message…
.@SFBART: u have enormous influence on @AlamedaCountyDA to #DropTheCharges. If u don’t do right thing, this isnt the last u’ll see of us.
— Bay Solidarity (@BaySolidarity) November 19, 2015
we’re gonna keep coming back until the charges are dropped . .until you take a stand #DropTheCharges #BartFriday14 pic.twitter.com/Nhu1JSAIpM
— Anti Police-Terror (@APTPaction) November 19, 2015
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