Co-Sponsored by the Landless People’s Alliance and the United Front Against Displacement
Residents living in over 15 RVs in West Oakland, many of whom have lived and worked in the surrounding community for decades, saw their vehicles impounded in mass by the police on October 23rd. Join us in demanding the return of these vehicles and the property inside them. Residents have been living on the street there ever since losing the vehicles, and several have been without their identification papers that remain in the impounded vehicles. We are also demanding the provision of restroom facilities for the residents of West Oakland in the vicinity of Raimondi Park, several of whom have been camped out there ever since the towings happened.
Several protests have been held at City Hall over this incident. Michael Hunt, a representative of the mayor, told -suffering residents that the vehicles should never have been towed. The hold-up in getting the vehicles released is the need for forms from the Oakland Police Department, which is currently under scrutiny because of aggressive towing practices. The vehicles were towed at ODP’s request by Auto Plus Towing, a company covered in a recent expose on corrupt towing practices in Oakland “The East Bay’s Tow Hustle. “ https://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/the-east-bays-tow-hustle/Content?oid=22699510
Given minutes to leave their RVs and vans, residents tried to grab what they could before the vehicles were towed. Like refugees fleeing for safety, the RV owners were forced to throw possessions out of their doors and windows onto piles on the sidewalk. Many did not have time to secure key material.
You can find a video made on the day of the tow here : https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qBIz8vory3g