Alameda Co. DA Drops Charges Against 'Black Friday 14' Protesters
OAKLAND (CBS SF) – The Alameda County District Attorney has dropped charges against 14 Black Lives Matter protesters who disrupted BART service on the day after Thanksgiving in 2014.
District Attorney Nancy O'Malley's office said in a statement that they are not seeking convictions after the protesters participated in a restorative justice process. Among the goals of the process, protests would not interfere with BART service over the 2015 Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
Protesters had to acknowledge that their action "conveyed an important message," but also their methods "impacted the Bay Area and was a violation of the statue governing the safe and efficient operation of public transportation."
"I'm pleased that the charges were dropped. In the interest of justice, it was time." Walter Riley, the lead attorney representing the protesters, said in a statement.
Protesters, which have been called the "Black Friday 14," chained themselves to trains at the West Oakland station on November 28, 2014, halting service for more than two and a half hours.
Earlier this year, the BART board dropped its call for the protesters to pay $70,000 in damages over the protest.