Oakland Protesters Stage Noisy Demonstration To 'Wake Up The Mayor' At Libby Schaaf's House
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- Dozens of protesters demonstrated outside Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf's home early Monday morning in a protest being called #WakeUpTheMayor.
About 20-30 protesters assembled in the street in front of Schaaf's home, saying that if they can't breathe she can't dream.
They projected a picture on Schaaf's garage showing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a quote saying "there comes a time when silence is betrayal."
Raw Video: Protests Outside Oakland Mayor Schaaf's Home (credit: Blackout Collective)
The group chanted "no justice, no peace, no racist police -- wake up!" Some gave speeches and sang songs. There was also a large sign saying "Dream" and body outlines marked off in chalk on the ground.
Protest organizers set up a live stream of the protest on a UStream channel called Blackout Collective.
Police arrived on scene to monitor the situation, but no arrests were made.
Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday", a tribute song he wrote and performed as part of a campaign to push for an official Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, played in front of Schaaf's garage as one protester danced the electric slide.
Schaaf did not come out to meet the protestors, although a man said to be her husband spoke with them briefly. He reportedly asked demonstrators to have some sympathy for the neighbors.
"We feel like if (Schaaf) was really to honor the true legacy of Martin Luther King, she would have come outside to speak with us," said Xan West, an organizer and Oakland native.
"It's a violation of who he was for (Schaaf) to go to events on Martin Luther King Day and try to tell a story of (him) that she doesn't really enact in her policies," West added.
Mayor Schaaf's office could not be reached for comment Monday morning due to the national holiday celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.
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