Protesters Defy Curfew In Oakland, But Evening Ends Quietly

OAKLAND (KPIX 5) -- A day after unruly crowds led Oakland police to use tear gas and rubber bullets while arresting over 100 people at the end of a massive George Floyd march, protesters on Tuesday were far more peaceful.

A crowd that was estimated at 15,000 people marched loudly but peacefully through the streets of Oakland Monday afternoon and evening before the situation deteriorated into another chaotic night downtown.

Monday night and Tuesday night, the protests culminated at the same intersection at 8th and Broadway.Tuesday night's demonstration was significantly smaller and remained peaceful.

It started further up Broadway. For almost an hour, hundreds gathered in Frank Ogawa Plaza on the steps of Oakland City Hall demanding social change, asking for their voices to be heard.

‪At around 7:45 p.m., the group marched down Broadway toward 8th Street, to the same intersection that saw clashes with police last night as the curfew neared.‬

Tuesday night was different. The ‪8 p.m. curfew came and went. Police stood in a line, but this time with no barricade. Protesters chanted and one man spent an hour recounting his personal story of what he says was racial profiling by police. There were no calls to disperse, no threats of chemical agents or arrests.

At 10 p.m., two hours after the scheduled curfew, Oakland police announced over a loud speaker they were going to open the roadway for traffic. They thanked the protesters for their peaceful demonstration asked people to move to the sidewalks for their safety.

A few minutes later, the line of officers disbanded and walked away, leaving only a handful of demonstrators still gathered at the corner of 8th and Broadway in Oakland.

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• Protest
• Oakland