Fwd: Message from City Administrator regarding May 1 marches, protests and activities
Alex Miller-Cole
From: Betsy <betsy...@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Apr 30, 2012 at 9:02 AM
Subject: Fwd: Message from City Administrator regarding May 1 marches, protests and activities
To: Lake News <lake...@lakeneighbors.org>
Begin forwarded message:From: City of Oakland <oak...@service.govdelivery.com>
Date: April 27, 2012 4:57:09 PM PDT
To: ce...@widgetbox.com
Subject: Message from City Administrator regarding May 1 marches, protests and activities
Reply-To: City of Oakland <oak...@service.govdelivery.com>
April 27, 2012
Dear Oakland Businesses, Property Owners, and Community Members,
May 1—often celebrated as International Workers’ Day—has been a significant day of marches and demonstrations of various kinds for many years in Oakland and around the world.
The City is aware of a number of marches, protests and activities planned in downtown Oakland and throughout the City next Tuesday, May 1; some of the organizers have secured permits, and others have not.
The purpose of this letter is to inform and educate, not alarm. We encourage you to share this information with your employees, merchant neighbors, commercial tenants and anyone else who would benefit from the information.
Permitted and Unpermitted Activities
Through information obtained in flyers and on various websites we are able to transmit the following information. There are several organized demonstrations and activities that we are aware of, many of which will converge around 6 pm at Frank Ogawa Plaza. In addition, there is a California Nurses Association demonstration on Pill Hill.
The City has taken numerous steps to establish contact with the organizers of various May 1st demonstrations in order to facilitate peaceful demonstrations, minimize traffic impacts, and work out any potential problems before they occur.
Occupy Oakland Activities—No permit requested or granted by the City
- Morning commute hours: Potential traffic delays in Uptown, around 19th & Telegraph; Snow Park at 19th & Harrison; and at the foot of Broadway near Jack London Square
- Noontime: Rally at 14th and Broadway
- Throughout the day: Traffic delays and congestion could result from a series of marches, pickets and blockades at unknown locations in Uptown, downtown, and outside of downtown core
- Evening commute hours: Organizers plan to join “March for Dignity and Resistance/Decolonize Oakland” (see below). Temporary traffic and transit impacts could result along the march route.
March for Dignity and Resistance/ Decolonize Oakland —Organizers secured Special Events Permit from OPD
Beginning at 3 pm, rally at Fruitvale Plaza and march to San Antonio Park; rally at San Antonio Park and march to Frank Ogawa Plaza. Demonstration at Frank Ogawa Plaza until 7 pm. Organizers have secured a Special Events Permit from OPD for the march. OPD has worked with the march organizers to determine the specific route of this march to minimize traffic disruptions and keep participants safe along the designated march route. Organizers have secured a use permit for Frank Ogawa Plaza. To date, no sound permit for Frank Ogawa Plaza or park use permit for San Antonio Park has been requested or granted.
Feeder March—No permit requested or granted by the City
Unpermitted march to start at 66th Ave and International Blvd, march to Fremont High School, then join “March for Dignity and Resistance/Decolonize Oakland.”
California Nurses Association—Organizers secured sound permit
Demonstration at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, 350 Hawthorne Ave. from 10 am – 7 pm. City issued sound permit for 12-1 pm and 5 -7 pm only.
Our Goal: Facilitate Peaceful Expressions, Swiftly Address Criminal Behavior
As we’ve stated many times before, the City of Oakland is committed to facilitating peaceful expressions of free speech rights, and protecting personal safety and property. We will not tolerate destruction or violence. We are asking for the community to come together, look out for one another, and stay safe.
In the event that the demonstrations and protests become unlawful, the Oakland Police Department is prepared to swiftly address any criminal behavior that would damage property or jeopardize the safety of the public or police officers.
Potential Traffic and Transit Impacts
We have planned to facilitate permitted marches to minimize traffic disruption along permitted routes; pedestrian and vehicular safety will be facilitated by OPD. However, additional traffic congestion or delays could occur all day and into the evening as a result of marches or activities that are organized without a permit.
The City will stay in close communication with AC Transit and BART in order to minimize the transit impacts, particularly during commute hours. Traffic and transit conditions could change. Employers, employees, and residents are advised to visit www.511.org or call 511 for up-to-date transition information.
Oakland is Open for Business
City offices and services will remain open on Tuesday, May 1. Staff from the Public Works Agency and other vital City services will work extended hours that day to provide additional community support as necessary. We are not urging businesses to close. Instead, we advise all to use common sense precautions and convey a sense of calm to employees and customers.
How to Stay Informed
We will use a variety of communications channels to keep the business community and the public informed of developments as they occur. We encourage you to use the following:
● Check our web site for regular updates: www.oaklandnet.com
● To receive alerts by email or wireless device, subscribe to our email/text updates system by entering your email address in the “Email Updates” section on the City’s home page, www.oaklandnet.com. To receive wireless alerts via mobile phone, be sure to check the “Send Wireless Alerts to this address” box and enter your mobile number and carrier. Once you’ve saved your subscriber preferences, select “Emergency Alerts for Merchants.”
● Sign up to receive public safety notifications from OPD through text/SMS, mobile applications, e-mail, and internet posts. Visit www.Nixle.com to register.
● Follow us on Twitter—for general City of Oakland news, follow @oaklandpubinfo. For specific public safety news, follow OPD @oaklandpoliceca.
● Contact the City of Oakland’s Business Assistance Center at (510) 238-7952 or visit www.OaklandBAC.com for support and additional information.
● If you don’t have a computer, call (510) 444-CITY for information and/or recorded updates.
● For emergencies—from a landline call 911; from a cell phone dial (510) 777-3211 (program this number into your cell phone now so it is handy in an emergency).
● To report any tips or suspicious activity, call the Oakland Police Department’s non-emergency line at (510) 777-3333 or email opd...@oaklandnet.com.
● Visit www.511.org or call 511 for up-to-date traffic and transit information.
<Business_Communitymessage4-27-12.pdf>
George Russell
http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/04/17/occupy-oakland-permitted-protest-and-police-repression/