Fires Set, Windows Broken Amid Police Brutality March In Oakland

OAKLAND, CA — Hundreds of protesters marched through Oakland Friday night to decry police brutality in Oakland. What began as a peaceful demonstration later erupted into violence, leaving windows shattered and fires set, according to several reports.

Many businesses boarded up their windows and doors, preparing for potential unrest following the death of Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old man who was fatally shot by officers last weekend in a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Earlier this month, Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old, was also shot by an officer in Chicago.

Many protesters chanted their names in Oakland's Frank Ogawa Plaza Friday night.

Tonight, the City of Oakland experienced disruptive protests in the Downtown area. A crowd size of 250-300 protesters assaulted a community member and police officer, broke windows, spray painted buildings, set a car on fire along with multiple debris fires. pic.twitter.com/nBnlMBYBnQ
— Oakland Police Dept. (@oaklandpoliceca) April 17, 2021

Some 25o to 300 people were involved in the march through the Broadway and Telegraph corridor, the Oakland Police Department said. Along their route, windows were broken and fires were set. A Honda car dealership was damaged after its showroom windows were smashed, at least one car was set on fire, several spot fires were lit and another blaze was ignited outside of a bank.

During the march, police said protesters "assaulted one of our community members" and hurled bottles and other objects at officers. One officer was reportedly struck in the head with a bottle and suffered an injury.

Protesters, some carrying signs and flags, were also seen walking past what appeared to be a car crash.

"Protestors dragged barriers into the roadway to block and delay Oakland police officers from responding," police wrote in a statement.

By 11 p.m. police had declared an unlawful assembly and told demonstrators to leave. Police said they dispersed peacefully and there were no arrests or citations issued.

Similar protests have cropped up all over the nation within the last several days.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.