Piedmonters joined Monday’s mass gathering organized by students at Oakland Technical High School. The march brought together nearly 15,000 supporters, according to Oakland police chief Susan Manheimer. The peaceful march was one of many across the country as protesters closed on the seventh day of public outrage over Floyd’s death.
Exedra photographer Julie Reichle captured scenes from the kick-off at Oakland Tech, where the march started with several impassioned speeches and live spoken poetry performances by Oakland students and continued down Broadway to City Hall. Resident Heather Haggarty also shared images and a video of the march.
According to messages posted on a Facebook page for Piedmont parents and an email from the Piedmont Appreciating Diversity Committee (PADC), some local residents are organizing their own show of solidarity at the corner of Highland and Oakland Avenues at 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 3.
A woman and her son participate away from the crowds and watch the march as it continues down Broadway past 41st “Love Black Lives Like You Love Black Culture” Protesters with an abolish/defund the Police banner A young man stands atop a car and leads a chant A youngster holds a Black Lives Matter sign A father and child march holding Black Lives Matter signs Throngs of people peacefully marched down Broadway A man holds a sign reading “An institution that is supposed to uphold the law and what is right has no room for murder” A woman holds a sign calling for revolution as they march past a boarded up 7-Eleven on Broadway A Black Lives Matter sign as marchers continue towards Downtown Oakland Marchers spanned all ages A sea of masks and signs as people listened to the speakers at the start of the demonstration “We cannot go back to normal because normal is what’s wrong” was one of the powerful messages delivered by a speaker at the Oakland Tech march Marchers hold a Black Lives Matter banner at Broadway and 43rd