Over 600 people participated in protests that turned violent Wednesday night against the police shooting of a Black man on Sunday in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Oakland police said.
The originally largely peaceful protest turned violent, with the Oakland police asking via its Twitter account protestors to stop setting fire to trash cans, pointing lasers and throwing object at officers, crossing barricades and lighting fireworks. “Agitators within the crowd attempted to set fire to a business on 8th and Broadway,” Oakland police tweeted at 9:45 p.m. “Quick response by OPD Officers and @OaklandFireCA prevented further damage.”
BART closed its 19th Street station in downtown Oakland as city police tweeted photos of numerous fires set in downtown streets. About 11 p.m. protesters walked down the Grand Avenue off-ramp from Interstate 580 after temporarily stopping traffic on the freeway, and then continued throwing objects at police.
Shortly thereafter, Oakland police stated protesters vandalized and set fire to the Alameda County Superior Court Rene C. Davidson Courthouse located at 1225 Fallon Street, near Lake Merritt. According to Oakland police, numerous fire were set across Oakland’s downtown area, dozens of windows were broken, and multiple businesses were vandalized. No officers were injured, and several people were arrested.