Oakland NYE Noise Demo

On the evening of December 31st, 2012, roughly 200 people gathered at Oscar Grant Plaza in Downtown Oakland for the second annual NYE noise demo at the North County jail. Several people stood on the steps and took turns speaking through the sound system. They thanked everyone for attending the noise demo rather than selling their souls to the hot downtown clubs. They reminded the attendees of all the political prisoners locked up in the Alameda County Jail system, those facing future jail time, and they gave details regarding some of the most recent Occupy related cases. After a brief musical performance by several local figures, the demo set out for the jail.

The march was lead by banners reading BLACK AND BROWN LIVES ARE NOT DISPOSABLE, MASS INCARCERATION=GENOCIDE and INCARCERATION BENEFITS NO ONE BESIDES BANKS AND POLITICIANS. Within one block of leaving the plaza, the tone of the march was set as a glass bottle shattered on the windshield of a passing OPD cruiser. In the shadow of past moments representing both terror and joy, spirits were high and kept aloft by the size of the crowd, the general feeling of jubilation, and sweet memories of success.

As the crowd approached the jail, fireworks were set off continuously and screams and chants filled the air. While the OPD had made themselves scarce during the march, there was a relatively meager allotment of piggies in front of the piggy palace (OPD HQ), just two short blocks ahead of the jail. These trembling swine received several doses of bottles, fireworks, paintbombs, and various other projectiles. They were too outnumbered to attempt to do anything but cower as the crowd continued on to the jail.

Once in front of North County, the crowd threw paint at the ominous building, wrote IDLE NO MORE and FUCK NORTH COUNTY in spray paint, shot fireworks into the sky to liven the dull reality of the prisoners, and danced amidst the smell of sulfur. After lingering there for about twenty minutes, the crowd made another pass by the piggy palace, delivered a few more projectiles at the riot police, and returned to Oscar Grant Plaza to usher in 2013, the year we win!

It is our hope that William Bratton (newly appointed OPD police consultant) understands that he has now accepted the task of being the supreme apologist and advisor for one of the most racist and despicable police agencies in the US.

Let this mild demo be a reminder that we never forget.