On May 5, Black.Seed, Asians4BlackLives, and allies shut down the Oakland City Council and held a People's City Council against a proposed development on East 12th Street. The development, up for a vote at that evening's city council meeting, includes no affordable housing and links to the larger wave of displacement being felt throughout Oakland and the Bay Area. According to the activists, the high-rise luxury condos include one bedrooms priced at upwards of $3,150/month. The condos are proposed by Urban Core and real estate firm UDR. The activists stood in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, linking gentrification to increased policing, and criminalization of Black and Brown people.

The People’s City Council opened their meeting by allowing impacted individuals from Eastlake and Oakland to speak before the council. Residents, educators, workers, and those displaced, all spoke of their inability to live in the city they call home. The organizers of the event were sure to note that there were no time limits for speakers. Through a megaphone, one organizer critiqued the city council, saying, “We can dream bigger than cops and condos for our city.”

Read More | People's City Council Steps into Action in Oakland City Hall to Save E12th Street (VIDEO) | Rally to #SaveE12th - Public Land for Public Good!

Related Indybay Feature: Housing Activists Take Over San Francisco City Hall (May 8)