This Thursday, Occupy Oakland is hosting a Citizens Police Review Board and Open Forum on Oakland Police Department Actions at the Grand Lake Theater.
Last week, Oakland's Citizens Police Review Board (CPRB) announced they had indefinitely postponed a forum which had been planned for months. This forum had been intended to allow the community to discuss the Oakland Police Department's (OPD) handling of Occupy Oakland.
In actions against Occupy Oakland, OPD has consistently broken with their own crowd control policies and procedures, while brutalizing those they have arrested. Journalists have been arrested and detained, crowds have been tear gassed with no path of escape, and 409 people were trapped, assaulted, and arrested with no dispersal orders given. Let us not forget the most egregious action of OPD misconduct when Scott Olsen was shot in the head with a tear gas canister and nearly killed. All of these actions, and many others, on the part of OPD are proof that the department has a long way to go in the implementation of reforms mandated by federal courts stemming from the Rider Case almost a decade ago.
That the Oakland CPRB would choose to cancel its forum at such a critical time is appalling. As a result, Occupy Oakland is hosting its own CPRB to address these issues and instances of misconduct and brutality. The community, press, and city officials are all invited to attend and listen. There will be a public speaking section at the end of the forum for all to voice their opinions, concerns, and experiences.
Thursday, February 9, 6:00pm
Grand Lake Theater
AGENDA:
INTRODUCTION
* Ground rules & listening
* Chaplains / Safer spaces
* History of OPD misconduct - Walter Riley
* Riders case, Negotiated settlement agreement - Jim Chanin
PRESENTATIONS
* OPD actions related to Occupy Oakland - An Occupy Oakland perspective
* NLG overview of legal issues
CITIZEN'S POLICE REVIEW BOARD
* Intro into what CPRB does and how they can help
Q&A
* Chief Jordan has been invited to answer a few questions from Occupy Oakland and the CPRB.
PUBLIC COMMENT AND TESTIMONY
* Intro on how to speak honestly, without incriminating yourself
* Intro from counselors on how to deal with emotionally charged issues
CONCLUDING REMARKS
The Occupy Oakland CPRB can be seen live on UStream:
http://www.ustream.tv/occupyoakland
For updated information about the forum, check the facebook event page:
