For the past few days I’ve been warning that Oakland is about to get sucked into the criminality and vandalism committed by Black Bloc-type rioters that we’ve seen in LA and SF. Well, it appears that sad milestone has now begun, with the mass looting and car fire that erupted Tuesday night on International Boulevard, in the Fruitvale District.
The horrible theft and looting at the Sheikh shoe store occurred at the back end of an anti-ICE protest that was largely peaceful, yet planted within the protesters was, as usual, a cell of Black Bloc thugs who caused all hell to break loose after nightfall. That is the usual modus operandi of the Black Bloc, which uses peaceful protest as a cover in which to hide as they prepare to terrorize and vandalize entire neighborhoods.
A woman named Norma Orozco, whom KTVU News identified “an organizer” of the earlier demonstration, seemed to disclaim any knowledge of, or association with, the criminals. However, it’s been apparent to me for many years that these “peaceful” organizers have to be aware of outsiders in their midst who are determined to wreak havoc. They’re the ones with black masks, often clad in black clothing and combat boots, and wearing chains holding various implements and tools to perform their violent actions. You can see them in live communication via cell phones or radios with their confederates. I’ve observed that half-a-dozen times over the years during downtown protests. You can’t miss them, nor is it possible for a rational person to misunderstand who these people are or what they’re planning to do.
So, Ms. Orozco, I’m not buying it. You knew, or should have known, exactly what was going down. And as “an organizer,” you should have done everything in your power to call it out and stop it.
Watch the video yourself. Look at those thieves and robbers. Feral creatures that we don’t want and shouldn’t have in Oakland, all masked up and hooded to avoid being identified. I’ll bet you that Ms. Orozco knows who some of them are. Is she stepping forward and helping OPD identify them?
I try to put myself into the mindset of the rioters. I just can’t do it. Why would anyone behave that way? Peer pressure? A cheap thrill? Do they really need a pair of stolen sneakers so badly? Most of them are just kids. What about their parents? When junior comes home with a bagful of hoodies and shoes with the price tag still on them, does anyone ask where he got them, or how he paid for them? What kind of parents are they, anyway? It makes me wonder if we shouldn’t require licenses for people to have children, the way we do with automobiles.
Oakland is going to have to get serious about these thugs. That means we’re going to have to do several overdue things: get rid of Warshaw, the asshole who’s driven OPD into the ground in order to preserve his cushy salary. End the tyranny of the Police Commission, a bunch of leftist cop haters. Compel the new mayor to support law enforcement even though she doesn’t want to. Let the City Council know, in no uncertain terms, that the times have changed: Oakland demands public safety, and we insist that our cops be supported, both morally and fiscally. And every time the local media—the SF Chronicle, KQED radio, Oaklandside—publicize lies and smears about cops, let’s overwhelm them with criticism and ridicule. Eventually, they’ll get the message: If you’re not with us, you’re against us, and we will respond accordingly.
Steve Heimoff