OAKLAND (KRON) — Tuesday night’s Oakland City Council meeting ended early when a group of activists took control of the council chambers.
The council members were only about an hour into their meeting when around 6:30 p.m. a group known as Black Seed came forward to the front with banners and bullhorns.
Black Seed said they held the demonstration to protest against plans to develop a housing complex in the area of 12th Street and Second Avenue, which they describe as “luxury condos.”
Black Seed spokesperson Michal Jones characterized the municipal process surrounding the development as lacking community involvement.
Jones said economic conditions in Oakland have been pushing out longtime residents, often people of color or low-income families, which can lead to increased police surveillance and other problems associated with gentrification.
“Folks who have lived there for a long time can no longer afford the rent,” Jones said. “This is our way of bringing the issues to the people and let the people decide.”
Roughly an hour after the demonstration started city official adjourned the meeting.
Oakland police spokeperson Johnna Watson said the protestors were allowed to stay until 11 p.m. That’s the time when the council meeting generally lets out.