BART warns of expected protests and seek your help to silence protesters
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) officials have warned passengers to be prepared for expected protests through August. Rather than address the reason there will be protests, they are paying extra police officers to stand guard and are asking passengers to report “unsafe behavior.” Isn’t that exactly what the protesters are reporting?
“Please be advised that protesters may attempt to disrupt train service during August commute periods beginning as early as Thursday,” the transit agency said in a statement.
“Report unsafe behavior, do not confront protestors,” an official said in a media interview. “Stay out of harm’s way.”
Protesters are upset over the murderous reputation of the BART police, and the lack of action taken by BART or state officials to address the concerns of the community.
On new year’s day 2009, Johannes Mehserle, a BART officer at the time, had detained a young man on a BART platform. The young man was on the ground when Mehserle pushed his gun into the man’s body and pulled the trigger, sending a bullet into the back of Oscar Grant. Mehserle claims he thought he was tasing him. He spent only one year in jail for his crimes, and is free today. Oscar however, remains dead.
More recently, Charles Hill was shot to death by a BART officer. Hill was reported to the BART police for being “wobbly” (intoxicated) on the platform. Within one minute of arriving on the scene, one officer fired his weapon at the man, who the police claim was holding a knife.
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