On Jan. 18, a group representing the Black Lives Matter Organization blocked traffic on the Bay Bridge in a protest to reclaim Martin Luther King Jr. day.
According to USA Today, a representative of the group said that the protest was “a strong, courageous stand in solidarity with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”
Protesters took their stance, blocking traffic on the Bay Bridge by chaining themselves and their cars to the either side of the bridge. According to KTVU- TV, the protesters then laid out signs across the bridge reading “Black health matters.” Once police arrived at the scene, many protesters were arrested and charged with misdemeanor.
The Black Lives Matter Organization was outraged by the arrests and posted on Twitter, demanding the immediate release of any protesters.
Sophomore Ogden Asmar, a supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement said, “The police angered me beyond belief. The fact that peaceful protesters were locked up for standing up for the oppressed implies that, in the eyes of the law, silence is better than justice .”
Other students believe that the protests could have been planned more appropriately.
Senior Theo Chatman, who is black, said, “There’s a time and a place for everything. Some things, like shutting down the bridge, may just make people mad and create a negative view of the organization as a whole.”
The organization stands for the freedom and justice of all people of color and aims to rebuild the black liberation movement.
As they attempt to rebuild this movement, the Black Lives Matter Organization and similar groups have scheduled more peaceful protests all around the country to make themselves known.
Chatman commented on the organization and its protests by saying, “It’s necessary to spread awareness of social issues in order to give oppressed people a voice and spread equality to create a more positive world.”
