The Oscar Grant Committee was born out of struggle. On a rainy day, 23 October 2010, several thousand labor and community activists attended a historic protest and work stoppage at Ogawa Plaza, aka Oscar Grant Plaza, in Oakland, led by the Longshoremen Union (ILWU Local #10). We demanded “Justice for Oscar Grant” and “Jail Killer Cops.”
After the protest, several dozen of the organizers/activists voted to create an ongoing organization to continue the struggle against police brutality and other forms of state repression.
Since then the OGC has organized or participated in dozens of marches, rallies and actions, held many public forums and speak outs, and helped build “United Fronts” with like-minded people. We have conducted on the ground investigations of police killings, participated in courtroom solidarity actions with victims; and organized road trip actions to support families of victims in other California cities outside of Oakland.
The OGC has worked with many families who have unjustly lost loved one, such as Oscar Grant, Allen Blueford, Ken Harding, Rahiem Brown, Martin Cotton, Mark Garcia, Andy Lopez, Guy Jareau, Derrek Jones, James Rivera, Ernst Duenez and so many others, the list too long to name here.
Without support from organizations such as the OGC, the victims’ families are left isolated, often confused and demoralized, facing police cover-up and hostile intimidation.
