Oakland protesters defy mayor by marching at night without permit

Oakland police officers watch protesters from the corner of 14th and Broadway during a rally and march called for by the Black Youth Project to protest the "stealing of black women's lives by state sponsored violence" May 23, 2015 in Oakland, Calif. less Oakland police officers watch protesters from the corner of 14th and Broadway during a rally and march called for by the Black Youth Project to protest the "stealing of black women's lives by state sponsored ... more Photo: Leah Millis, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Leah Millis, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 45 Caption Close Oakland protesters defy mayor by marching at night without permit 1 / 45 Back to Gallery

Protesters marched through Oakland streets after sunset Saturday in defiance of Mayor Libby Schaaf’s policy of shutting down unlawful assemblies at night in her effort to protect businesses from protest-related violence and vandalism.

Unlike a demonstration earlier in the week, police did not order the marchers to get off the streets and stay on sidewalks but instead allowed them to walk a few blocks from City Hall to their destination, the Oakland police headquarters.

Police closely monitored the demonstrators’ moves and repeatedly warned them via loudspeaker that no destruction of property would be tolerated. Having reached their destination, some protesters left and the remaining group began heading to Jack London Square. But around 9 p.m., police declared the gathering an unlawful assembly and threatened arrests. The remaining demonstrators, fewer than 50, refused to budge and sat in the middle of Washington Street, between 3rd and 4th streets. At about 10 p.m., after multiple warnings, police swept through the group, detaining several dozen protesters.

The tense confrontation underscored the difficulty Oakland leaders face in trying to balance the demands of people who wish to freely demonstrate and businesses that want assurances from the city that their properties won’t be damaged. Schaaf was harshly criticized after May Day demonstrations resulted in smashed windows, fires and damage to 40 new cars along Oakland’s Broadway Auto Row.

On Saturday, Schaaf had two senior staff members at the march, which began at 8:18 p.m. when approximately 100 protesters began walking along Broadway from Frank Ogawa Plaza. There were almost as many police officers as protesters, and officers initially tried to move demonstrators onto the sidewalks. Police then announced via loudspeaker that the march would be allowed as long as demonstrators did not commit crimes.

At least one protester was arrested after a confrontation with police.

The protest was organized in response to an incident Thursday night in which police forced about 200 demonstrators off the street and onto the sidewalk because they did not have a permit to shut down city streets. The groups Onyx Organizing Committee and the Anti Police-Terror Project complied but called the city’s action unconstitutional, and planned Saturday night’s march to challenge what they called a new policy.

On Friday, Schaaf spokeswoman Erica Derryck released a statement saying the city hasn’t approved any new laws or policies regarding marches, but is using existing laws and policies to make sure protests remain peaceful. She said routing the march onto the sidewalk is a way to “ensure that freedom of expression is not compromised by unlawful activity and demonstrators, bystanders, motorists and property are kept safe.”

On Saturday, as the march started, organizer Cat Brooks said the protest would be peaceful and that “we are going to finish what we tried to do peacefully on Thursday night.”

“The Oakland police have imposed the most oppressive policies possible,” she said. “We are here to stand up for our rights. I understand that people are upset about broken windows, but you cannot alter the Constitution because of broken windows.”

One protester, Daniela Kantorova, was dressed in all black and prepared for confrontation. She was handing out orange earplugs as a defense against the “sound cannons” that police sometimes use to disperse protesters. She also had a bag of Maalox, which, combined with water, is used to treat pepper spray.

“Primarily I’m here to stand in solidarity with black people, who are the primary target of police,” she said.

Councilwoman Desley Brooks, who at times has locked horns with Schaaf, expressed skepticism about the new approach: “My comment is that it didn’t work,” she said.

Evan Sernoffsky, Rachel Swan and J.K. Dineen are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. E-mail: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com, rswan@sfchronicle.com, jdineen@sfchronicle.com