#bikingwhileblack

It just never ends. This came across my facebook feed this morning.

Courtesy of Jennifer Rougeaux at East Bay Bike Party.

We need all your support in helping Naj K. Smith get justice! On Friday Aug. 3 naj took a group of young people on a first Friday ride. As usual Naj had his speaker and typical rig he always rides with. He was jammin his usual non offensive tunes when an OPD OFFICER grabbed his handle bars and stopped his bike. Naj politely got off his bike and proceeded to understand what the cops issue was. Being an example to the youth he was leading he remained calm and respectful even the youth were outraged. He had to dessculate the youth and talk with this cop who was upset about Najari’s music. He first stated he was giving a citation for the loud music so naj turned it off altogether next thing you know naj was in handcufffs bike rig and speaker have all been confiscated and he was booked and sent to Rita where he spent his weekend. He was able to make bail but can you believe this?? Where is the crime?? How sway how?? I’m asking all the fellow bike riders to please make this post go viral so we can get some awareness to what’s going on. Clearly the OPD was threatened by the power naj was exuding from his pores and couldn’t take it. We want all our fellow bikers riders to please show up to downtown Oakland 6th n Washington traffic division 9am Aug 31st. court building with bikes and music in solidarity to support or community leader who did nothing wrong. We want his bike rig and speaker all back in mint condition along with the bail money returned compensation for missing work dramatizing youth and file harassment charges. Let do this bikers

#bikingwhileblack the picture shows what has been taken by OPD.

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UPDATE 8/8/18 — Courtesy of prinzrob, more news on the arrest at SF Streetblogs.

Oakland Police Throw Rich City Ride’s Najari Smith in Jail

Of particular interest is this Stanford study mentioned in the article

How much more likely are you to be stopped when biking while Black? A lot more likely, according to a study from Stanford University. Analyzing the 2014 traffic stop data from the Oakland Police Department (OPD), researchers found that of the 1,081 bicyclists stopped by police in 2014, 73% were Black. Police stopped six Black bicyclists for every white bicyclist detained. This number is disproportionately high compared to both the biking population and the general population of Oakland, which is 28% Black.

Rich City Rides has also posted an updated on their facebook page: www.richcityrides.org/...