Artists, activists rally to preserve Oakland’s culture

Emma Price of the Oakland Creative Voices plays during a rally organized by Oakland's Creative Neighborhood Coalition to defend Oakland's culture on Monday night. The rally preceded a meeting the city held to redesign downtown in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, October 19, 2015. less Emma Price of the Oakland Creative Voices plays during a rally organized by Oakland's Creative Neighborhood Coalition to defend Oakland's culture on Monday night. The rally preceded a meeting the city held to ... more Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Artists, activists rally to preserve Oakland’s culture 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

A swell of music flowed through Frank Ogawa Plaza in downtown Oakland on Monday night as singers, accompanied by a small orchestra, sang the old spiritual, “We Shall Not Be Moved.”

It was the final punctuation to the Rally to Defend Oakland’s Culture, which drew about 50 church members, artists and other residents responding to what they said is the suppression of church and community expression after events such as recent noise complaints received by a drum group and a choir in Oakland.

Activists holding signs with the hashtag #KeepOaklandCreative listened to speeches from community members between chants for “development without displacement.”

Paul Cobb, publisher of Oakland’s Post News Group, gave an impassioned speech about “preventing the disenfranchisement” of creative types.

“We want to make sure that our gospel singers don’t have to close their windows,” he said. “We’re not going to let them displace us.”

Oakland is putting together a plan to revitalize downtown, and the art and cultural communities are firing back after they said the 30 recommendations listed in the plan scarcely mention accommodation for the arts, compounded by the most recent music complaints.

On Sept. 27, Oakland police responded to reports of a noise complaint and assault in the 1200 block of Lakeshore Avenue, where a white resident complained about a collective of Latino and black drummers known as SambaFunk who were practicing after park hours. Both sides alleged assault, police said, but the community later lashed out, saying the police response was racially motivated.

In August, the city sent a letter telling Pleasant Grove Baptist Church it faced $500-a-day fines if clergy didn’t quiet nighttime worship after a nearby resident complained of the “excessive noise” of organ, drums and amplified vocals during weekly choir rehearsals. City spokeswoman Karen Boyd said the notification was a gentle reminder of city law, which requires quiet hours between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. Choir rehearsal lasts from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., said Thomas A. Harris III, the church’s pastor.

The Rev. Phyllis Scott, a member of the board of directors for Pastors of Oakland, attended the rally Monday night to represent the church.

“We have to keep creative Oakland alive. It is essential we keep spirituality in our church,” she said. “It has been a place where people can come to receive refuge.”

As the rally settled down, groups of protesters marched into the design workshop for Plan Downtown at the Rotunda Building. The group chanted at the public event, calling for the resignation of Rachel Flynn, the city director of planning and building.

But for some, like 15-year-old Zalika Bryan, attending the rally was less rooted in complicated city issues and more about a love of music.

“Music has always been that foundation,” said the student at Oakland School for the Arts. “Music is a part of our creativity, and you can’t oppress that in the church, you can’t oppress that on the streets, you can’t oppress that anywhere because it’s internalized.”

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno