Black Friday Protesters: BART Board Asks Prosecutors to Withdraw Restitution Demands

BART directors narrowly voted Thursday to keep pushing for trespassing charges but drop fines against the 14 protesters who chained themselves to trains last year in West Oakland, shutting down service for several hours.

By a vote of 5-4, the board approved a motion asking Alameda County prosecutors to keep pursuing misdemeanor charges of trespassing on railroad property for the protesters, who chained themselves to two trains at the West Oakland station the day after Thanksgiving.

The motion would also notify prosecutors that the transit agency was withdrawing its request for monetary restitution for the 14. Their Nov. 28 action shut down BART service for more than three hours.

BART directors Rebecca Saltzman and Tom Radulovich had initially urged passage of a motion that would have asked the district attorney to withdraw the criminal charges against the protesters as well as the restitution claim.

However, a narrow majority of board members instead passed a substitute motion that was written by Joel Keller and seconded by Nick Josefowitz.

The protests were part of a series of actions against police brutality following the decisions of grand juries in Missouri and New York not to indict white police officers who killed unarmed black men.

Attorneys for the 14 protesters asked an Alameda County Superior Court judge last week to dismiss the charges against them, arguing that they are overbroad and too vague. The judge took the matter under consideration and has not issued a ruling yet.

Copyright BAYCN - Bay City News
Contact Us