openscarf

The violence started as it got dark. The cops have been great, calm, serious, stoic, in my view. Arrested people as the vandalism started. It was started by the anarchist crowd. A Footlocker shoe store was the first store to be smashed in and looted. Then a bank, Sears, car windows smashed, fires were set. As of yet, no one dead. Some of the news coverage has been histrionic. All afternoon, certain news outlets seemed to want the worst to happen. One channel has provided very calm coverage. Love them.

It's weird to watch live. The vibe has been much heavier than the first protests over a year ago. Sirens, big booms of some sort of flash bang disbursement device. Little booms, yeah, guns? I don't know. Scary. For hours now. The helicopters left when it got dark, which made it quieter, but I kind of wish they were still around.

I live about a mile from where it started downtown. (it started as a super peaceful demonstration). The vibe is distressing. I've been amped up since about 4. Lots of triggers. I feel almost completely undone. I'll be up all night. It almost feels like a duty.

I've been emailing and texting with some people, but I don't know how long they'll be awake.

What is really fatiguing is that we'll go through this again when Mehserle gets sentenced.

There seems to be more cars going up and down my street than normal. The Whole Foods, was smashed in and that is super close to me, but far from the original mob. It gets scarier because it becomes less and less organized and predictable, people break off.

There are hundreds of cops in Oakland, they brought them in from other towns. I've been impressed by the chief, Bates.

My friend was on 24 east around 8 and said there was a solid line of cops driving in from the east.