It’s one thing to throw rocks at windows. It’s another to throw them at random pedestrians and cyclists meandering along Soquel Drive. The SCPD is still trying to figure out who’s behind Santa Cruz’s homegrown version of the Intifada, or what could possibly be motivating them. The question everyone is asking is “Why?”
At the same time, police are gearing up for more rocks flying through the air today, but this time with a reason. Given the recent acts of violence, culminating in the May Day riots downtown, police are prepared for a new series of incidents when a judge reads the verdict in the Johannes Mehserle case. Mehserle, an Oakland police officer, is accused of shooting Oscar Grant in the back while he was restrained by the police. Grant, who died from the shooting, was allegedly involved in a fight on a BART platform
Local anarchist groups are wary of a lenient ruling in the case, and police worry that this could erupt into rioting. Anarchist websites have called on people to jam police phone lines with reports of police shootings and other activities to distract police, but they have not called for violence. SCPD Spokesman Zach Friend says that police have been warned by the FBI of direct attack threats in the area.
In other words, the rocks could keep flying today, at even greater intensity. It’s hardly a relief to think that this time there’s a “reason.” An already tense holiday weekend for the police could begin today. Read more at Fox 35.
