Finding Unity in Anger by Virginia Squires
"Our struggle has been an effort to create memories that they can never take from us."
They Can't Shoot Us All is a moving, first-person writing on the reactions to the police shooting of Oscar Grant. It highlights the anger and fear that was felt by the people of Oakland after Grant was killed by police and the subsequent protests that took place. The author describes the pure anger and frustration that the African American community felt after seeing this young man shot and killed for nothing; and how the rage was only fueled by a trial that many felt did not hold a murderer accountable. The pamphlet itself is dedicated to all who were victims of police violence, those that have died at the hands of police, those who are incarcerated for fighting back, and specifically the kids who jumped on top of a police car during the riots. The pamphlet is full of pictures from the riots, the kids on top of the police car, a jewelry store that had been looted, and many photos of protesters holding signs in solidarity with Oscar Grant.
"At the very least we have inflicted harm on our enemies, and because of this, we live with dignity."
The writing mostly describes the feeling of strength that the protesters gained from destruction. The power they felt from making the police fear them instead of the African American community living in fear of the police. The protesters finally felt like they were in control and in power and the narrator seems to realize that in those moments they are invincible. They not only were calling for justice for a murdered man but for change to a system that had allowed an innocent and cooperative man to be shot in the back. The author also mentions the lack of a distinct leader among the protests, that they were not united by a person but a cause. In her writing on the Occupy movement, Heather Gautney states that "The 'leaderless' or 'horizontal” organization of Occupy has enabled groups from diverse kinds of organizations, like trade unions, third parties, and student groups, to participate in the movement without sacrificing their autonomy."(Gautney, 3) This statement is especially true of the Oakland riots in that everyone could be there for their own reasons. The author also mentions the concept of the “outside instigator”, a term coined in the 1950s to blame the unrest caused by the civil rights movement on white instigators from outside the specific city. In the case of the Oakland riots, the term was used by politicians to take power away from the marginalized communities. By using this term the people in power sought to shift the gaze of the public away from the real problem (rampant police brutality) and towards an "outside instigator". The author also expressed hatred toward the various non-profit organizations that they felt were meant to help them in their protest but instead had turned against them. The non-profits used city money to fund media campaigns against the protests. The non-profits, along with the govenment, sought to break down the unity that the Occupy Oakland movement had found in each other.
Citiations:
Occupy Wall Street Encyclopedia, Heather Gautney
