Bay Area Police Brutality Protests

In August 2014, Michael Brown, an unarmed black man, was shot and killed by white police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Mo. His death sparked weeks of riots in the St. Louis suburb and inspired protests and dialogue across the nation about police brutality, militarization and excessive use of force especially against black people and black males. Wilson was not indicted by a grand jury in November, sparking a fresh set of protests across the country. In the Bay Area, protesters gathered for weeks, marching in Oakland, Berkeley and San Francisco both with the #BlackLivesMatter movement and with the anti-police mantra. Some protests turned violent when vandals broke windows, lit fires and looted stores. The broader movement, however, has steadfastly condemned the violence and destruction of property.