Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf voted against further police budget cuts Tuesday after vandals defaced her home earlier the same day.
A group of 30-40 people in black clothing and masks reportedly sprayed “Defund OPD” and “blood is on your hands,” among other phrases on the Democrat’s home, witnesses told ABC7. The vandals at 2 a.m. Tuesday also shot projectiles and discharged fireworks, according to the local outlet.
The mayor broke a tie in the city council Tuesday evening to strike down a proposal that would have further cut police in Oakland, KPIX5 reported. The proposal would have stripped the Oakland Police Department by $11 million, following a June decision to slash the law enforcement budget $14 million, according to KRON4.
Vandals cover Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf’s home in graffiti, set off fireworks before dawn (by Brett Simpson)https://t.co/ptKGn4TGPl pic.twitter.com/fg0rz5FNV5
— Cyrus Farivar (@cfarivar) July 21, 2020
“This attack, designed to intimidate the mayor and strike fear into her family, will not stop her from advocating for the policies she believes are in the best long-term interests of her beloved hometown,” a spokesperson for the mayor told the Washington Examiner. “Like all Oaklanders, she supports passionate protest but does not support tactics meant to harm and terrorize others.”
There have been discrepancies about the exact numbers of how much was removed from Oakland PD’s budget in June, as some insist the initial cuts were $2 million while others say it’s more like $14 million, according to KPIX 5.
Portland experienced a surge in shootings with four murders between Friday and Tuesday, Oakland Police Officers Association President Barry Donelan told KPIX 5.
Calls to defund police departments followed the death of George Floyd, who died after a police officer knelt on his neck for over eight minutes, video showed. (RELATED: Cutting Police Funding Will Lead To Understaffing, Reduced Training, Union Official Says)
President Donald Trump has threatened to send federal law enforcement personnel to major cities throughout the country — Oakland among them — to restore order.
Heavily-armed federal agents arrived in Portland in July curb weeks-long violence, The New York Times reported. The presence of the agents has stirred controversy after videos surfaced showing officers in camouflage detaining protesters and speeding off in unmarked mini vans, according to The Guardian.
“I’m going to do something — that, I can tell you,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Monday, according to the New York Times. “Because we’re not going to let New York and Chicago and Philadelphia and Detroit and Baltimore and all of these — Oakland is a mess. We’re not going to let this happen in our country. All run by liberal Democrats.”
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