East Bay protesters march against ICE operations, Flock camera surveillance
Hundreds of people marched Saturday in the East Bay against ICE and Flock cameras.
In Concord, the march was called “Love Your Neighbor.” In Oakland, it was “No Love for ICE. No Love for Flock.”
ABC7 Eyewitness News attended both events.
Hundreds of people – dressed in white, red and pink – had one message on Valentine’s Day in Concord: love thy neighbor.
“Our message is simple. Everyone in our community deserves to feel safe,” Concord Mayor Laura Nakamura told the crowd.
MORE: Does Border Patrol use license plate cameras to monitor drivers in the Bay Area? Here’s what we know
She was among those protesting in solidarity with immigrant families facing heightened fears over immigration measures.
Organizers say the city of Concord could face more pressure, as many cases from the San Francisco immigration court are redirected to the Concord immigration court. Some residents fear this could lead to an increased ICE presence and detentions in the area.
“We’ve been watching the national news and seeing what’s happening in other cities. And this is a community gearing up to take care of each other,” Nakamura said.
U.S. Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D-10), whose district includes most of Contra Costa County, also participated, saying he encourages more people to get out and make their voices heard.
“We need to change the laws. Remember, slavery was legal before. So immigration is currently being used to divide people based on racism,” DeSaulnier said. “We’ve experienced this time and time again in this country.”
MORE: Surveillance and privacy concerns raised in Oakland Flock camera debate
On Saturday afternoon in Oakland, more than 100 people marched near Lake Merritt over concerns about ICE and surveillance, crossing intersections with cameras.
“Yeah, I don’t like being watched,” says Oakland resident David Flyn.
Protesters condemned the city for renewing its Flock Safety license plate reader contract — even though many Oakland residents support the technology, saying it is another tool for the understaffed Oakland Police Department.
Cody Dadiw says she’s concerned that more people in the Bay Area aren’t speaking out.
“California is very liberal and progressive in many ways. And I think that’s isolating for a lot of people and creates a sense of detachment from what’s going on across the country,” said Dadiw, an Oakland resident.
Oakland organizers are planning more events for March.
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