Oakland City Council Bans Hammers, Other Tools at Protests

The Oakland City Council approved a ban on hammers, slingshots and other "tools of violence and vandalism" Tuesday night, the Oakland Tribune reports.

The ordinance prohibiting possession of many items during a demonstration was proposed by Councilman Noel Gallo, who said in a letter to his colleagues that it's designed to counter violence that occurred during recent protests against the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin in Florida.

Councilmember Dan Kalb, whose District 1 includes Rockridge and Temescal, abstained from voting. Kalb expressed concerns that "nonviolent protesters could be arrested for something as minor as carrying a protest sign attatched to a post that didn't meet specifications," the Tribune article said.

You may read more about the ordinance in "Want to Protest? Leave Your Hammer and Slingshot at Home."

The council also voted to accept about $2 million in federal grants to build a controversial joint city and Port of Oakland surveillance hub, the Tribune said. The center would consolidate camera feeds and other surveillance information from throughout the city.

You may read the complete Tribune coverage of the city council meeting here.

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