Bike East Bay joins dozens of local organizations in calling for an end to the 8pm curfew that took effect earlier this week in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Even before the current period of mass protests, Black people who bike, walk, and take transit are disproportionately at risk of being racially profiled and harassed by police in the East Bay. These risks are only increased by the curfew, creating an extremely unsafe situation for people who are exercising their First Amendment rights to protest, as well as traveling to and from essential work.
As a transportation advocacy organization, we do not push for people-first streets that are open only certain hours of the day. We push for people-first streets, built for every neighbor, accessible at every time of day, and for all types of community expression.
We call for an end to a curfew that seeks to over-police our communities, limit freedom of movement, and curb the right to free protest in our streets.
We know that curfews are not possible without police enforcement. We recognize a long history of leadership from organizations in the East Bay, and encourage you to learn more about their work in the links below. We continue to advocate against excessive and disproportionate use of enforcement on our streets, and its violent impact on safety and freedom of expression for the Black community.
We urge elected officials in our East Bay communities to end the curfew and support the right to peaceful protest at all hours.
Today and every day, we mourn victims of police violence and stand up to say: Black Lives Matter.
East Bay Organizations leading the call:
Anti Police-Terror Project
Community READY Corps
Oakland Rising
Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice
Black Organizing Project
Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN)
Causa Justa Just Cause
Rising Tide North America
Bay Resistance
Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC)
Bay Rising Action
Peoples Alliance – Bay Area
#AuditAhern Coalition
Young Women’s Freedom Center