“This is Private Property!” the angry faced woman yelled at us from the reception desk as we walked into the office of the management of the Eastmont Mall “Town Center” on March 15th.
“I'm calling security” she yells while looking over her shoulder to her assistant mouthing at her to call security in. Remember she is talking to children, some no older than three years old and their parents who are all gathered peacefully in front of the reception area.
This collection of mamas, uncles, daddies and babies was the Deecolonize Academy convoy on their way to figure out what happened the afternoon of March 4th to one of our mamas.
Mama Audrey Candy Corn was brutalized, frightened and humiliated by law enforcement on her way from her children's school to her house in West Oakland. She was in the back parking lot of the Eastmont Mall taking a detour around an accident when two white vans pulled them over. She and her two sons (one of them eight years old) were forced out of the car at gunpoint, and they almost tazed her when she started crying.
We were investigating this crime against humanity when security was almost called.
After leaving the office hurriedly to avoid being brutalized once more by the law we went to the Oakland Police Substation on the right side of the Transit Center exit of the mall. We interviewed the police and after thirty minutes of waiting we finally got a lot of information from the sergeant himself. He told us that he had no records of that incident so therefore, OPD was not involved. He also told us that if they were white vans then they were California Highway Patrol (CHP)
We later went to an Eyewitness of the police brutality. We told him the police told us they had nothing to do with the accident, but if that's true then why did the witness tell us that they asked him about it?
by Tiburcio
On Tuesday we went to Eastmont because we were fighting for my mom. We went to the security first then we went to a mean lady. She said this is private property and she said it again. Then we went to the police station. Me and my mom felt disrespected and now I am going to share the story. It was Friday the police said get out of the car she got out of the car, she had anxiety. They said get on the ground they put her in handcuffs, they drew guns.
by Ziair
On Tuesday we went to Eastmont mall. The woman in the main office called security on all of us. There was a three year old and a one year old too, then we also went to the police station to tell them what happened to Audrey, Amir and Ziair. They got pulled over by 2 police, they had her in handcuffs on the curb and she screamed out the boys' grandma's number and she had anxiety. She said am I getting arrested they said yes she also said I'm not a criminal then they pulled a gun to her face. Then we all stood up around like a circle and we talked about what happened.
by Tristen
Quotes from the People's Investigation on Wednesday, March 15. Compiled by Bella:
*Repeatedly asking the same questions*
"We want to speak to the captain in regards of what happened to me and my sons on this property" - Mama Audrey
"We would also like to inform the station about it." -Mama Tiny
"It doesn't matter, we're a sub-station we don't have any records - where you can go is downtown." - white woman officer
"We cannot release any footage -- it's private property" -woman at Eastmont Town Center
"It's stolen indigenous territory if we want to get technical" -Mama Tiny
"No, we cannot give a quote...Can i get security in here please?" -woman at Eastmont Town Center Management
"You're walking away when a mother had a gun to her" -Mama Tiny