Approximately 150 union members and community leaders rallied June 17 at the Oakland Police Officers Association (OPOA, the police officer’s union) at 555 5th Street in Oakland to demand reform.

Nadira Mambuki, Industry vice president Security Division SEIU USWW said “reform is important, and we want to show we want to meet with the Oakland Police Officers Association.”

Ben May, a member of USWW and a security officer in downtown Oakland, said “I have firsthand experience of what over-policing means for the Black community.

“What we need to do is invest in our communities and to make sure they are able to thrive, so we cannot advocate for policing over the lives of the vast majority of the labor movement, especially for our black members, our brown members, who are struggling to make ends meet.”

Police Associations need to get in line with this vision or should be ejected from our labor federations” said Denise Solis, 1st Vice President, SEIU USWW.