Black Lives Matter protesters disagree with Dallas shooter's tactics

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - The city of Dallas is moving towards healing after a night of deadly protest that ended with five law enforcement officers dead.  People who are part of the Black Lives Matter movement in the Bay Area spoke out. 

"I was filled with immense sadness. Not just because five police officers are dead but that came on the heels of brutal murders in Minnesota and Baton Rouge Louisiana," said Cat Brooks with Anti Police-Terror Project. 

The protest in Dallas started off peacefully. It was about the recent shooting deaths of Alton Sterling of Louisiana and Philando Castile of Minnesota.  Both men were shot and killed by white police officers, but the mayor of Dallas said a lone gunman changed the focus when he killed the five officers. 

Many say this is where the fight for Black Lives Matter gets lost.

"It’s not about being anti police, it’s about being anti-police terror and the genocide of black people in this country," said Brooks. 

The fight for black lives isn't always fought by black people.  "Me being a white man—I am part of the Black Lives Matter movement. I'm an advocate and an activist," said Bay Area native who only referred to himself as Darren.  

He took part in anti-police brutality protest in Oakland.  He says the killing of Sterling touched him deeply. 

"I myself have black African-American family members in Louisiana, especially Baton Rouge. It hit home for me," he said. 

He decided to express himself by taking part in an illegal act.  He spray painted the word ‘murderers’ on Oakland Police Headquarters.  Darren said he knows what he did was wrong, but feels the actions by officers in Minnesota and Louisiana were also wrong. The difference he said is what he did doesn't hurt people. 

"I felt like that was a very good word to use. I felt like spraying it on the Oakland Police Department was an effective tool for me to help shed light on the ongoing problem in this country," he said. 

What he did does not represent the Black Lives Matter movement, which is working to change the focus once again. 
Not away from the five officers but to make sure those two men who were killed by police earlier this week aren't lost in the shuffle.
"My hope is that this conversation becomes about how do we very quickly solve the problems of genocide of Africans in this country and preventing bloodshed on every side," said Brooks.