Rally against DA and Oakland mayor where West Oakland store clerk was killed
OAKLAND, Calif. - Local community leaders sounded off against elected officials on Friday, gathering outside a West Oakland market where a longtime clerk was shot and killed over the weekend.
"Nobody should go to work fearing that one day they might be killed," said Ali Albasiery, who heads the Bay Area Small Merchant Chamber of Commerce said outside Orlando's Market at 30th and LInden streets.
Maged Alazzani, 46, was shot and killed inside the store at about 8 p.m. Saturday. His son told KTVU the shooting was the result of a robbery. Alazzani, who was from Yemen, was a father of four sons.
Albasiery said the victim was a "very well-known to the community, and it’s very, very sad that we have to go through this, not just in our community, the Yemen American community, but as a whole, the communities of the city of Oakland."
Speakers blasted Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, saying they’re not doing enough to tamp down on crime. Both are the targets of recall efforts.
"There has to be consequences for those criminals," said Carl Chan of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber Foundation. "When I say those criminals, most of them are repeat offenders, and they’re hurting everybody."
Retired Alameda County Judge Brenda Harbin-Forte told KTVU she's not taking a public stance on the DA, for whom she swore in. But she said she wants the mayor out. Harbin-Forte has made no secret of her displeasure with Thao after the mayor fired Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong.
"She needs to go," Harbin-Forte said of Thao. "There have been too many deaths, too much blood on her hands, too many failed businesses and we have to get rid of her."
Derreck Johnson, founder of Home of Chicken and Waffles restaurant in Jack London Square said, "Our businesses are dying. They’re not dying because we have bad product or bad service, they’re dying because people don’t want to come to Oakland."
Johnson added, "I had a customer last night, celebrating his birthday, go to get his car, car was stolen. Had to sit there wait over an hour and a half for police, who never showed, sister had to come from San Jose to pick him up."
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Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao facing recall effort
A group of Oakland residents, fed up with city leadership are pushing ahead with an effort to recall Mayor Sheng Thao.
Jennifer Tran, head of the Oakland Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce said, "We are angry! We're crying out for people to care about our communities!"
Tran added, addressing elected officials, "And as long as we are living in fear, you should be fearful of your seats."
The group chanted, "Tell me what democracy looks like, this is what democracy looks like."
Councilmember Noel Gallo also spoke at the rally, saying he is urging his council colleagues to declare a state of emergency so that extra resources can be brought to the city. Gallo said he supports asking U.S. marshals, FBI agents and sheriff's deputies to help tackle crime in Oakland. Former Oakland councilmember Loren Taylor was present but in the background.
Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan