Home Oakley Dueling Protesters Hit City of Oakley Wednesday Night, Set for Antioch Thursday

Dueling Protesters Hit City of Oakley Wednesday Night, Set for Antioch Thursday

by ECT

On Wednesday night, two groups of more than a dozen protesters hit Main Street in the City of Oakley to both showcase anti-Donald Trump sentiment while a second group rallied in support of the president.

The demonstrations, which occurred in front of City Hall, remained peaceful on both sides with the exception of a few shouting matches between protesters and vehicles driving by.

The goal of the anti-Trump protesters was to shed light on what is believed to be corruption in the white house.

According to the “event” posted by Liz Elias, they wanted to highlight:

Attacks on the rule of law to conflicts of interest, ethics violations and flagrant abuse of government offices for personal gain, the corruption of the American government by the President, his associates and many in his party has reached a new, profound low.

Officials are trading on the power invested in our institutions for personal and financial gain rather than for the welfare of the American people. From attacks on the Russia investigation to ethics scandals in the highest offices in the land, we must reject attempts to shield corruption from political consequences, public scrutiny, and legal accountability.

These issues are on top of years of challenges to the basic health of our democracy: from money in politics to attempts to shape congressional districts to manipulate outcomes and laws written intentionally to exclude voters from participating in our democracy. 

Elias said Wednesday she was pleased with the turnout.

“This is a vigil against Donald Trump,” stated Elias. “People in office think they are above the law from the president on down that are trampling on our constitutional rights. If we don’t flip Congress to blue this November we are screwed.”

Harry Thurston of Invisible East Contra Costa County joined the protest in Oakley because he saw people were gathering and he wanted to support them. He said will be hosting a similar non-violent protest on Thursday in the City of Antioch at Hillcrest Avenue and Lone Tree Way from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

“Just recently we are on a very slippery slope and our democracy is fading like an ice cube, people are being held in detention centers, we haven’t heard of that since the 1940’s and now our president has gone abroad and has been against the United States and in favor of Russia,” explained Thurston. “Something has to be done soon before there is no more America left.”

Meanwhile, a 100-yards away at the corner of Main Street and Norcross, a dozen people stood at the Oakley Veterans Memorial. It was a mix of local veterans watching over the memorial along with a half-dozen Donald Trump supporters.

Smitty Smith, of the Veterans of Oakley, stated members of his organization were not participating in either demonstration, however, they were only there to watch over the Veterans Memorial.

“We asked them to move their protest down there and not pick the veterans memorial so they kind of fought us on this so when word got out to the veterans community, people began to show up,” explained Smitty. “We never asked for anyone to be here, but people began to show up. There is a passion for any memorial no matter what town it is in. That memorial is sanctified by any veteran who has served our country.”

Smith added that they believe everyone has the right to protest, but ask people to respect the Veteran Memorial.

The protests were peaceful with police asking at least one man to leave the area after he began arguing with motorists.

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26 comments

Bobby Jul 19, 2018 - 7:18 am

Losers

Howard Hammermann Jul 19, 2018 - 8:22 am

“Duel” Protesters?

Are there people that are protesting against “Dueling”, right here in Contra Costa County? Or, as I might well imagine, were there perhaps TWO groups of protesters, thereby making the fun event a “Dual” Protest…

Anyway, I hope that all of you find this Title as amusing as I did… And I hope that someone can edit the article to use the correct word… “dual”, meaning “two of” something… Like Dual Carburetors, for example… 🙂

ECT Jul 19, 2018 - 8:29 am

It has been tweaked to “dueling”.

Nick Jul 19, 2018 - 9:47 am

If you’re going to be a grammar Nazi, at least use proper punctuation yourself. The comma goes inside quotes, not outside. The period belongs inside the quotes too.

Lol Jul 19, 2018 - 10:42 am

Then Howard wonders why he cant get laid.

LJ Jul 19, 2018 - 12:08 pm

No Nick, you are wrong

Nick Jul 19, 2018 - 5:53 pm

I am correct. I have a master’s degree from an upper UC school… which would be UC Berkeley or UCLA. I’m not one to correct someone (spelling or grammar) but if you correct someone else, and your spelling and grammar is a joke – you’re a hypocrite. I’ll call you on it. I just did.

LJ Jul 20, 2018 - 8:16 am

Nick, you should get your tuition back

Nick Jul 20, 2018 - 10:04 am

Read News24/680 (Lamorinda) and you’ll see JD (veteran journalist) and his highly educated, affluent readers to verify. LJ – you’re uneducated (like many Easy County residents) and you have no idea what you’re talking about.

LJ Jul 21, 2018 - 11:17 am

Nick, I figured out why I’m so stupid! I was born in England, and educated there. The rule is different. My apologies

LJ Jul 21, 2018 - 2:43 pm

Oh, final thoughts Nick:

It’s one thing to insult me personally, but a whole county?!?!?
What did you major in, ignorance?

Yonhans Jul 19, 2018 - 12:08 pm

@HH…oops, Is my abbreviation a bother? Hey, lets have them (ECT) use “Bi”, instead? Oh oh, if another group comes to the other street corner, lets have ECT use “Tri”!?

FrankS Jul 19, 2018 - 8:31 am

So let me get this straight, the Veterans ask a group of protesters to move down the street because they are anti-trump and corruption. But they don’t ask a guy with a Trump flag and another guy with a confederate flag to move elsewhere?

A protest is a protest regardless of what side they are on. Seems to me like the veterans of Oakley are picking the protests they want to support and everyone else has to move. This is a city owned memorial, not something owned by the Veterans of Oakley.

That guy Jul 19, 2018 - 9:06 am

It’s a free country, they both have the right to be there, they have the right to protest, and the right to freedom of speech to ask them to move. Sounds like free Americans, doing free American stuff, and Americans being active in their community to me. Does that make you feel like a victim? Kinda sounds like it….

SP Jul 19, 2018 - 10:24 am

MAGA!!!! GO TRUMP. Let the “anti-trumps” continue to embarrass themselves.

Merica Jul 19, 2018 - 10:40 am

Let them put boxing gloves on and duke it out.

Simonpure Jul 19, 2018 - 11:30 am

Don’t these people have jobs. Protest all you want. Won’t change a damn thing.

Lola Saavedra Jul 19, 2018 - 2:50 pm

OAKLEY has a population a little over 40,000 ……. and only a few dozen showed up … Where are the rest? A few dozen isn’t even a drop-in-the-bucket! It’s not how many showed up, it’s how many DID NOT show up. President Trump RULES!!!

Duh Jul 19, 2018 - 7:46 pm

Thanks captain obvious

GG Jul 19, 2018 - 6:09 pm

Heck yeah, proud that Donald J Trump is MY President!!!!!!!

Trump 2020 baby!!!!

Firebrand Jul 19, 2018 - 7:49 pm

I have no problem with these losers protesting. They will never get over the fact that their sorry candidate lost in a CRUSHING defeat! Next time, pick a better candidate! The more these people protest, they more they guarantee that TRUMP will prevail again in 2020! MAGA!!! MAGA!!

BearClaws Jul 19, 2018 - 8:57 pm

I thought dueling was outlawed 200 years ago! Has it been revived? To the protesters, you brought this on yourselves. You voted for OBAMA and that’s why today we have TRUMP. Live with it! You have no one to blame but yourselves.

SP Jul 19, 2018 - 9:57 pm

Nice showing to the anti Trump jobless fools. Because of Trump, IRA’s, 401K’s and Def/Comp accounts are doing fantastic. But, since you don’t participate in any of those type of things, we understand your foolishness!!!

JB Jul 19, 2018 - 11:48 pm

I thought dueling was made illegal a long time ago. Has it been revived?

Trump lovers Jul 20, 2018 - 5:08 am

You knee pad wearing Trump lovers really need to get some new material to write. You all drink the same coolaid, step your game up.

Matt Jul 20, 2018 - 11:34 am

It’s hilarious watching the comments turn into a pissing contest over proper diction and punctuation, followed by many of the over-used _____isms. “You voted for_____ so you’re a _____ist!” “You voted for _____ so what you say is _____ism!” I wonder when truth will actually be relevant again?

The ones of this story who are committed to something based solely on respect and honor are the veterans protecting the memorial from vandalism.

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