How researching Gertrude Stein got me tear gassed today

Little did I know that researching for an article on "Gertrude Stein's Oakland" would get me tear gassed today (Jan. 28, 2012). My day started innocent enough. I went to Bakesale Betty's for lunch. I then checked out the open art galleries near Downtown Oakland as part of the Saturday Stroll.

I spoke with several artists showcasing their work, asking them about how they've enjoyed the increased attention and positive press on Oakland's art world. They spoke enthusiastically about the "urban renewal" and "revitalization" happening in Oakland's Uptown. I then cycled over to the Oakland Museum of California to research local history in their Gallery of California History.

Because of all the construction on the west side of Lake Merritt, I took a circuitous route, which led me to 10th Street, where a large white police van was blocking the road in front of the Henry J Kaiser Convention Center. A police officer standing in the street told me to ride on the sidewalk opposite the Convention Center, so I did. When I took a right onto Oak Street, I saw it lined with trash and debris, including some burned brown paper sacks. They looked like cement bags, which had caught fire.

The air smelled like road flares. I immediately stopped when I saw dozens of officers in riot gear. Police cars were blocking the left lanes. I could see about a dozen protesters being arrested and in the plastic zip-tie handcuffs.

Above, I saw 3 helicopters. On the sidewalk coming towards me, there was an elderly Asian man with pink shopping bags walking as fast as he could to get away from the scene.

Oak Street between 11th and 12th Street was surreal. Here I was just trying to go to the museum to research what life was like when Gertrude Stein was growing up in Oakland in the 1880s, and I ended up picking the day when it was shut down because of the Occupy protest.

 

Soon, my eyes began to water, my nose run, and the back of my throat became rough with a dry burning. I asked another man taking photos if the police used pepper spray. He said, "The protesters were marching down the street, and the police shot tear gas at them unprovoked. They were exercising their right to free speech." I took a few more photos and left. The air was getting to me.

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By Matt Werner. Matt is a writer from Oakland, California. His book Oakland in Popular Memory comes out on March 30, 2012. This blog post is cross-posted on Oakland Local.