Oakland tumult: clashes, shooting, looting and vandalism

Last Sunday, the city of Oakland was the scene of several escalating incidents, including clashes, shootings and group looting of a gas station. This disturbing situation comes at a time when the city is considering cutting police numbers to balance its budget. Debra Harper, a resident of the town, testifies that these incidents have become commonplace, to the point of continually carrying a can of tear gas for her personal safety. Several car rallies, known as 'sideshows', also took place on Sunday morning, one of which resulted in a car being set on fire and another in which a spectator was run over by a car performing acrobatics. These events also resulted in two gunshot wounds. Early in the morning, a crowd of around 50 people looted a Shell gas station, causing an estimated $50,000 in damage. The gas station owner believes the thieves may be linked to the 'sideshows', but an investigation is still underway.