'This how we feel about gentrifiers': Oakland residents throw a huge cook-out at park where a white woman called the police on a black family for having a barbecue

  • Groups of Oakland residents convened at Lake Merritt Park to celebrate each other on Thursday, listening to music and enjoy great grilled food
  • The action was in direct response to the video of the woman 'harassing' the family on April 25 while they were trying to enjoy a barbecue
  • 'This how we feel about mad a** Oakland gentrifiers,' said Michael Swanson Jr in a video posted on Thursday 
  • People can be seen doing the Electric Slide - a staple in black culture - to the classic 'Before I Let Go' by Frankie Beverly And Maze
  • Several more videos show people dancing in the park and lines of cars highlighting how packed the response was
  • Police responded to the April 25 incident after the woman's call but did not issue any citations

By Matthew Wright For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

A huge crowd convened at an Oakland park on Thursday night for a party,  at the location where a white woman called police on a black family that was trying to enjoy a barbecue.

Videos show people dancing and enjoying grilled food at the Lake Merritt Park in direct response to the video of the woman 'harassing' the family on April 25.

'This how we feel about mad a** Oakland gentrifiers,' said Michael Swanson Jr in a video posted from the bash.

Groups of Oakland residents convened at Lake Merritt Park to celebrate each other, listen to music and enjoy great grilled food

In another video, a person pans the camera to show people celebrating and eating food while 'Poison' by Bell Biv DeVoe plays in the background. 

The caption on that video reads: 'How Black Oakland responds to a white lady calling the cops on Black folks BBQing...'

All throughout the particular area in the park, children run around as adults mingle with one another.

The action was in direct response to the video of the woman 'harassing' the family on April 25

The action was in direct response to the video of the woman 'harassing' the family on April 25

A different clip shows a group of black women enjoying a game of double dutch jump rope.

Several more videos show people dancing in the park and lines of cars highlighting how packed the response was. 

Someone sharing videos from the impromptu event said: 'An alleged woman, with entitlement issues and privilege and part of the wave of gentrification sweeping Oakland called the police on a Black Family and then cried tears of fake fear and then THIS HAPPENED‼️ thank you for the hate. #CookingOutWhileBlack

The sentiment shared by those posting the videos and those sharing them is the same - that people coming into neighborhoods under gentrification should stop using police as a means to disadvantage minorities that have long lived in those communities.  

A different clip shows a group of black women enjoying a game of double dutch jump rope
A different clip shows a group of black women enjoying a game of double dutch jump rope

A different clip shows a group of black women enjoying a game of double dutch jump rope

The celebration was in response to a video that showed a 25-minute verbal altercation where a white woman called police on a black family because she claimed they were using the wrong type of grill.

A bystander named Michelle Snider, noticed the commotion and confronted the woman for 'harassing' the family during the April 29 altercation. 

In the video, Snider asks behind the camera: 'Why are you so bent out of shape over them being here?'

The woman replies: 'Because it causes extra money from our city to do things when children get injured because of improperly disposed coals.'

The celebration was in response to a video that showed a 25-minute verbal altercation where a white woman called police on a black family because she claimed they were using the wrong type of grill 

The celebration was in response to a video that showed a 25-minute verbal altercation where a white woman called police on a black family because she claimed they were using the wrong type of grill 

The April 29 incident comes after recent videos have emerged of white people calling the police on black people for doing everyday activities

The April 29 incident comes after recent videos have emerged of white people calling the police on black people for doing everyday activities

Police responded to the incident after the woman's call but did not issue any citations.

However, authorities questioned the family for one hour, according to Oakland Council member Lynette Gibson McElhaney.

McElhaney told the Huffington Post: 'In a city that needs significant policing services, we can't have those precious expensive resources squandered in a frivolous way.'

She added: 'Police are not a private security for any white person that's offended by the presence of black folks in our public spaces.'

The video has nearly over a million views and comments praise Snider's recording as a good Samaritan. 

 

 

 

 

 

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