California city confronts racist reputation after self-proclaimed militia shows up
Oakdale might get a police review board, one outcome of a sometimes tense City Council discussion of the recent Black Lives Matter protest.
The council voted 5-0 on Monday night for a resolution against “violent and disrespectful treatment that degrades dignity or disregards human life.”
What’s notable is that two members – Mayor J.R. McCarty and Councilwoman Cherilyn Bairos – apologized for abstaining on a similar resolution in 2017.
Back then, it involved Oakdale area resident Nathan Damigo’s role in a white nationalist group called Identity Evropa. McCarty said then that the anti-hate principles are already in the U.S. Constitution. Bairos called the resolution “redundant to how we live in Oakdale.”
On Monday, via Zoom hookups forced by the pandemic, both said they have rethought the issue.
“I will tell you in 2017, I didn’t believe there was racism in Oakdale,” Bairos said. “... Now, I’m looking through totally different lenses, and after last week, I see that I was wrong.”
McCarty said he got a similar message from people in his diverse extended family.
“In 2017, I abstained from that resolution, and I can sit here in 2020 and say that was a mistake,” he said. “We as a community have a lot of work to do.”
Militia and counter-protesters
The June 3 protest was among many across the nation following the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. One since-fired officer faces a second-degree murder charge after a video showed him kneeling on the Black man for nearly nine minutes. Three other dismissed officers are accused of aiding and abetting the murder.
The Oakdale protest was mostly peaceful but did result in one man being charged with battery and another with assault on a police officer.
About 20 members of the public commented to the council Monday. Many of them said the violence was from counter-protesters.
“They were openly and actively standing up for white supremacy,” resident Jessica Brennan said.
Speakers especially took issue with the presence of armed men claiming to be part of the California State Militia in advance of a June 6 protest that never happened. Several of them brandished high-powered guns while standing guard at the H-B Saloon, something that police should not have allowed, critics said.
“If me and my brown friends did the same thing they did, would you take our word for it?” Bianca Lopez asked the council.
Oakdale’s image
Residents said Oakdale has had a reputation for being racist, which the city must overcome to keep drawing tourism and other business. Councilman Christopher Smith agreed.
“(Counter-protesters) chose Oakdale because of their perception that this town was full of racists,” he said.
Several speakers urged the city to create the police commission, though none offered details on how it might work. They typically are appointed bodies that investigate complaints against officers. Critics of the idea note that police departments already have internal processes for dealing with bad cops.
City Manager Bryan Whitemyer said he would bring the matter to the next council meeting, July 6. He suggested forming a council committee that would then flesh out the details.
This story was originally published June 16, 2020 at 4:34 PM with the headline "California city confronts racist reputation after self-proclaimed militia shows up."
