Oct. 19, 1966: 55 years ago, Oct 19 1966, over 250 students rioted at Castlemont High [...]
55 years ago, Oct 19 1966, over 250 students rioted at Castlemont High School and along East 14th Street in Oakland. Though public officials blamed the Ad Hoc’s school boycott, the riot was a response to the brutal beating of two Castlemont students by police the previous night
A Castlemont student interviewed after the riot by The Flatlands community paper told the reporter that “The cops made their big mistake yesterday. Everyone knew the girl and boy the cops were beating on. I believe it’s about time for something to fall like this.”
Windows were smashed, fires were set, five teachers were injured, dozens of students were arrested and 75 were subsequently suspended. This occurred only two days after another riot along E 14th erupted when students witnessed the brutal arrest and beating of a young black girl
A separate episode of police brutality occurred earlier that month on Oct. 5th outside of Fremont High School when police beat another young black girl, Margaret Nelson, with a billy club after gratuitously breaking up a small group black children hanging out after school
Countless students at Oakland junior and senior high schools knew the brutal hand of Oakland police. Many recounted stories to The Flatlands of being harassed, spied on, wrongly arrested and beaten in police station elevators, and pulled over to have shotguns shoved in their face
The wave of beatings and arrests that students faced over the summer and fall of ‘66 amassed the political motivation for the Ad Hoc’s school boycott and the explosive tension for the riots along East 14th Street and at Castlemont High.
