Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao's supporters gathered near the Rockridge BART station to launch a new campaign urging voters to vote "no" against her recall in November.
Organizers of the campaign, dubbed Oaklanders Defending Democracy, hope to unify residents to support Thao.
"Every person that is elected should have a right to fill their term. They should have a right to do the work that they have lined up," said Ray Bobbit of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group.
Discussions about a recall ramped up after Thao fired then-police chief LeRonne Armstrong, and there has been real concern about public safety, including Oakland missing out on grant money to crack down on retail theft.
Now, the Oakland branch of the NAACP is poised to take a position to support the recall effort.
"Our members and other members of the community are coming to us with concern about how the city has been run, and they want us to make a statement. As of this time, the president and the board have come to the conclusion we will support the recall of the mayor," said Darren White of the Oakland NAACP.
Seneca Scott, publicist and organizer of Oakland United to Recall Sheng Thao, said the mayor personifies the city's moral decline.
"Sheng Thao has disgraced Oakland, and the city cannot recover until she is removed," Scott said. "Her unjust firing of Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong, missed deadline to secure a crucial public safety grant, and the rushed sale of the Coliseum—only to change the terms when the expected funds fell through, without City Council's approval—reflect a deeper leadership crisis."
At Sunday's gathering, Mayor Thao defended her record and took time to highlight some of the city's improvements.
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"Under my leadership as mayor of Oakland, we have made tremendous progress. Crime is down 35%, and our downtown is coming back to life with more and more traffic every single day," Thao said.
