Some campaign workers in Oakland say they were assaulted while trying to do their civic duty.
The campaign workers for Oakland Councilmember Carroll Fife were canvassing apartment buildings in the 200 block of Fairmont Street at about 7 p.m. Wednesday when they were allegedly attacked.
The canvassers, who like many other campaign workers walk door to door hanging literature and talking to voters about their candidate, said it was no big deal at first. But then things escalated, according to Fife.
"He came downstairs, chased them outside and was yelling at them and proceeded to hit one in the head with a handgun," she said.
That canvasser, a young man, was taken to the emergency room. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Fife said the alleged attack has hit her particularly hard because the young volunteers were stopped from doing what they believe in and one of them was seriously hurt.
But Fife said even from his hospital bed, the injured volunteer said he’s not quitting, and neither is the rest of the team.
"He said he wants to keep door knocking and this is just encouraging him and the rest of the canvassers to want to continue to push for this," Fife said. "We’re going to have a massive canvassing in that very same neighborhood tomorrow at 10 a.m."
Oakland police are investigating.
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