By JENNIFER COURTNEY
Beat Staff Writer

Activist group No Justice No BART continued its series of protests at Bay Area BART stations Thursday afternoon where it organized an orderly rally at Oakland’s Rockridge Station.

The crowd of about 25 protesters passed around a bull horn to speak their minds to the dozen BART police officers, some in riot gear, standing within a makeshift barricade and blocking the escalators up to the turnstiles. The station remained open throughout the two-hour protest, with escort officers standing by to assist passengers.

Among a list of ten demands, the group wants former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle convicted of the murder of Oscar Grant, BART Police Chief Gary Gee to resign, and BART Police Officer Tony Pirone fired for his role in the New Year’s Day shooting. They also want the BART Police Department disbanded.

Evan Shamar, one of the organizers for No Justice No BART, said the group’s next scheduled protest will take place at the MacArthur BART station. He said he the group would continue protesting until its demands are met. “I would hope we could get justice soon,” he said, but “it doesn’t matter” how long it takes.

Bob Franklin, who represents District 3 on the BART Board of Directors, said the protests were an effective way for the group to publicize their demands that haven’t yet been met. “They’re getting attention,” he said, pointing to the newsvans in the parking lot. He said he took the group’s ten demands very seriously, but that many were the responsibility of the Alameda District Attorney, and he didn’t personally support Gee’s resignation.

Franklin also questioned what the group wanted in place of a police department. He said the idea just “isn’t practical,” given the reality that every transit agency in the Bay Area has a police force dedicated to keeping passengers safe. “Unfortunately people commit crimes,” he said. “We have to be prepared.”

About halfway in, the protesters gathered in a circle and began chanting such slogans as “In Memory of Oscar Grant, Until There’s Justice we Will Chant,” Justice for Oscar Grant!” and “Disband the BART Police!”

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Linton Johnson, BART spokesman, noted that the protests were getting smaller and smaller over time. He said the activists promised to shut down the Fruitvale station two weeks ago and again today at Rockridge, and “it’s just not happening.”

“Poeple want to see justice served in the court system, not the BART system,” he said.

One rider passing by the protest as he exited the station said the protests had been going on too long. “I just think it’s a joke,” he said. Most riders coming off the trains passed right by; some stayed a few moments to watch.

Johnson said the protests presented some “planning issues,” but have not “added costs to the taxpayer by any stretch of the imagination.” He said most of the officers were working under normal shift hours.

Both Johnson and Franklin said BART was working with community organizations to hear what changes they would like to see. The agency wants to establish a civilian oversight committee, and a firm will soon be hired to conduct a thorough review of transit police training, policies and practices.

BART already hired a law firm to review police officers’ actions leading up to Grant’s death.

Shamar said the group would not be pacified, and would continue to speak from their hearts in both anger and fear. Talking to the police officers present, he said “the system of which you uphold is oppressive,” and as long as the officers are in uniform, “you are the enemy.”

Franklin said having citizens express themselves “is a healthy activity.”

“It was a really bad thing that happened, and it’s touched people on many different levels,” he added.

E-mail Jennifer Courtney at californiabeat@gmail.com. Join the California Beat on Facebook, and get breaking news headlines, story alerts and previews when you follow us on Twitter.