Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf has launched a hate-crime investigation after nooses were found hanging from trees around a city lake. “Symbols of racial violence have no place in Oakland and will not be tolerated,” said Schaaf in a statement from her office. Several reports and posts on social media showed the nooses at Lake Merritt with some saying that they could be part of an exercise routine or equipment. Mayor Schaaf said that that does not “remove nor excuse their tortuous and terrorizing effects” . The nooses, which were found on Tuesday morning, have all been removed.
The Oakland Police Department said it would issue a statement soon. The person who posted the original Twitter post on the problem, the black female owner of Feelmore 510 on 17th and Telegraph, said she saw the video on a Facebook page of a person who did not want to be identified.
According to KRON 4 a man who claims he set up a rope at Lake Merritt says it was so his child could use it as a swing set.
Check out the statement from the Oakland mayor below
Photo: Getty