Turnout was strong, peaceful, and focused during yesterday’s march and memorial to mark the nine-month anniversary of Bernal neighbor Alex Nieto’s death in an SFPD officer-involved shooting on March 21, 2014. Yesterday’s march to remember Alex began on 24th Street in the Mission before heading up to the spot on Bernal Hill where Neighbor Alex was killed. Our friends at Mission Local had reporter Daniel Hirsch on hand at the rally:
The march was peaceful and no police officers were noticeable on scene. It began with a rally at the Bart Plaza on Mission and 24th Street around 4 p.m.. When those gathered began to move what started as a procession along the sidewalk quickly spilled onto the street, blocking traffic along 24th Street in several directions. Led by Aztec dancers and chants of “No Justice, No Peace, Stop the Racist Police,” the march lingered at the corner of Folsom and 24th Street for several minutes, before making its way up to the top of Bernal Hill [for] a ceremony honoring the dead.
MissionLocal also captured video of the march; click through to watch.
Bernalwood will provide updates if SFPD or City officials release any more information about Neighbor Alex Nieto’s death as part of an ongoing investigation that remains shamefully slow and opaque.
PHOTO: Daniel Hirsch for MissionLocal
Bernalwood 
In Michael Franti’s very poignant new video, ‘Same As it Ever Was’, there is a quick view of the Alex Nieto sign pictured above at the 3:01 mark:
“When we all see justice, then we’ll all see peace!”
I can’t stomach Franti and I’m sorry that music is lightweight, but John Trudell is the real deal.
Thank you for staying on top of this. It may be one of the most important issues we face as a neighborhood, city and nation. Again, to quote Gladstone, “Justice delayed is justice denied” and justice is certainly being delayed in this and other similar cases.
Thanks for covering the March for Alex. And to Dan for the Franti. And to John for the Gladstone quote. And to Byrd for the John Trudell poem. We sorely need every creative voice.
As an eight year young boy, I witnessed SFPD drag those who I looked to as role models up into the private easement located near the dead end of Treat street where police would beat them with clubs, boots, and fists: I could heard the screams of their agony after each blow–no homes built yet, only empty, unlit, dark, grassy lots of an unpopulated hill pristine for the regular violent allotment of personalized justice from a professional group of civil servant thugs. This was common ground during the early seventies.
It came as no surprise.
Today, I am here in the same home by the same lots that stand filled with newly built multi million dollar homes. So what is different? This time around, SFPD has moved their same lethal ways/crimes up into the hill where they can facilitate executing my people at will. I am told that all this is a part of “Evolution,” or “Gentrification.” So “eat it.”
It comes as no surprise.
In my entire 48 years of living in this neighborhood, no one was ever “murdered” or “executed” up inside our “hill.” It took the police of San Francisco to achieve this horrendous act violating “our” safety, peace, and serenity. Three things I have personally “never” felt when in the presence of these members’ club holding an unlimited licenses to kill at will. And make no mistake, they “will” kill at will.
It comes as no surprise.
Today, when visitors ask me if the hill is safe of crimes I reply, “It is. The only execution we have had was by the police as a result of not looking the way one newly moved neighbor (a real firearm owner himself, not “a” taser but “firearms”) expected: that is, for not looking gentrified enough.”
It comes as no surprise.
But, do not fear, “you” are safe.
Thanks for some history and perspective, Orlando.