OAKLAND — Dozens of supporters gathered near the Rockridge BART station Sunday to support embattled Mayor Sheng Thao and oppose the upcoming recall election.

“Oakland has seen enough instability in the last few years — COVID, crime, camps,” Thao told the lunchtime crowd. “What we need now is stability and experienced leadership to guide us through these difficult and challenging times.”

The rally, organized by the group Oaklanders Defending Democracy, is a response to a campaign calling for Thao's removal only a yr into his term.

Her critics accused her of neglecting and mismanaging town's funds. Rallies had previously taken place calling for her resignation.

Elaine Peng, president of Asian Americans for a Progressive America, defended Thao's leadership, pointing to a decline in town's murder rate as evidence of progress.

“I strongly oppose the recall,” Peng said. “Oakland’s murder rate was higher in 2021 than it was in 2023, the mayor’s first year in office.”

Statistics from the Oakland Police Department show a 33% decrease in overall crime year-to-date in comparison with the identical period last yr. However, the decline followed a pointy rise in crime, meaning overall rates remain high.

An independent evaluation by the Bay Area News Group found that Oakland's crime rate rose 65% in 2023 in comparison with 2020, the sharpest increase among the many region's major cities, including San Francisco and San Jose.

Although crime stays a key issue, recent incidents have increased concerns.

Last week, an Oakland resident was shot and killed at a faculty reunion in DeFremery Park, and in June, 15 people were injured in a mass shooting at Lake Merritt. There have been 70 homicides recorded in Oakland to this point in 2024, barely fewer than the 76 recorded in 2023.

But advocates point to signs of improvement.

West Oakland resident Josh Gunter highlighted the revitalization of Raimondi Park, once home to Northern California's largest homeless encampment.

“Thanks to coordinated efforts and city investments, more homeless residents have received services and are now housed in housing,” Gunter said.

He also argued that recalls must be reserved for cases of negligence and never political disagreements.

“Recalls should occur because of serious negligence, not because of political differences,” Gunter said.

In addition to Thao, Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price can be facing a recall effort, with critics accusing her of failing to adequately address violent crime.

Thao also addressed the FBI raid on her home in June, again suggesting that it was politically motivated.

“I want to make it clear that I am innocent and not the target of the FBI investigation,” Thao said. She likened the situation to “external forces putting a finger on the scale to influence the outcome.”

“I humbly ask Oakland voters to let the U.S. justice system take its course,” she said. “A recall is not the way the rule of law is supposed to work.”

Thao praised her government's achievements but acknowledged that challenges remain.

“This problem didn’t happen overnight – not through illegal dumping, camps or disease,” she said. “We have solutions to address these challenges head-on. We cleared tons of debris and created a path to permanent housing for those in need.”

Originally published: October 6, 2024 at 4:47 p.m

A small group of about 20 community activists critical of Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao gathered outside Oakland City Hall on Sunday and called for her resignation.

“With the budget crisis, their absence is conspicuous,” said Edward Escobar, one among the event's organizers. The group held signs criticizing Thao and her allies on the City Council, Nikki Bas and Carroll Fife, and calling for his or her resignations.

“If you or I were to commit such a lapse, we would be fired immediately,” Escobar said. “Your behavior is unacceptable.”

The group, led by the Coalition for Community Engagement and #AsiansUnite, chanted “Where is Sheng?” and “Sheng Thao, resign!”

The rally followed an FBI raid on Thao's home and a mass shooting at Lake Merritt that left 15 people injured last week.

Thao has not made any public statements because the raid on her home a couple of days ago.

Although the topic of the investigation is unclear, investigators have removed quite a few boxes from Thao's Lincoln Highlands home and searched three properties linked to the Duong family, owners of California Waste Solutions. The investigation comes just days after a recall attempt against the mayor, who was in his first term and qualified for the November election, and has left local political observers stunned.

According to a report within the San Francisco Chronicle, Thao's attorney Tony Brass said officials from the U.S. Attorney's Office didn’t indicate that Thao was the goal of the raids. He also said the mayor would cooperate with the investigation and make a public statement next week.

Seneca Scott, one among the foremost organizers of the recall campaign, said on the event that the budget crisis should persuade Oakland voters to recall the mayor.

“If the current budget is passed, the city will go bankrupt,” Scott said.

Earlier this month, around 40,000 Oakland residents signed the recall petition – excess of the 24,644 valid signatures needed for a brand new election.

The City Council is anticipated to debate whether to place the recall resolution on the November ballot during a gathering on July 2.

Local businessman Francisco Acosta said he supported the recall because Thao had allegedly failed to scale back crime in town.

“I'm a real estate agent and I don't feel safe walking the streets of Oakland or the entire Bay Area, showing homes and trying to help people achieve the American dream when there are so many dangers,” Acosta said.

Oakland experienced a devastating spike in crime through the pandemic, which is now slowly declining. According to data, overall crime across town fell 33% in June in comparison with the 2023 annual statistics.

Although the info suggests a decline in crime, Acosta just isn’t convinced.

“Even in broad daylight, you don't feel safe because Oakland is in a downward spiral. It's a very dangerous place. And with the budget cuts, it's only going to get worse.”

OAKLAND — Efforts to remove Mayor Sheng Thao from office will likely head to the November election after city officials confirmed Tuesday that enough valid signatures have been collected for a recall campaign against the mayor.

Thao, a progressive mayor who took office as town was still struggling to get better from the pandemic, may now be forced to return to campaign mode. The City Council is anticipated to contemplate whether to place the recall on the November ballot during a July 2 meeting.

Earlier this month, recall organizers submitted around 40,000 petitions to town – excess of the 24,644 valid signatures needed to force recent elections.

After sampling a portion of the petitions, the Alameda County elections office estimated last week that the whole batch would exceed 110% of the required threshold, enough to trigger an election without the necessity for a full hand count of signatures.

Organizers of the recall campaign, led by retired District Judge Brenda Grisham and former mayoral candidate Seneca Scott, celebrated the news of the valid signatures on social media.

“Thao's actions have brought Oakland to the brink, but the community is saying, 'STOP IT. We want Thao gone,'” Grisham said in a written statement.

Thao's opponents have pilloried her and other local progressives because they consider she is just too soft on crime and mismanages public funds.

Oakland experienced a devastating increase in crime throughout the pandemic, which is now slowly subsiding: As of Sunday, total crime across town had fallen 33% in comparison with the 2023 annual statistics.

The city, mired in a devastating budget crisis, plans to make use of proceeds from a non-public sale of its share of the Oakland Coliseum property over the subsequent two years to cover its budget deficit – a move that financial experts have criticized as a short-sighted use of long-term funds.

Thao has cited her revival of the Ceasefire strategy, an anti-violence program in Oakland that stalled throughout the pandemic, as a reason behind the recent drop in crime.

She also cited her support of out of doors investment in Oakland as a hit, including by the Ballers, a minor league baseball team founded this yr before the A's left for Las Vegas via the Sacramento region.

Recalls, once a rare political maneuver, have gained traction in California. Voters in Alameda County are in search of to recall District Attorney Pamela Price in November.

Perhaps the largest criticism of Thao comes from supporters of town's former police chief, LeRonne Armstrong, who sued the mayor after she fired him in January of last yr over his response to an internal cover-up scandal involving a police officer's hit-and-run.

Armstrong, who’s currently running for City Council, will likely be one other candidate within the upcoming November election.