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By Jane Tyska
Mercury News

Several hundred people with masks and signs attended a vigil for black lives in Oakland Tuesday afternoon.

The vigil, which featured Aztec dancers performing a ceremony, took place on 14th Street outside of The Greenlining Institute, which co-hosted the event with Brown Folx for Black Lives. A large colorful community altar with pictures of George Floyd and others killed by police was erected, and community members were encouraged to place photos of their loved ones or other objects in memoriam.

Several people also spoke at the event, which called for the end of anti-black police terror and state-sanctioned violence perpetrated against black people and communities of color.

Greenlining stands in solidarity with the Movement for Black Lives in calling for the divestment from police and reinvestment in healthcare, housing, jobs and education in black communities. The nonprofit’s goal is to ensure that race is never a barrier to economic opportunity.

“It is our hope that this vigil will uplift our community and help all of us embrace the power within ourselves so we can continue the steady march of collective action towards transformative change,” said Debra Gore-Mann President & Chief Executive Officer of The Greenlining Institute.