Following Johannes Mehserle's recent conviction of involuntary manslaughter in the 2009 killing of Oscar Grant, many people in Oakland say the verdict was too lenient.

One day after a Walnut Creek rally for convicted ex-cop Johannes Mehserle, a standing room-only, multi-genrational and multicultural crowd of around 100 packed the Black Dot Café in West Oakland to hear Malcolm Shabazz - the grandson of assassinated African-American icon El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, better known as Malcolm X.

The jury deliberated less than seven hours to reach the verdict in the trial of former BART officer Johannes Mehserle for murdering Oscar Grant: involuntary manslaughter. In other words, although the former officer was found guilty of pulling a gun on Grant and shooting him in the back as he lay face down, hand-cuffed, on a platform, the jury did not find that Mehserle had any intent to end Grant's life when he pulled his gun and shot him in the back as he lay handcuffed on the platform, face down, with another officer's knee pushing into in his back.

It’s early afternoon when the phone company technician arrives to connect the line at the South Berkeley psychotherapy office I’ve just moved into. 

I’m tired. I’ve been seeing clients since early morning and will work into evening. This is the only break I’ve got, and I’m not in a chatty mood.

About 500 people descended on the parking lot of the Walnut Creek courthouse Monday afternoon to rally in support of former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle.

But at least half of those in attendance were either on-duty law enforcement from the surrounding community or reporters eager to capture the much-hyped event.

GetGrounded.TV, currently base in Vancouver, CA, shoot some great footage of

Did you see this video from The Working Group of the peaceful assembly after the Mehserle verdict on July 8 in Oakland?

This is a pretty accurate view of what really went on downtown earlier in the day as people gathered.

By Carlos Villarreal, Executive Director, National Lawyers Guild SF Bay Area Chapter

Sentencing for convicted killer Johannes Mehserle has been pushed back to later this year and his attorney says he will argue for a reduction in sentence when that time comes.

Following last week's verdict - when a jury in Los Angeles found former BART Policeman Johannes Mehserle guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter in the murder of 22-year old Oscar Grant - the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights recognized the importance of holding Mehserle, as a representative of police systems and police