The idea just came to them last night, said Romaine Charite, a member of Oakland Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression, after news spread of the planned deployment of federal officers to the Bay Area. A rally at Fruitvale Plaza .

Less than 24 hours later, more than 100 people were gathered outside Fruitvale BART Station Thursday afternoon for a rally to protest the arrival of federal agents in the Bay Area.

After roughly a half an hour of chants and brief speeches, the group marched onto 35th Avenue and then down International Boulevard as drivers honked their horns in support, before heading off to the entrance to Coast Guard Island, where Customs and Border Protection agents began to arrive early this morning .

“We want ICE and CPB out of the Bay Area,” Charite said.

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