Sheng Thao supporters hold rally against recall election

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 just a year into his term.

Her critics accused her of neglecting and mismanaging the city’s finances. 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 the city’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 compared to the same period last year. However, the decline followed a sharp rise in crime, meaning overall rates remain high.

An independent analysis by the Bay Area News Group found that Oakland’s crime rate rose 65% in 2023 compared to 2020, the sharpest increase among the region’s major cities, including San Francisco and San Jose.