The mayor of Oakland, California, announced that the city would pursue a hate crime investigation after what were believed to be nooses were found hanging in a city park, but a local man said he hung the items months ago to use as exercise equipment.
The “nooses,” found in about five different trees, have since been removed by city police and officials at the direction of Mayor Libby Schaaf.
“These have no place in our city at any time but especially in this time,” the mayor said at a press conference on Wednesday. “These incidents will be investigated as a hate crime.”
The ropes were turned into the FBI as evidence into the investigation, but a local resident said he put them up as part of an exercise routine. Victor Sengbe, who is black, told KGO-TV that the ropes were part of a larger swing system.
“Out of the dozen and hundreds and thousands of people that walked by, no one has thought that it looked anywhere close to a noose,” Sengbe said. “Folks have used it for exercise. It was really a fun addition to the park that we tried to create.”
Sengbe added it’s “unfortunate” that the ropes meant to be a genuine gesture were misinterpreted into something “so heinous.”
The discovery of the ropes comes on the heels of nationwide protests against racial injustice and police brutality following the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. Floyd’s death sparked commitment to action and change across several municipalities, industries, and institutions on how they can become a safer and more welcoming place for black Americans.
The findings also follow the deaths of two black men found hanging from trees in California.
Schaaf condemned the incidents on Twitter, saying the city will not tolerate having symbols of racial injustice and reports that they were meant for exercise don’t excuse their connotation.
Several nooses found on trees around Lake Merritt were removed and will be investigated as hate crimes. pic.twitter.com/JW8TvY6pi4
— Libby Schaaf (@LibbySchaaf) June 17, 2020
“We are all responsible for knowing the history and present day reality of lynchings, hate crimes, and racial violence,” Schaaf said. “Objects that invoke such terror will not be tolerated in Oakland’s public spaces.”
Nooses are historically connected to lynching and a symbol recognized by many as targeting the black community.
