OAKLAND, Calif. — (AP) — Oakland’s mayor says five ropes found hanging from trees in a city park are nooses and racially-charged symbols of terror but a resident says he put them up simply for exercse.
Mayor Libby Schaaf said Wednesday that a hate crime investigation is under way after a social media post identified a noose at Lake Merritt.
Police investigating Tuesday said they found five ropes and notified the FBI. But Victor Sengbe, who is black, told KGO-TV that the ropes were part of a rigging that he and his friends used for a swing system. He says it's unfortunate they've been misinterpreted.
