Two of the Bay Area’s largest anti-police brutality demonstrations were organized by students

SAN FRANCISCO - The protest against the killing of George Floyd, police, and racial inequality drew an estimated 10,000 people to Mission High School in San Francisco Wednesday night.

Two days earlier more than 15,000 people protesters rallied in front of Oakland Technical High before marching downtown.

The protests were similar in two key ways: They were non-violent and they were both organized by students.

"I think it went well. I couldn't ask for anything more as long as everyone was safe and we could speak our truths," said 19-year-old Xavier Brown.

Brown, organized the Oakland demonstration with another teenage friend Akil Riley. Brown graduated from Bishop O'Dowd High School and attends UCLA.

Brown said he had no idea the demonstration would be so large. They put the word out on social media just five days earlier.

"At first we weren't getting much traction. I told Akil even if it is just me and you we will still March," he said.

Brown said word began to spread through various community organizations, stressing that the demonstration would be what they called non-destructive.

"We wanted to give the community a voice in standing up against police brutality and the system of oppression in America," he said.

Oakland police did use tear gas to disperse crowds later that evening, which has sparked criticism.

But the wanton violence was absent.

"Our young people should be commended. The discipline they showed. The intelligence they are showing," said University of San Francisco politics professor James Taylor.

Taylor said he is not surprised younger people are becoming involved.

"They're the next line up to be impacted by law enforcement. Even now as teens they have disproportionate contact with police," he said.

But organizers said young people can't bring change by themselves.

"It's up to all of us to fix it. If we're all on this earth, we should all take part," Brown said.