Berkeley police clear chess club furniture off Telegraph Avenue, member says

By Yosi Yahoudai
Founder and Managing Partner

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BERKELEY, Calif. – Berkeley residents were surprised on Friday to see the furniture some of them normally play chess on at the corner of Telegraph Avenue and Haste Street was gone for the third time in five weeks.  

Trash collectors supervised by a Berkeley police officer allegedly took the furniture placed by Telegraph Avenue’s unofficial chess club earlier that morning, according to chess club chairman Jesse Sheehan, who witnessed the incident.  

Sheehan says that although the core patrons of the chess club generally continue to show up after furniture confiscations, he expects workers at nearby stores will stop coming by to relax before their shifts without the extra tables and chairs.  

“They just wanted to sit at a table and have morning time themselves,” Sheehan said. “They would play a game of chess… if I don’t have that extra table out, they would never stop to do that.” 

The three furniture confiscations in the last five weeks have resulted in at least $600 in replacement costs, according to an interview with chess club chairman Jesse Sheehan on Friday. 

Sheehan buys replacement furniture at Berkeley’s Urban Ore, a reclaim store. He says he spends an average of $5 on each chair and $25 on each card table but spent about $75 on the larger table that retired animator Roosevelt Stevens normally sits to draw at.  

City of Berkeley representatives were not available for comment.  
   

About the Author

Yosi Yahoudai is a founder and the managing partner of J&Y. His practice is comprised primarily of cases involving automobile and motorcycle accidents, but he also represents people in premises liability lawsuits, including suits alleging dangerous conditions of public property, third-party criminal conduct, and intentional torts. He also has expertise in cases involving product defects, dog bites, elder abuse, and sexual assault. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California and is admitted to practice in all California State Courts, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. If you have any questions about this article, you can contact Yosi by clicking here.

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