The urban playground movement—recapturing the flag

Playing Capture the Flag in downtown Oakland. Photo by estro.

If you're an adult who hasn't given up on the idea of playing outside, you might try Capture the Flag at Oakland City Hall’s Frank Ogawa Plaza. 

At the beginning of each game, the rules are explained and teams are chosen. Each team paints their cheeks a different color. The goal is to steal the rival’s flag while still protecting your own. Players jump over benches, hide behind trees and seize any moment to tag an opposing team’s player—sending them to jail. Once sent to jail (a park bench), the inmates have to wait to be freed by a teammate. 

For these Capture the Flag players, it’s about getting out and being social without having to spend money in clubs or bars. Capture the Flag is typically played in sports fields, which makes the game at Frank Ogawa Plaza a bit different—these players use the whole city block and obstacles include stairs, handrails, benches and light posts. 

This group began playing at City Hall in 2001. Then, in 2008, the City of Oakland decided the gamers needed a permit to play. It became clear that they were unlikely to get one, because, according to city regulations, the plaza isn’t suited to this type of sport. So, the group gave it a rest for one year. But last summer, they brought it back. Flaggers are trying hard to not trample plants and to be respectful of passersby. So it seems the City of Oakland is unofficially letting the game continue. 

The group doesn’t play in the rain, and they take weeks off in the colder months. But, come spring, they’ll be there. The games go from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Frank Ogawa Plaza on the first and third Tuesday of every month. And, if you get bored with the game, you can always go inside City Hall and check out the City Council meeting (which also meets Tuesday evenings)… or vice versa. 

Dara Kerr is a student at the U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.