Oakland braces for strike, marches. Can Occupy protesters close the port?
The city of Oakland, Calif., the site of the Occupy Wall Street movement鈥檚 worst violence to date, is bracing for a general strike and day of mass action by Occupy Oakland Wednesday, and organizers say they expect a healthy cross section of their community to turn out in support.
鈥淲e have school teachers and students,聽unionized and nonunionized workers, as well as city workers determined to take the day off or come before work or after work, whatever they can do without losing their jobs,鈥� says media team聽spokesman Allan Brill.
Occupy Oakland鈥檚 plans include a noon march on Wells Fargo聽Bank, as well as two 鈥渃onvergences鈥� of protesters at 4 and 5 p.m., which will march on the Port of Oakland with the intent of shutting it down for the evening shift.
鈥淭he port is a symbol,鈥� says rapper Boots Riley, one of the local movement鈥檚 many organizers, who notes that the port was chosen as a way to show solidarity with those聽opposing 鈥渦nion-busting by big corporations.鈥�
The move is meant to show solidarity with longshoremen in Washington State who are opposing anti-union actions by international grain exporter EGT, Mr. Riley says, noting that EGT鈥檚 parent company, Bunge Limited, an agribusiness and food company, has聽ties to Wall Street.
The goal of the day鈥檚 actions, Mr. Brill adds, is to聽target the same transnational corporations that have been the target of the larger Occupy movement from its inception in New York City on Sept. 17. 鈥淲e鈥檝e gotten statements of support from all over the world,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e even saw a sign on TV coverage of Tahrir Square in Egypt saying 鈥榃e support Oakland.鈥� 鈥�
But Oakland has its own particular聽issues, which provide additional fuel for Wednesday鈥檚 planned actions, says Mr. Brill: "We have a long history of police officers being out of control.鈥�
The call for a general strike follows a violent clash last week after law enforcement officers moved on聽Occupy Oakland protesters to dismantle the local tent encampment in downtown Oakland, firing tear gas into the crowds.聽An Iraq war veteran was severely injured聽when he was struck in the head by a tear gas canister, sending him to the hospital.
鈥淲e have聽people in our town who can鈥檛 allow their children out at night, not because of gangs, but out of fear of police actions,鈥� says Brill. He is quick to add that 鈥渨e consider the police part of the working 99 percent, but we want accountability for those few who think they are outside the law and can act without oversight.鈥�
Over at Oaklanders Assistance Center, a community liaison group between the mayor鈥檚 office and residents, liaison officer Linda Teixeira says聽detailed preparations are being made, with an emphasis on preventing violence.
The mood in the city is calm, Ms. Teixeira says, adding that many businesses have phoned her office聽for help on how to be ready. She notes that there appears to be widespread support for the mass action in the community. The participation of the large unions actually might help to calm things down a bit because they are very organized and used to doing big strikes,鈥� she says.
The list of organizations聽endorsing聽Wednesday鈥檚 general strike聽includes teachers and carpenters unions as well as the local UAW. The聽numbers have been growing daily, according to a list at the Occupy Oakland website.
Observers from across the country suggest the Oakland general strike may help to broaden the larger Occupy movement鈥檚 impact.
鈥淭his will certainly kick the Occupy movement into a larger gear,鈥� says Heather Gautney, assistant sociology professor at Fordham University in New York City. The issues being highlighted in the Oakland action 鈥� from聽bringing accountability聽to聽public officials as well as concerns over great wealth inequities and corporate malfeasance 鈥� lie at the heart of the larger Occupy movement, she notes. 鈥淭his day will certainly聽push awareness of issues of inequality 鈥� to another level,鈥� she says.
Organizers are invoking history in their effort to raise the profile of their call to action.
At a Monday press conference announcing the Wednesday action, organizer Louise Michel聽referenced local history, saying, 鈥渨e stand here at the intersection of Telegraph and Broadway, this is the epicenter of the Oakland General Strike of 1946, the last general strike in the indigenous lands now occupied by the United States.鈥�
