Anywhere from several hundred to several thousand people from throughout the Bay Area are expected to converge in Downtown Oakland Wednesday for a Day of Action and general strike — the nation’s first since 1946, which also took place in Oakland — that Occupy Movement protesters hope will shut down the city for a day.
The proposal to hold the general strike was approved by a vote of 1,484 to 46 last Wednesday at Occupy Oakland’s general assembly meeting, the night after clashes between police and protesters resulted in the use of tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang bombs on the crowd.
UC Berkeley junior Zak Habash said he was struck by last Tuesday’s police response, prompting him to go to Oakland himself and get involved with the movement. He said he plans to attend Wednesday’s strike after class.
“I see it getting pretty damn big by the end of the night,” Habash said. “You have the unions, the professional workers, the students — we’ll see what happens.”
The strike will begin at 9 a.m., with crowds converging at 14th Street and Broadway in Downtown Oakland, right by Frank Ogawa Plaza — the site of the Oakland Commune reclaimed by protesters after their original encampment was dismantled by police early in the morning on Oct. 25. Later on, protesters plan to march to the Port of Oakland at 5 p.m. to shut it down before the 7 p.m. work shift and stop the flow of capital into the city.
Even though the police presence at the encampment has been limited since last Tuesday’s clash, which sent one Iraq War veteran to the hospital with a fractured skull, UC Berkeley graduate student Leah Jacobs said she expects a large turnout that may demand higher numbers of police.
“In terms of police, I anticipate a heavy presence,” Jacobs said. “But I do think there has been a dramatic shift since the original backlash a week ago.”
Jacobs, who got involved with Occupy Oakland on the second day of the encampment, has been reaching out to social workers in the last week to encourage them to come out for the strike.
Other protesters have made an effort to recruit labor and teachers’ unions, although they have said that those who cannot miss work are welcome to join whenever they get off for the day.
In an email, the Berkeley Federation of Teachers expressed their support for the strike and encouraged teachers to talk to their students about the strike and the Occupy Movement and join the strike after school.
“We are really mobilizing members to support the strike,” said union President Cathy Campbell.
According to their website, Occupy Berkeley protesters plan to meet at the Downtown Berkeley BART station at 4 p.m. tomorrow and head down to the strike together.
Albany resident David Skinner, a programmer at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who has been actively involved with Occupy Oakland — the first political movement he has taken part in — said he hopes the strike’s message will lead to actual policy action, rather than just political sentiment.
“The beauty of this movement is that it encapsulates many issues that are important to many people,” Jacobs said. “We all have a place in this movement. I wish more Berkeley students were present. I want to encourage people to get out there.”
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lowlifes
A bunch of freeloaders boycotting local businesses doesn’t mean much when they never buy anything anyway.
That’s probably why they are breaking windows. It’s more of an economic impact on the targeted businesses than any boycott they could actually muster…
If you think this movement doesn’t mean anything, then you are obviously not awake!
We know what it means – violence, intimidation, and vandalism. The protesters are totalitarian Marxists masquerading as the 99%…
Stay safe and peaceful, the occupy movement is about the intregrity and honesty
of every hard working man and woman in America. “We the people of the United
States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure
domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general
welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do
ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Preamble of the Constitution
Wet your own bed. Don’t go to Oakland. If you do, whatever happens to you is your own fault. The cops will kill you for having an “attitude” on the best day. Just because Quan told them to hold off that doesn’t mean that when you get out of hand you won’t face heavy hands.
Maybe the right-wing students could come up with another lame cupcake sale theme to support the 1%.
The “right-wing” students are for the most part too busy studying. They don’t have time for protests like those majoring in all the racial/ethnic grievance studies programs, where you merely need to show up (and not disagree with the prof) to get a passing grade…
Have you taken classes here recently? Have you met all the “right wing” students here at Cal to verify yer supposed facts? Yer obtuse comment doesn’t hide the fact you are an uninformed troll who sadly spends more than the time it takes to read the article to respond to it (and the other people who responded to it as well). Maybe you could use that time better by “studying” how to have a real social life OFF of the internet and OFF of the STUDENT RUN NEWSPAPER that has little to no legitimacy for christs sake.
Seeing an anonymous internet troll who spends all day harassing other posters complain about others being anonymous trolls who spend too much time on the internet is hilarious.
[Have you taken classes here recently? Have you met all the "right wing" students here at Cal to verify yer supposed facts?]
I graduated from Cal in 1995, but there were certainly conservative students then, and I’m sure there are conservative students now. Those students who realize that their path to economic success and security depends on their own individual effort will concentrate on their studies, because they have their eye on the real prize – a degree that opens doors and provides and opportunity, typically in the sciences, engineering, or math-intensive courses of study. OTOH, aren’t those students who think it’s more crucial to protest and demand that others do things for them, effectively acknowledging that their own chosen course of study doesn’t offer much of a future for them, and that they need to depend on the generosity/largesse of others to make it once they get out of school?
Generosity, really?! When the vast majority of this nation’s wealth is concentrated with the top 2% and CEOs of companies are flying private jets and hiring prostitutes, while so many others in this so-called world-power nation go hungry every day, that’s what you call generosity? Get a grip!
[Generosity, really?! When the vast majority of this nation's wealth is concentrated with the top 2%]
Given that the protesters are advocating Marxism and Communism, can you point to any Marxist/Communist country where there is a more equitable distribution of wealth than in the US? No, you can’t. Thugs like Fidel Castro and Kim Jong Il personally control BILLIONS in wealth while the vast majority of people in their own countries are dirt-poor and starving. Why don’t you protest them instead? Oh, I forgot, it doesn’t advance your personal agenda…
[ and CEOs of companies are flying private
jets and hiring prostitutes]
So are politicians in DC and Hollywood entertainment figures, so why aren’t you protesting them? Oh, my bad, I already forgot again – it doesn’t advance your own agenda.
[while so many others in this so-called world-power nation go hungry every day]
Despite the bullshit that you have been obviously spoon-fed, VERY few people (way less than 1%) go “hungry” in this country. In fact, lower-income Americans are the most overweight group in the WORLD in terms of income and nationality – so much that 1/3 of the adults in this country are considered OBESE by CDC standards: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html. Now apparently you’re too ignorant to know this, but people do NOT become obese by “going hungry every day”. But thanks for showing the world that you are truly a clueless idiot…
And want to know who will be aiding the cops who nearly killed a peaceful protester last week? The University of California Office of the President. This e-mail was just sent:
“FYI: I was just told by the receptionist at the UC Office of the President that they are lending the UCOP
conference room near 19th and Franklin to the Oakland Police Department
to be a Command Center. I even called back to double-check. I suggest
we all email and call the UCOP and demand that
they do not lend UC space to the OPD after the level of police violence
last week against citizens of Oakland (including many UC faculty, staff,
and students). Is there a way for us to send this word around to other
students, faculty and staff? Here is the contact info for UCOP. http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/aboutuc/contact.html ”
Unfortunately UCOP does what UCOP wants.
The fact that Yudof’s signature is replicated on my diploma ensures for all time that I will never make a donation to the UC.
Peaceful protester? Hardly.
Scott Olsen is a long-time shit-stirrer who started anti-Marines websites and was kicked out of the Marines for drug-related charges.
http://www.verumserum.com/?p=31617
I wasn’t aware of the drug-related charges, but anyone who’s still an E-3 after 4 years in ANY branch of the service clearly has a less than stellar military record, given the fact that you earn your first 2 stripes primarily through TIS and TIG – in other words, merely showing up and keeping your nose clean. Based on your link, LCPL Olsen had a little problem with the latter…
Ah yes, starting anti-Marines websites means that he is so violent he must have his skull cracked open with tear gas at a protest where he is just standing there.
Ah yes, making silly-assed comments means you couldn’t address the specifics of the argument. Given that Scott Olsen isn’t exactly forthcoming with his beef against the Marine Corps, a reasonable person would suspect there JUST might be another side to the story about some allegedly innocent veteran attacked by the mean nasty cops when he allegedly wasn’t doing anything wrong.
Come on now, we all know that there is a cadre of professional activists and shit-stirrers involved in these Occupy Whatever dog-and-pony shows. You don’t think, just maybe, that they played some role in their own predicament in this incident?
I am addressing the specifics of Guests1234′s argument. The argument was that he was not non-violent because he expressed negative sentiments about the marines and was dismissed for drug charges. I am saying that is a total non-sequitur — someone’s actions in the past, especially ones that are not violent (like setting up a website), have absolutely no bearing on the quality (violent or non-violent) of a person’s protest at a present state. Guest1234 was implying that somehow Scott relinquished his right not to be the subject of police violence because he had beef with the Marines.
As for your comments, what on earth does Scott’s beef with the Marine Corps have to do with the fact that the police intentionally tear gassed and flash grenaded a group of people that were coming to the aid of someone severely injured? This was a random group of people who saw someone lying on the ground motionless, and bleeding and ran to his aid, not a “cadre of professional activists.” And even if this were the United Professional Activists of the Universe coming to his aid, how does that justify the police response?
[ The argument was that he was not non-violent because he expressed negative sentiments about the marines and was dismissed for drug charges.]
He’s a malcontent who was separated from the Corps for being a druggie and a loser. That is NOT someone who should have ANY credibility with responsible people whatsoever. In addition, the events of the last couple of days have made it damn well clear what the intentions of the so-called “protesters” were in the first place. The police didn’t smash windows or spray-paint private businesses. The protesters DID. Proof positive that your portrayal of these ass-clowns as “non-violent” is a complete farce…
Tony, I am saying that it was wrong for the police to fire tear gas and flash grenades into a group of people who were clearly coming to the aid of someone gravely injured on the ground. Whether that person was released by Marines on drug charges or was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, we should not accept that kind of police action. You think the police response in this video is acceptable?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZLyUK0t0vQ