Groups from around the Bay Area and nationwide have planned demonstrations, rallies and strikes to coincide with Tuesday’s international May Day of Action and general strike.
May 1 is International Workers’ Day, an official holiday in many countries around the world and a day to recognize the international labor movement. In the Bay Area, marches throughout the day have been organized by labor unions and occupy protesters in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and elsewhere.
Staff writer Afsana Afzal reporting from the field.
5:30 p.m.
The group of protesters demonstrating outside UCOP has dwindled as some head to Fruitvale for a protest for immigrant rights, although some police officers remain outside the office.
5:00 p.m.
Protesters have gathered outside a downtown Oakland Wells Fargo. UC Regent Russell Gould was a former executive at Wachovia, which merged with Wells Fargo in 2008.
4:50 p.m.
The March 1 General Strike protesters are marching from outside the UC Office of the President to Wells Fargo.
4:00 p.m.
About 25 people are currently gathered outside of the University Office of the President chanting for workers rights.
Read our update on the march by union workers and Occupy Cal protesters to the Tang Center that took place earlier today.
2:10 p.m.
San Francisco Chronicle reporter Demian Bulwa recently tweeted that Oakland Police Department spokesperson Johanna Watson confirmed that tear gas was used earlier on demonstrators in Oakland who were allegedly surrounding officers.
PIO Watson confirms tear gas was used on #oo “to gain the attention of the crowd” that surrounded officers “which was effective”
— Demian Bulwa (@demianbulwa) May 1, 2012
1:30 p.m.
As of 1:00 p.m., protesters and union workers had dispersed from outside the Tang Center. They plan to march to UCOP in downtown Oakland at 4 p.m.
12:33 p.m.
Reports via Twitter are saying that protesters and police are facing off at 14th Street and Broadway in downtown Oakland. BART just tweeted that the Frank Ogawa Plaza entrance/exit at 14th Street end of 12th Street is closed due to police activity for a protest.
Ogawa Plaza entrance/exit at 14th St end of 12th St. closed due to police activity for a protest. Other exits open at 12th St.
— SFBART (@SFBART) May 1, 2012
12:25 p.m.
Protesters are standing in front of the Tang Center along Bancroft Way chanting and holding signs in support of UPTE workers.
12:00 p.m.
At UC Berkeley, protesters and union organizers are holding a rally at noon at the intersection of Telegraph Avenue and Bancroft Way to kick off AFSCME-3299 contract negotiations, after which they will march to the Tang Center to support healthcare professionals who are negotiating new contracts through UPTE-CWA 9119.
At 4 p.m. demonstrators will march to the UC Office of the President at 1111 Franklin St. in downtown Oakland for a rally and picket organized by SEIU 1021 and AFSCME-3299.
11:00 a.m.
Nurses striking at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Berkeley held a rally to protest ongoing cuts to patient services by Sutter Health.
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Adelyn Baxter is the news editor.
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These children are SO in love with the tactics and rhetoric of the Euro-socialists. Why don’t they just move to Spain or Greece if they think that the welfare state approach solves all problems?
With increasing tuition, I can’t imagine students are stoked about striking university workers.
When the destruction starts remember Obama and the big unions are behind these thugs.