Wednesday, November 2, 2011 was a day of action in support of Occupy Oakland and all Occupy actions.
Just one week earlier, police and city officials had attacked and evicted the Occupy encampment at Oakland City Center (Frank Ogawa Plaza). In two days and nights of street actions, several thousand people rallied to defend the encampment, forcing city officials to recant and allow the camp to return.
The General Strike was a way to carry the action back to the financial and government institutions which perpetuate and benefit from the present system.
The Occupy Oakland encampment - heart of the actions
Occupy Oakland encampment, in the heart of downtown.
The crowd of several thousand filled downtown streets, seeming as much like a street party as a strike.
Buoyant marches toured downtown Oakland throughout the day.
Capitalism didn't quite die, but it called in sick, as banks and major businesses closed for the day. Local cafes and street merchants, on the other hand, did a booming business.
Several dozen blockaders closed Citi Bank's downtown Oakland offices. Police were nowhere in sight, and the bank remained closed.
Theater troupes and musicians performed in open spaces around City Center.
It wouldn't be a General Strike without a disco line!
Forgot your sign? Make one on the spot, using donated materials.
CUIDO, a disability rights activist group, marched on the Oakland State Building.
CUIDO holds an impromptu meeting to decide tactics.
The Pagan Cluster arrives at noon sharp.
Pagan Cluster drummers occupy part of Broadway and gather a circle of spiral dancers.
The spiral begins in the middle of Broadway.
Once the spiral begins snaking back on itself, the dance blends in with the general melee on Broadway, Oakland's "main street." But it all ended with a nice cone of power, infusing the day with magic and care for one another.
Buddhist Peace Fellowship held a meditation circle in the midst of the chaos.
The afternoon culminated in a march to the Port of Oakland. The crowd swelled as hundreds of people arrived on BART and headed toward the Port. The march stretched for many blocks. Eventually thousands gathered at the Port.
Union groups joined the march to the Port.
The crowd turns off Third Street toward the Port. This is just a small part of the crowd.
The crowd surges on toward the Port. The goal was to blockade the entrance at the 7pm shift change, forcing the Port Authority to close the port. Numerous unions were involved in the protest, which was said to have the support of the Port workers.
Several thousand gather at the Port...
...and several thousand more are on the way. Local media, citing police sources, put the crowd at 7000.
(aka George Franklin) is a freelance parajournalist in the service of the Goddess and planetary revolution. His photo-filled book Direct Action is an historical novel about Bay Area protests.
