**
**
** The East Bay city of Oakland was once again the focus of the national Occupy movement as Occupy Oakland called for Wednesday to be a “general strike” day. A protest that began at 9 a.m. climaxed around 6 p.m. when a crowd estimated to be over 4,500 effectively shut down the Port of Oakland.
** Earlier in the day more than a thousand protesters marched in and around downtown Oakland for hours. The evening march shut down traffic on many downtown streets as thousands of people made their way to the port on foot, bike and bus. Employees at the port’s main office near Jack London Square were sent home at 3:30 p.m. to ensure their safety. City workers in Oakland were also released early Wednesday. The one thing that was missing from the crowd throughout the day was police officers. Most reporters on the scene said they did not see a single officer as they followed the marchers from spot to spot. The lack of police proved problematic for certain drivers who inadvertently got in the path of the wandering protest. Because there were no police helping shut down intersections, drivers got trapped in their cars on at least a few occasions as they were instantly surrounded by thousands of people walking past their vehicle. The march had no clear path, making it impossible to avoid. (See photo below.)
**
**
**
**
So how long before the average citizens get tired of this game and get tired of these people thinking their “right” means they can go and do whatever they like?
BTW shutting down a porthas an effect on everyone since so many of our products come into or go out of the country that way.
"Yes, it is minimal," Jordan said. He said during a 5 p.m. briefing that police would continue to give protesters their space and only intervene if they damaged property or people.
How about you do you job?
Protest to your hearts content but you dont have a “right” to keep people from going to work or driving down the street or enjoying a park that their tax dollars pay for
For whatever it’s worth, I think the police’s absence was a deliberate move orchestrated by their union. It had to do with conflicting positions that the mayor’s office has taken. I’ll see if I can find a link to the open letter that the Oakland PD posted.
to be honest this isn’t that different from the same shit that happens every 3 months in oakland just anyway. The police shoot someone, the citizens react, then the hoodlums come out and burn some shit steal some nikes. Only difference is they’re flying the OWS banner.
to be honest this isn’t that different from the same shit that happens every 3 months in oakland just anyway. The police shoot someone, the citizens react, then the hoodlums come out and burn some shit steal some nikes. Only difference is they’re flying the OWS banner.
+1
It IS Oakland. There’s been at least 3 riots this year alone.
Longshoremen got paid, but truck drivers who were blocked did not. My bf was told to take the day off yesterday (his company is downtown), he got paid. But all the people in the small businesses around the area that were forced to close didn’t. The small business owners lost revenue. So much for showing the 1%ers.
I love Oakland and this makes me very sad. This city has been without effective leadership for so long now.
to be honest this isn’t that different from the same shit that happens every 3 months in oakland just anyway. The police shoot someone, the citizens react, then the hoodlums come out and burn some shit steal some nikes. Only difference is they’re flying the OWS banner.
Or professional protestors flock in from Oregon, which is what happened with the Oscar Grant rioting.
I doubt a lot of people outside of the Bay Area would be able to identify Oakland locals in a line up. There is a whole lot more to Oakland than gang riddled East Oakland and downtown riot scarred Oakland.
So how long before the average citizens get tired of this game and get tired of these people thinking their “right” means they can go and do whatever they like?
Right about now.
There are stories everywhere of small businesses shutting down, laying people off etc etc because of this bullshit. And I can assure you most people associate this chaos with the left wing of the Dem Party…but the left wing of the Dem Party is silent…
Not good for Obama. at all.
I think it’s more the temporary crowd frenzy ‘thrill’ of anarchy…until even liberals themselves see how disruptive and dangerous it is (in more than one way)
Dems will regret associating themselves with this madness.
well to be fair, 1) am from the bay area and have spent a lot of time in Berkeley & oakland and 2) professional protestors from OREGON pretty much determines what color they are. Oregon is pretty unbelievably pasty white.
well to be fair, 1) am from the bay area and have spent a lot of time in Berkeley & oakland and 2) professional protestors from OREGON pretty much determines what color they are. Oregon is pretty unbelievably pasty white.
I just spent a few days in down town SF , what a dump . Plenty of eateries but no parking / prius taxis . I guess they call that eclectic when the hilton is next door to some dump asian food joint with street urchins rubbing their crotch watching the skinny girls j-walk the streets . I could hear protesters chanting a few blocks away .
Last time for me … maybe the next quake or fire … will bring a new Phoenix from the ashes .
