Occupy Oakland protesters marched through the streets downtown Oakland on Wednesday, and they have reached their aim to shut Oakland’s Port down.
San Francisco / NationalTurk – Thousands of Occupy Oakland protesters expanded their anti-Wall Street demonstrations on Wednesday, marching through downtown, picketing banks and swarming the port. By early evening, port authorities said maritime operations there were effectively shut down.
Before the sun set Wednesday, more than 4,500 walked from downtown to the port and stretched several blocks down Middle Harbor Road leading into the port as they begin their attempt to shut down operations. About 5 p.m., they successfully shut down the port, said Director Omar Benjamin.
Occupy Oakland or Shut the port of Oakland down
Before the building takeover shortly before midnight Wednesday, Quan said she was happy the crowd — which police estimate hit 7,000 people at one point — protested all day with only a small amount of destruction and violence.
Oakland is being watched worldwide as one of the largest and possibly the most volatile Occupy movements around the globe.
On Oct. 25, 1,000 people marched in the streets, threw bottles and rocks at police and clashed with officers, who launched projectiles and tear-gas into the crowd. A former Marine, Scott Olsen, 24, fell to the ground during the clash and remains hospitalized with a fractured skull; witnesses said he was struck by a tear-gas canister. Quan has since allowed the Occupy movement to rebuild the camp at the plaza and about 100 tents have popped up.
The nighttime clashes followed an early-morning raid on the Occupy Oakland encampment, where police overturned tents, ripped down signs and arrested scores of protesters. Jordan said Wednesday that the plan had been to facilitate a peaceful march.
“We react to the actions of the crowd which mostly has been peaceful, with no threats to police officers, and we allowed them to peacefully assemble. When crowd becomes assaultive or agitated, we’re required by law to respond. That hasn’t happened here. What you saw tonight was minimal presence,” he said.
Quan spokeswoman Sue Piper said city leaders know that the sight of police lines could incite the crowd, and putting fewer police on the streets earlier in the day was deliberate.
But there was a ruckus at 11th Street and Broadway after two people were hit by a motorist. About 8 p.m., a man and a woman were struck by a car at 11th Street and Broadway. The male driver of a silver Mercedes ran a red light and struck the pair, said Joe Jackson, 37, of Oakland, who witnessed the incident.
Horrible scenes in Occupy Oakland Protest: Milkshake injured
Onlookers said the driver deliberately ran over the protesters, and accelerated after a man hit the hood of the car. The windshield was splattered with what appeared to be a milkshake. After the car stopped at the other end of the intersection, the driver switched seats with his female passenger. About 40 people gathered in the intersection and some pulled open the driver’s door.
The woman inside shouted: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” The injured man and woman were taken away in ambulances. Their conditions are not known, but both have non life-threatening injuries. Reports that the one of those struck had died are untrue. Police released the driver.
Occupy Oakland : The most violeny of Occupy X Protest Movements
The general strike was called by Occupy Oakland and supported by residents, a few small businesses, teachers and nurses with the California Nurses Association. It was intended to shut down the city for the day in a rally cry against corporate greed, widespread unemployment and wage inequality.
The worldwide Occupy movement decries the economic wealth of the very rich 1 % while the remaining 99 % of the population struggles in the down economy.
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