Today, thousands of Oakland residents are participating in a general strike to protest last week’s police brutality and to draw attention to the economic inequality that the 99 Percent are protesting. Numerous local businesses have shuttered their doors in solidarity, and Mayor Jean Quan has even allowed most city employees to take part in the strike if they choose to.
As a part of a day of actions, hundreds of demonstrators shut down a local Citibank chapter. Not only did the demonstrators engage in mass demonstrations outside, but they unfurled a banner laying out some of the megabank’s misdeeds. Here’s some photos from the demonstration that forced the local Citibank to shut its doors:
Apparently Wells Fargo, Comerica, and a Chase bank were shut down as well.
Following several speakers, protesters took to the streets, marching to the state building and the local banks, chanting, "We are the 99 percent." Marching bands led the group, and a flash mob danced to "I Will Survive." Protesters stopped outside of the federal building, chanting and singing.
Due to the highly publicized nature of the strike, most of the downtown businesses had closed in preparation. However, Occupiers found Comerica Bank on 12 Street and Broadway open, and quickly surrounded the doors, forcing the branch to close. Protesters then moved on to a nearby Bank of America, forcing that branch to close, as well.
As of 12:30 p.m., the Oakland protest remained peaceful with no police in sight, while more and more demonstrators joined the marches. Organizers announced plans to march to the Port of Oakland at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. in an attempt to shut down the port and disrupt the flow of commerce. The organizers originally announced that the port had closed in solidarity with the strike on Wednesday morning, but those reports turned out to be false.
Thousands of protesters are expected to join the marches to the port on Wednesday night. At the daytime march, organizers read the phone number to the Occupy Oakland legal team over a loudspeaker, encouraging protesters to copy it in case of arrest.
