Americas

Home page

Americas

Thousands go on strike in U.S. city Oakland

03 November 2011 01:17 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-AAP. Thousands of protesters took to the streets in the U.S. West Coast city of Oakland on Wednesday in a general strike called by the Occupy Oakland group, APA reports citing Xinhua.

The strike, which drew people from all walks of life, including workers, teachers and students, is the first of its kind in the city since 1946, according to The Oakland Tribune, a local newspaper.

The demonstrators marched along downtown streets and held rallies, with some of them pounding on doors of downtown banks and even defacing ATMs with graffiti.

The daylong strike was generally peaceful so far though there were signs of vandalism in the afternoon as a small group of protesters smashed windows and threw paint at a Whole Foods store.

In a statement posted on the Occupy Oakland website, the organizers said they are calling for "no work and no school" on Wednesday as part of the general strike.

In addition to the support for the worldwide "Occupy" movement, the strike is also aimed at ending police attacks on local communities and defending Oakland schools and libraries, they said.

The organizers also called for the strike participants to oppose "an economic system built on colonialism, inequality and corporate power that perpetuates all forms of oppression and the destruction of the environment."

At least 15 percent of Oakland teachers took the day off to participate in the strike, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

About 5 percent of city employees called in to say they would be taking either an unpaid furlough or paid vacation day, according to the report.

Oakland Mayor Jean Quan said that while she supported the goals of the protesters, it is also the city government’s duty to " prioritize public safety."

"Many Oaklanders will not be participating in today’s events, even if they may support the overall goals of those demonstrating. We must make sure that those who have to go to work and keep their businesses open are able to do so," she said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Last week, police in Oakland fired tear gas as "Occupy" protesters tried to retake a plaza outside Oakland City Hall where their tents had been torn down.

The event caught nationwide attention and Oakland authorities later changed the rules and allow the encampment to return.

Oakland, located about 13 kilometers east of San Francisco, has a population of nearly 400,000 and ranks the eighth-largest city in the state of California.