OAKLAND, Calif. — A week after police in riot gear rousted and then tear-gassed Occupy Oakland protesters, supporters of the movement have rebuilt their encampment in front of City Hall and are calling for a general strike on Wednesday that will include an attempt to shut down the nation’s fifth-busiest shipping port.
“We call for a general strike around the country, and around the world, because we know that the wealth of the 1 percent is produced by the work of the 99 percent,” said Louise Michel, one of the protest organizers, at a news conference.
The plaza where the encampment is located is once again covered in brightly colored tents and tarps. Protesters estimate that several hundred people are sleeping at the camp nightly.
During the strike, protesters intend to march from downtown to the Port of Oakland and will try to close it down. Protesters also said they would picket banks, businesses, schools, libraries and any employer who tries to discipline striking workers.
Several major labor groups, including local units of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents port workers, have voiced support for the Occupy Oakland protests and the strike, though union officials have not authorized union members to strike.
While police officials have drastically scaled back the number of officers at the Occupy Oakland camp since the violent clashes last week, police officials say all officers have been asked to report for work on Wednesday.
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