Occupy Oakland: Striking Questions
I spent yesterday back in Oakland, participating in the Occupy Oakland general strike. Several hundred Oakland teachers were there as well, part of a crowd that swelled to around ten thousand in the afternoon. Below are photos and a video that capture some of the spirit of the day.
Oakland became notorious last week after city officials carried out a poorly conceived pre-dawn eviction of the downtown occupation. The operation was military-style, complete with pepper spray and flash grenades. This cost the city in excess of a million dollars, and resulted in the serious injury to Iraq war veteran Scott Olsen, who remains hospitalized with a fractured skull.
But yesterday the police were scarcely to be seen as a festive and peaceful crowd gathered at the heart of downtown Oakland. Broadway was crammed with people of all ages. A children's tent with