On March 4th, 2010, demonstrators in California and across the country took the streets to protest massive cuts at all levels of education and government imposed austerity measures. In Oakland, thousands of protesters rallied in Frank Ogawa Plaza, and then a group of some two hundred broke off and marched through downtown before taking over an 880 interstate exit ramp. The Oakland riot police swept in and without a call for dispersal started swinging batons and beating people before arresting them. The highway was shut for over two hours with traffic gridlocked across the Bay Area. Corporate journalists covering the action were allowed to leave while the independents were rounded up along with demonstrators.