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Indybay Feature

Port of Oakland Shut Down by Occupy Oakland

by Bradley Stuart (bradley [at] riseup.net)
On December 12th, the Occupy movements in various cities, mostly along the west coast, staged mass mobilizations to march on ports, create community pickets, and effectively shutdown the hubs of commerce. The demonstrations were modeled on Occupy Oakland's successful port shut down and general strike on November 2nd.

Occupy Oakland called for the December 12th West Coast Port Shutdown, "because we believe it is time the occupation movement begins to work together to carry through coordinated, pinpointed actions. We want to disrupt the profits of the 1% and show solidarity with those in the 99% who are under direct attack by corporate tyranny." In particular, the demonstrations were in solidarity with longshoremen, port workers and truck drivers.
scott-olsen_12-12-11.jpg
Pictured above is Scott Olsen. He is a 24-year-old former Marine and Iraq War veteran, and a member of Veterans for Peace. Scott suffered a skull fracture on October 25th, 2011, caused by a projectile that witnesses believe was a tear gas or smoke canister fired by the police.


The following photos were taken on December 12th during the afternoon rally at 14th and Broadway in Oscar Grant (aka Frank Ogawa) Plaza, the march from the plaza to the port, and the demonstration within the Port of Oakland. The port was already shut down in the early morning as a result of protests, and was still closed when the large demonstration arrived in the evening. In addition to Oakland, protesters in Portland, OR; Longview, WA; and Vancouver, BC successfully shut down ports in their city for the morning shift, and the SSA terminals at the Los Angeles/Long Beach port were successfully shut down as well.

Since there were attacks by police on demonstrators in other cities, including Seattle, San Diego and Houston, Occupy Oakland made good on its promise of solidarity, and extended the port shut down into the next shift at 3am. Occupy Oakland successfully shut down the Port of Oakland for three consecutive shifts.
§Angela Davis
by Bradley Stuart
angela-davis_12-12-11.jpg
Angela Davis is a political activist, scholar, and author. She emerged as a nationally prominent activist in the 1960s, when she was associated with the Communist Party USA, the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Panther Party. She is the founder of Critical Resistance, an organization working to abolish the prison-industrial complex. She is also a retired professor with the History of Consciousness Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz and is the former director of the university's Feminist Studies department.
§Boots Riley
by Bradley Stuart
boots-riley_12-12-11.jpg
Boots Riley is an Oakland-based hip-hop artist, writer, and public speaker most known for being the front man and producer of The Coup as well as the front man for Street Sweeper Social Club.
§Eddie Falcon
by Bradley Stuart
eddie-falcon_12-12-11.jpg
Eddie Falcon is a war veteran and organizer with Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW). As a hip-hop artist, he is working on a rap project called 40 Thieves.
§We Are The Port Authority
by Bradley Stuart
port-authority_12-12-11.jpg
§Labor Black & Brown
by Bradley Stuart
labor-black-brown_12-12-11.jpg
§D'wayne Wiggins
by Bradley Stuart
dwayne-wiggins_12-12-11.jpg
D'wayne Wiggins is a musician, blues guitarist, producer, composer and community activist from Oakland, best known as the founding member of the 1990s soul/R&B group Tony! Toni! Toné!
§Bombtrack
by Bradley Stuart
bombtrack_12-12-11.jpg
A cover version of Bombtrack by Rage Against The Machine as the 4pm march leaves Oscar Grant Plaza
§Occupella
by Bradley Stuart
occupella_12-12-11.jpg
Occupy for Peace and Justice
§We Teach the 99%
by Bradley Stuart
we-teach-99-percent_12-12-11.jpg
We Are Oakland Education Association. Support Public Education.
§Pie
by Bradley Stuart
pie_12-12-11.jpg
Giving away free pie to help the occupy.
§End the Bloody Wars
by Bradley Stuart
end-bloody-wars_12-12-11.jpg
§Brass Liberation Orchestra
by Bradley Stuart
brass-liberation-orchestra_12-12-11.jpg
§Occupy Oakland
by Bradley Stuart
occupy-oakland_12-12-11.jpg
§Defend Oakland
by Bradley Stuart
defend-oakland_12-12-11.jpg
§Schools Not Banks!
by Bradley Stuart
schools-not-banks_12-12-11.jpg
§Scott Olsen Celebrates
by Bradley Stuart
scott-olsen-celebrates_12-12-11.jpg
Scott Olsen celebrates when Boots Riley announces that the port is currently shut down
§Shut Down the Port of Oakland
by Bradley Stuart
shut-down-port_12-12-11.jpg
§Paint the Port
by Bradley Stuart
paint-the-port_12-12-11.jpg
§Scraper Bikes
by Bradley Stuart
scraper-bikes_12-12-11.jpg
§Free Leonard Peltier
by Bradley Stuart
free-leonard-peltier_12-12-11.jpg
§Iraq Veterans Against War
by Bradley Stuart
iraq-veterans-against-war_12-12-11.jpg
§Occupy the Ports
by Bradley Stuart
occupy-the-ports_12-12-11.jpg
§Queers Against Capitalism
by Bradley Stuart
queers-against-capitalism_12-12-11.jpg
§The Nerv, from Oakland
by Bradley Stuart
nerv-oakland_12-12-11.jpg
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Comments (Hide Comments)
by Port Closer
Looking all over for video of the events Monday. Can anyone point to some good ones?

Thanks, Bradley Stuart for the pictures. Even Amy Goodman said "over 1000." So many more than that attended...
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