Three students arrested in Oakland as police attempt to block march!

As part of March 5 global student walkout to stop the war against Iraq, about 2000 students (and supporters) gathered in downtown Oakland today. After a brief rally at City Hall, march begin. At first on the sidewalk going south along Broadway, the marchers then took to the street. A brief effort was made to take over both the south and north directions. This was contained by police, mostly on motorcycles, and the march proceeded down the southern direction on broadway. Cops blocked side street traffic along the way.

At the foot of Broadway, the march crossed over into Jack London Square, and then quickly turned around to head north on Broadway back to City Hall.

When the cops saw this, they quickly moved there motorcycles ahead of the marchers to block both directions on Broadway. Many marchers diverted to the sidewalk, but it was a large crowd, and since there were no orders to disperse, or anything, many marchers went through the line of motorcycles on northbound Broadway. Some cops drove there motocycles into the marchers. In the end, it all took about three or four minutes, three marchers were arrested and the march continued in the northbound lanes of braodway back to city hall.

The cops blocked side street trafic along the way.