Occupy Oakland Protesters No Longer Peaceful, Now Rioting
Occupy Oakland became violent early Thursday morning when a portion of the protesters broke off from peaceful demonstrations to riot, defacing buildings and burning garbage.
The group of at least 100 young men also decided to inhabit a building on 16th Street near an Oakland port. Police have since showed up to disband the display of aggression.
In the chaos earlier in the night, two protesters were hit by a car, and suffered nonfatal injuries.
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Perhaps that contributed to the rising tensions as the night wore on. The peak of the confrontations occurred when rioters started a bonfire, with 15-foot flames functioning as a beacon of hostility.
Police warned demonstrators to leave, and when they didn’t, riot officers fired flash bang grenades, tear gas, and rubber bullets. Dozens of arrests were made, according to KCBS, a local news station.
The reports of rioting came after Occupy Oakland’s Wednesday strike. The movement chose to accentuate their desires for change by demonstrating their solidarity – they did not go to work or school.
Instead, thousands of protesters shut down the Port of Oakland, America’s fifth most used dock, forcing potential shipments to be late. Even port workers who wanted to head to their 7 p.m. shifts could not get through the lines of disgruntled demonstrators.
Port authorities issued a statement, hoping that, “Port workers will be allowed to get to their jobs without incident. Continued missed shifts represent economic hardship for maritime workers, truckers, and their families, as well as lost jobs and lost tax revenue for our region," according to the Associated Press.
The entire city was not shut down by the strike the way the movement had intended, but some businesses that remained opened showed their support through signs.
Jean Quan, Oakland’s mayor, says she encourages the protests, including the right of every American to free speech.
“We support many of the demands, particularly the focus on foreclosures, fair lending practices and making capital available to low-income communities,” Quan told reporters at a press conference.
