Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Smiles everywhere at Day of Solidarity in Oakland


Occupy Oakland is on the march right now as thousands of nurses, city workers, students, teachers, union members and the unemployed take part in the day of solidarity.

Joint Council 7 Teamsters are supporting the solidarity action. Later this afternoon the Joint Council's truck will roar onto the plaza and become the gathering point for a giant labor cookout and rally. Call it a moveable feast. Unions will grill and cook for the crowd. Even now Teamsters are buying sausages and hot dogs and loading supplies from Costco onto the back of the truck (we'll have photos momentarily).

Meanwhile, thousands have filled 14th street and Broadway in downtown Oakland. The University of California office of the President is closed today over concerns that BART might shut down. City workers are taking forloughs or vacation to march.

The Grand Lake Theater’s marquee says, “We proudly support the Occupy Wall Street movement, closed Wednesday in support of the strike.”

Men’s Wearhouse in the Rotunda Building has a sign up in the window, “We stand with the 99%. Closed Wednesday Nov. 2.”

There was a big rally at noon in front of City Hall. Watch the live stream.
The tweetosphere is all over it, with great comments and pics:

@EastBayExpress: March is now thousands strong. Next stop: state building. #oo #occupyoakland #generalstrike #oostrike

@occupyoakland: 5,000 strikers marching down Clay. #generalstrike #occupyoakland #oo

@SabzBrach: Joanne Michele MT @callie_hoo: Spread the word. 100s of berkeley students marching down telegragh to join the general strike. #occupyoakland #oostrike#ows

@indybay: Several dowtown banks shut down by #OOStrike including Wells Fargo Citibank & Comerica #OccupyOakland

@northoaklandnow Oakland North: Crowd singing ” well walk hand in hand today.. We are not afraid. We shall overcome.” #occupyoakland #OOstrike

#OO Thousands of people here at the plaza Smiles everywhere, Native American groups, Angela Davis, Interfaith reps, children, elders. We R 1