On October 25, people on the streets
were confronted by hundreds of riot police launching anti-riot grenades.
Plumes of tear gas rose as protesters fled from the rubber bullets of
the police. The scene we have described was not in the streets of Tunis,
Cairo or Homs, but occurred in the streets of Oakland, California in
the United States. On that Tuesday, the police forcefully evicted the
occupation taking place in Oscar Grant plaza, renamed so after the
police killing of Oscar Grant on New Year’s Eve 2009 in the city of
Oakland.
On October 25, people on the streets
were confronted by hundreds of riot police launching anti-riot grenades.
Plumes of tear gas rose as protesters fled from the rubber bullets of
the police. The scene we have described was not in the streets of Tunis,
Cairo or Homs, but occurred in the streets of Oakland, California in
the United States. On that Tuesday, the police forcefully evicted the
occupation taking place in Oscar Grant plaza, renamed so after the
police killing of Oscar Grant on New Year’s Eve 2009 in the city of
Oakland.
26 October meeting calling for general strikeAt
3:00 in the morning, police went into the #Occupy Oakland camp with
overwhelming force in order to dismantle the camp. Firing tear gas,
flash-bang grenades, and bean bag bullets, they ripped up tents and
posters that had been set up by the protesters. This included over a
hundred arrests and later on, the encirclement of the plaza by riot
police and metal barricades. #Occupy Oakland was no more. Or so the
authorities thought!
At 4:00 that afternoon, as many as 2,000 protesters gathered for a
march against the excessive force used by the police and to reclaim the
plaza that they rightfully considered to be theirs. This was a march to
reaffirm the #Occupy protests’ right to free speech and to continue the
occupation. Protesters marched around downtown Oakland with many others
joining in, swelling the size of the march. By 7:30, the march had gone
back to the plaza. Protesters flooded the intersection adjacent to the
plaza. Ranks of riot police from several agencies in the bay area lined
up and announced that the assembly was illegal and that chemical agents
would be used against the protesters if they did not dissipate. Even
though there was little confrontation from the protesters, they were met
with a series of flash bang grenades and rubber bullets followed by
several rounds of tear gas. On the ground, it was reminiscent of the
scenes Americans have seen on television of repression of protests going
on in many countries of the Middle East. (video)
The protesters were not smashing storefronts or car windows, or
directly attacking the police that had cordoned off the plaza. Before
the police attack, the march had been entirely peaceful. The police
launched grenades against a march composed of diverse groups of people
including youth, the elderly, and at least one protester in a
wheelchair.
One of those involved in the demonstration was Scott Olsen, a
two-tour Iraq War veteran. For daring to assert his rights to freedom of
expression and assembly, as guaranteed in the Constitution he risked
his life to defend, the former Marine was shot directly in the head with
a teargas canister. When other demonstrators tried to provide him with
medical aid, police fired a stun grenade directly at them, preventing
him from getting the medical attention that he needed. He was later
rushed to the hospital with a fractured skull and brain damage and
remains in delicate condition. The skirmishes with the police continued
through the night until the early hours of the morning. The following
day, the confrontations with the police continued.
After these episodes of confrontation, the general public’s response
was one of outrage. City officials, including the police chief, gave a
press conference to explain why excessive force was used against
peaceful demonstrators. The public outcry was so high that the
Democratic mayor of the city of Oakland, who had backed the forceful
removal of the occupiers in the first place, was forced to reopen the
plaza to the occupiers.
These kinds of attacks have also been used against occupiers in
Atlanta, Portland, and Denver. There were also preparations to evict the
protesters in San Francisco on Justin Herman Plaza which was stopped by
the massive outpouring of supporters to prevent the eviction.
Similarly, the forced "cleaning" of Zuccotti Park in New York was
prevented by mass concentrations of protesters, including many union
workers.
Once protesters reoccupied Oscar Grant Plaza, a General Assembly was
held which it voted 96% in favor of calling for a city-wide general
strike and day of action on November 2. Since then, the police have
maintained a minimal presence in the plaza, while the protesters have
organized preparations for the strike.
What has occurred in the last week of the movement has resulted in a
giant leap forward in the consciousness of the occupiers as well as of
the general public. What transpired in Oakland has demonstrated that the
people are dedicated to the struggle and are willing to fight back for
what is rightfully theirs. Moreover, it has demonstrated by the call of
the general strike that the protesters have acquired a higher level of
class consciousness. No longer is it simply the important recognition
that the 99% are controlled by the 1%, but that we, the majority can
actually shut down business as usual if we withhold our labor.
The success of the general strike depends primarily on the level of
participation of organized labor, which at the moment is the maximum
expression of the organized proletariat in the United States. The unions
have a duty to lead the rest of our class forward. So far, there have
been several statements of support from several unions including the UAW, AFSCME, the California Nurses Association, UNITE-HERE, the Oakland Education Association teachers’ union, and the stalwarts of ILWU Local 10. The biggest union in Alameda county, SEIU Local 1021,
has endorsed the strike and is calling on its membership to participate
in the actions taking place on Wednesday. The level of support for the
general strike call provided by the leadership of the other unions has
yet to be seen. The Alameda Central Labor Council has called for support
of the November 2nd actions, but has refrained from referring to a
general strike as per their following statement:
“The unions of Alameda County stand in solidarity with Occupy Oakland
and the 99%, and we fully support the November 2nd Day of Action called
by the General Assembly of Occupy Oakland. Unions and members are
encouraged to participate and draw attention to the need for good jobs,
ethical banking practices, quality public services, and a system where
everyone, including the rich and the corporations, pays their fair
share.”
demonstrates hesitation on behalf of the union leadership toward the
call for the general strike. In Madison, Wisconsin, at the height of the
struggle against Governor Walker, the South Central Federation of Labor
issued a vague statement of support for a general strike if one was
called. But no date was set and no preparations were made, and a
tremendous opportunity to change the course of the class struggle in
this country was missed. Unfortunately, in the Bay Area, the majority of
the labor leaders are not actively building for and mobilizing the
membership in every workplace to actually prepare for a total work
stoppage in the city, even though there is a clear date set and broad
public support.
The #occupy movement has generated enormous sympathy among the
population in general and particularly among union members and workers.
However, translating that into actual strike action, even a one-day
protest strike, is not that simple. If the labor leadership fails to
actually support the general strike effort, this could lead to increased
pressure from below. On the other hand, if the strike is even modestly
successful despite limited active support from the union tops, it could
become a point of reference for the local labor movement, but also for
the #occupy movement and unions nationally. So although the actual
number of workers who take strike action in an organized way is likely
to be low, many will take the day off, call in sick or participate in
the actions during the day in one way or another.
No matter how broad the stoppage actually is, November 2nd will mark
an important step forward in the movement and a wake up call for the
rank and file as to what methods and what leadership it needs. In the
context of the United States, the fact that a general strike has been
posed in two major struggles in the just the last few months marks an
important new stage of class consciousness and the class struggle.
The labor leadership must mobilize the unions’ resources and
membership for the fight back on the streets and in the workplace. This
includes building real support for actions such as the call for the
November 2 general strike in Oakland. Organized labor must join the
brave protesters of the #occupy movement who have faced police brutality
to defend their rights–the rights of the majority. The police would
not be so quick to charge into the organized ranks of the longshoremen
and thousands of other workers from the Bay Area labor movement!
But it must also fight back politically, at the ballot box. From the
White House to Oakland City Hall, the Democrats have shown their true
colors. In the final analysis, we must break from the dichotomy of the
two-party system and build an alternative based on the working class,
based on the 99%. Labor must break from the parties of big business and
build a mass political party of its own! And if it is to truly address
the problems facing the majority, it must fight for socialist policies.
Likewise, the #occupy movement must reach out to organized labor. Only
when the unions fully commit to mobilizing their membership to defend
and strengthen the movement will we be able to organize decisive actions
that can fundamentally change the system and improve the conditions of
those fighting against the 1%.
