Due to technical problems with my computer, I lost a long blog post I wrote last week about Occupy Oakland. It was a report on the meeting held the night after Oakland police attacked peaceful protesters, hospitalizing an Iraq veteran and others, teargassing people in wheelchairs and protesters (including children) already in flight.
I also wrote a bit about the proposal for a general strike which was approved at that meeting, almost a week ago.
Tomorrow, that strike goes into effect. Protests will start in downtown Oakland at 9 am, with others at noon and at 5. That last protest will proceed to the gates of the Port of Oakland, where we'll picket and try to shut down the port's night shift.
I'll have more to say about the strike tonight, and reports from the ground tomorrow. For now, enjoy the photos I took at the meeting. There are a few shots of the several helicopters which hovered overhead the whole time, if you're wondering why I would have photographed the sky. The crowd that night maxed out at about 3,000 people, and was remarkably calm.
I was most impressed by how smoothly the facilitators managed the crowd, and organized a process for voting and public feedback without rancor or confusion. If they can do the same at tomorrow's strike, it will be a truly remarkable day.
For a preview, here's a report from The Nation, and a thoughtful essay from a local blogger.
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