The Oscar Grant Plaza Gazette. Saturday, October 29, 2011. Day 20.

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On Wednesday, November 2nd as part of the Oakland General Strike, we will march on the Port of Oakland and shut it down. We will converge at 5pm at 14th and Broadway and march to the port to shut it down before the 7pm night shift. // We are doing this in order to blockade the flow of capital on the day of the General Strike, as well as to show our commitment to solidarity with Longshore workers in their struggle against EGT in Longview, Washington. EGT is an international grain exporter which is attempting to rupture longshore jurisdiction. The driving force behind EGT is Bunge LTD, a leading agribusiness and food company which reported 2.4 billion dollars in profit in 2010; this company has strong ties to Wall Street. This is but one example of Wall Street’s corporate attack on workers.

The Oakland General Strike will demonstrate the wide reaching implications of the Occupy Wall Street movement. The entire world is fed up with the huge disparity of wealth caused by the present system. Now is the time that the people are doing something about it.The Oakland General Strike is a warning shot to the 1% – their wealth only exists because the 99% creates it for them. for more info on the strike: www.occupyoakland.com

 

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SOLIDARITY CORRESPONDANCE: LETTERS FROM AN OCCUPIER AND A RETIRED COP

 

Are you ok L?  It looks like things got ugly there, I hope you weren’t a recipient of police overreaction, it’s shameful.   Be safe girl you hear? Love, Unc. T

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Hi Uncle T,

 

Thank you so much for asking.  S and I marched today and did get tear gassed, which was pretty unpleasant, but we’re fine now.  I was worried about my contact lenses but they didn’t end up being badly affected.  Thank goodness for our demonstration medics who were prepared with malox (I think) to use as eyewash.  A good friend of mine was closer to the police line and was shot with rubber bullets or bean bags (hard to tell), but he seems to be okay too.  Friends who were arrested this morning during the raid of our camp are being released every half hour or so.  From the media coverage I’ve seen, it looks like several people were badly injured in this morning’s and this evenings demonstrations. // The force used was truly excessive.  Shock and awe sort of tactics, especially the flash bang canons.  Bleh. // Mom said that you had visited Occupy Portland and found them doing good work.  That’s good to hear.  I feel a real sense of loss for all that we built here, especially the kitchen that served thousands of free meals each day and our free school and lending library, which I had been involved with.  I know we’ll rebuild, but it’s definitely a blow to see people in power treat something so genuinely creative and positive with such callous destruction. // Thinking of you and M and sending love your way. // Love!  L

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Hey L

 

I’m glad you’re safe.  It’s unfortunate to have to talk about one being safe from the police, but it seems that white folks are figuring out what minorities have known for a long time, that the police are the handmaidens of the power elites who don’t want to give up control. // I was disturbed by my fellow officers siding  the media hate mongers who demonized the poor, liberals, minorities and muslims.  This right wing influence is evidenced on occasions like what happened in Oakland, when you have a police riot wherein they engage in excessive violence and destruction against people exercising their constitutionally protected rights of speech and assembly. // I think that change has to come from the outside, and I hope the “Occupy” movement is the beginning of new engagement of the young in this country, and indeed the world to work toward changing the course of events which seemed to be heading back into feudalism.  // It won’t be easy, and it will be long, but if you guys can’t do it, no one can eh?

 

SONNET FROM A COMRADE

Oakland Police

 

use rubber bullets, flash grenades

use rubber bullets, flash grenades, & smoke bombs

fire tear gas & stun bullets

fire two more rounds of tear gas at crowd

launch tear gas, flash-bang canisters into crowd of protestors

turn on protestors with tear gas, grenades

throwing tear gas bombs

attacked

descended

gleeful

used tear gas

in riot gear

 

No one was injured during the Tuesday morning raid,

Interim Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan said.

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