From The New York Times on down, every mainstream media outlet reporting on the Occupy Oakland Riots wants us to believe that the general strike was “orderly” and “peaceful” and that only a “belligerent fringe group” destroyed property and incited violence later in the night. But as The Oakland Tribune‘s live-blog of the protests shows, this is just plain false:
“The person I saw putting toilet paper up, they’re a facilitator at the general assembly. The person spray painting, they’re on the events committee.”
All of these mainstream outlets also failed to report that the night before the general strike, the Occupy Oakland General Assembly adopted a resolution in support of occupying abandoned/foreclosed buildings. The major violence Wednesday night didn’t start until protesters started doing just that.
Business owners near the occupied territory have had enough. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that some have already moved out:
“The situation we find ourselves in is absolutely unacceptable,” said Haraburda, who was heckled loudly by camp supporters. “We want the Occupy Oakland (camp) closed.”
In a city with a high unemployment rate, [Mayor Jean] Quan said, “Losing 3- to-400 jobs … is pretty painful.”
Quan said she also received a letter from the CEO of a company in Oakland that had 500 employees. The CEO, whom she did not identify, said that the protests that seem to disrupt businesses twice a year might prompt him to leave.
One building owner, Phil Tagami, didn’t wait for the City of Oakland to act. He grabbed a shotgun and stood guard over his property. The Contra Costa Times reports:
…
“It’s not hyperbole to say we were under siege last night,” he said.
…
“This is an illegal occupation and it has had misintended consequences,” he said. “They are aiding and abetting the provocateurs and anarchists who have been terrorizing the downtown.
The Oakland City Council is reportedly moving to vote to remove the occupiers, but many are wondering how exactly they would enforce such an order. From The Chronicle:
Not surprisingly, the occupiers would rather the city just give them the money they are spending to preserve what semblance of law and order remains:
“I am appalled that the city has even considered using our meager tax dollars to harm poor and working-class people,” said Molly Bolt, 30, an Oakland resident who spoke to the council with her toddler in her arms. “A million dollars could have moved every single person in that occupation into a studio apartment.”
The crowd erupted into cheers.
