Occupy Oakland General Strike - Banks Shut Down in Morning, 11/2/11: photos

On November 2nd, the General Strike that the Occupy Oakland General Assembly called for on October 26th came to fruition, larger and more effective than many people had expected. Oscar Grant Plaza and surrounding streets were overflowing with people, young and old, throughout the entire day. Large contingents of students marched to the plaza from UC Berkeley and Laney College. Other student groups from Mills College, local high schools, and elsewhere gathered in the thousands, while thousands of workers and those representing labor unions also joined the General Strike and Day of Action, including nearly twenty percent of Oakland's teachers. From the flatbed of a truck parked on the sidewalk at 14th & Broadway, a diverse range of speakers addressed the large crowds about the growing economic inequalities facing Oakland and the entire United States. In the morning, as promised, downtown banks were forced to close for the day by large throngs of marchers and demonstrators who targeted several branches in the area. Many businesses throughout downtown voluntarily closed for the day.