Occupy Oakland strike committee shows support for longshore workers

Oakland, Nov. 2. WW photo: Bill Bowers

The Occupy Oakland Strike Committee issued the following statement on Oct. 29.

On Wednesday, Nov. 2, as part of the Oakland General Strike, we will march on the Port of Oakland and shut it down. We will converge at 5 p.m. at 14th and Broadway and march to the port to shut it down before the 7 p.m. 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, Wash. 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 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 percent — their wealth only exists because the 99 percent creates it for them.