In December 1946, 100,000 union members participated in a 54-hour general strike that effectively shut down Oakland, California. Since November,
425 non-union retail clerks at Kahn’s and Hastings department stores had been picketing for several weeks, attempting to organize as the Retail Clerks (Local 1265). On December 1, after Teamsters refused to deliver merchandise to the stores in solidarity, the Retail Merchants Association,
sent in 12 trucks driven by non-union strikebreakers, supported by a 300-member police escort [PDF]. The next day, "the bus drivers," remembers Secretary of the Alameda County Central Labor Council Robert Ash, "
told the police that the carmen had never crossed a picket line, and so long as that cop picket line was across the street, they were not going to take the streetcars or the buses through."
[more inside]
posted by liketitanic
on Oct 27, 2011 -
92 comments
For weeks,
Occupy Oakland had been developing into a miniature city in Frank Ogawa Plaza—renamed Oscar Grant (
previously) Plaza by the occupiers—in front of City Hall:
Still, seven days into the protest and there is no longer any room for tents on the plaza’s large lawn. Tents are squeezed together so tightly that in many areas there is no room to move in between them, for me in my wheelchair or for someone who walks. There is more access to the community tents. There is a free school, an art station, a Sukkot tent, a medical tent, a children’s area, a people of color tent, and a quite remarkable food station, where huge batches of soups and beans are made, and tea, coffee, and healthy snacks seem to be abundant. The various projects the camp is working on include installing solar panels, and reclaiming parts of the park as a community garden.
—Sunaura Taylor writing in the excellent
Occupy! An OWS-Inspired Gazette from n+1 magazine (PDF, quote from page 21)
Early yesterday morning the occupation was
forcibly evicted by Oakland police. Last night, occupiers marched to reclaim the plaza and were again
attacked by police using tear gas, flash grenades, bean bag rounds, and possibly rubber bullets.
[more inside]
posted by enn
on Oct 26, 2011 -
348 comments
Oakland's Turf Feinz (
previously)
dance in memorial for Oscar Grant (
previously). While the riots in Oakland received more media coverage (
previously,
previously), there's been
several memorial murals painted across Oakland and
numerous songs channeling local anger,
outrage,
observations,
lamentations,
reflections, and
frustration. The news gave the nation broken windows and burning cars, while the town continues peaceful protest, 2 years later.
posted by yeloson
on Jan 1, 2011 -
11 comments
40 years ago today, The Rolling Stones played two concerts at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. In the darkness of the audience was a man known to history only as
"Dub"...
[audio auto-plays] [more inside]
posted by Joe Beese
on Nov 9, 2009 -
13 comments
Hans Reiser leads police to the body of his wife. Software engineer Hans Reiser, who was convicted in the murder of his wife, Nina, long denied he killed her. His defense was based on the theory that she was hiding out in her native Russia and her body could not be found. Today, in a possible exchange for a shorter sentence he led police to the shallow grave of Nina Reiser, just a moment's drive from the house he lived in with his mother and two children.
Previously,
previously.
posted by parmanparman
on Jul 7, 2008 -
131 comments
A memorial to the many dead. Here in
Oakland, California, the murder rate has gone out of control.
The incoming mayor has not articulated any clear plan for reducing violence. And the current one, having only seen violence increase here, is going on to become the state
Attorney General.
Amid the challenges Oaklanders face -
gentrification, a lack of
meaningful work opportunities, and a
history of a devistating drug trade, there are some efforts to make change:
here,
here, here, and
here.
posted by serazin
on Dec 19, 2006 -
60 comments
October 20, 1991 - the Oakland Hills weathered a massive firestorm, destroying almost 2,500 homes and taking 25 lives. For many years, it remained the biggest urban disaster in US history.
posted by drstein
on Apr 14, 2006 -
29 comments
Recent surveys show that fast-food packaging makes up about 20 percent of all litter, with snack foods comprising another 20 percent. Oakland, CA is the first city to tax companies who create
"Fast-Food Trash".
posted by stbalbach
on Feb 8, 2006 -
30 comments
Area residents speak of hearing their cries late in the night, a hellish screeching and squealing. Some even have seen them personally, appearing from nowhere in the dark hours... then scattering...
Police came through, but now they're gone /
In other words, the sideshow's on. A peek into the infamous Oakland sideshow.
(Quicktime videos
1,
2,
3)
posted by eddydamascene
on Mar 15, 2003 -
25 comments
Ahh....community spirit. "Some people on the street, noticing the brewing trouble pulled over and got out of their cars to participate in the ruckus", said Sam Cook, 25, of Oakland.
posted by th3ph17
on Oct 16, 2000 -
7 comments
