Extra

Mid-afternoon today the renamed "Oscar Grant Plaza" in front of Oakland City Hall demonstrated the remarkable variety of Occupy Oakland supporters who responded to the call for a general strike. Everyone from librarians to geeks to hiphoppers seemed to have shown up (and some who might have filled all three categories.) There, then, everything was remarkably peaceful--and few police were to be seen. Plans for this evening called for a march on the Port of Oakland. 

Reportedly, the Port had already been partly shut down by independent action on the part of ILWU longshoremen, but a sizeable community picket would give the union the right to officially vote not to cross the line when the evening shift change took place.