Occupy Oakland strike, police blast mayor

The union representing Oakland, Calif., police accused the mayor of policy contradictions as an Occupy Oakland strike vowed to shut down the downtown area."We too are the 99 percent fighting for better working conditions, fair treatment and the ability to provide a living for our children and families," the Oakland Police Officers' Association said in an open letter Tuesday.Police are confused by Mayor Jean Quan's orders, which were reversed during a 24-hour period, the letter said.After police were ordered "to clear out" the Occupy encampments at Frank Ogawa Plaza in front of City Hall Oct. 25, they fired tear gas canisters and rubber bullets into the crowd of protesters -- severely injuring Scott Olsen, a 24-year-old former U.S. Marine who had served two tours in Iraq. Dozens were arrested.Olsen remains hospitalized with a brain injury in fair condition.The day after the violence, Quan "allowed protesters back in -- to camp out at the very place they were evacuated from the day before," the union letter said.In addition, while city offices were scheduled to remain open Wednesday, city workers other than police officers were told they could request time off to participate in the strike, the letter said."Is it the city's intention to have city employees on both sides of a skirmish line?" the union asked.Quan had no immediate response.The general strike, scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. PDT (noon EDT) Wednesday, is intended to show the wealthiest Americans the general population can shut down a major U.S. city, said organizers, who called for students to walk out of school, employees to leave work and banks and other corporations to shut down for the day.Some small city businesses said Tuesday they planned to close, The New York Times reported.Protesters said they would picket banks, businesses, schools, libraries and any employer that tries to discipline striking workers.They planned to march more than a mile from downtown to the Port of Oakland at 5 p.m. and try to close it down. The port is the nation's fifth-busiest container port.The docks will be open for business, port officials said."The wealth of the 1 percent is produced by the work of the 99 percent," Louise Michel, one of the protest organizers, said at a news conference.Port external affairs Director Isaac Kos-Read said in a letter Tuesday the port hoped the demonstration would be peaceful and not damage Oakland's reputation."We are where the 99 percent work," his letter said.Several major labor groups, including local units of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents West Coast port workers, said they supported the protests and strike, but did not authorize members to strike.The strike would be the first general strike in the United States in 65 years. A December 1946 general strike in Oakland was supported by five other cities.