Oakland Mayor, Police Clash Over General Strike

By Henry K. Lee, San Francisco Chronicle

01 November 11

he Oakland police union released a statement today saying its officers are confused about Mayor Jean Quan's stance on the Occupy Oakland encampment and what they are being asked to do for Wednesday's citywide general strike.

A legion of Oakland officers and those from 17 outside agencies were asked to remove the Occupy Oakland campers early Oct. 25 from Frank Ogawa Plaza outside City Hall, but Quan allowed protesters to return starting the next day, the union's "open letter to the citizens of Oakland" noted. The encampment is now about as large as before the police sweep.

"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 statement said. "We are severely understaffed with many city beats remaining unprotected by police during the day and evening hours.

"As your police officers, we are confused."

Although the city is allowing employees to participate in the strike that Occupy Oakland has called for Wednesday, the union said, all officers have been ordered to work that day, even if they had previously had the day off.

"That's hundreds of city workers encouraged to take off work to participate in the protest against 'the establishment,' " said the union, which represents 645 officers. "But aren't the mayor and her administration part of the establishment they are paying city employees to protest? Is it the city's intention to have city employees on both sides of a skirmish line?"

The union's president, Sgt. Dom Arotzarena, said, "There is no clear mission here. The mayor is painting this picture that we're the bad guy. We're just doing our jobs, carrying out her orders, and we need some big leadership now."

Quan was out of town when the police raid occurred and said shortly afterward that she had been briefed on the planned action but hadn't known when it would take place.

The early morning raid was followed 12 hours later by a protest in which police who had been hit by paint and other objects fired tear gas at a crowd of several hundred protesters at 14th Street and Broadway.

Quan said she regretted "the outcome," which included the injury of Iraq war veteran Scott Olsen after officers fired crowd-control projectiles.