May 2nd, 2012
PressTv- Arrests were made in Oakland, New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Portland on Tuesday as the Occupy Wall Street 99-percenters staged International Workers’ Day demonstrations all across the US on May Day.
The police fired stinging tear gas at protesters and arrested several activists in Oakland, California.
Six 99-percenters were arrested in New York City during an Occupy Wall Street demonstration.
Four of the people arrested in New York were detained during a march across Williamsburg Bridge. The other two protesters were arrested in Midtown Manhattan.
Ten protesters were arrested at Los Angeles International Airport as 99-percenters closed off the main entrance to the air terminal.
In Seattle, about 300 peaceful protesters marched from a community college toward the downtown area.
Later, the Seattle police chief said a “couple of arrests” were made.
In Portland, Oregon, nonviolent protesters marched through the city, and at least a dozen were arrested after walking into traffic, according to the police.
Occupy protesters also announced that they plan to close down all West Coast ports during the May Day demonstrations.
In November 2011, a group of 99-percenters managed to successfully force the closure of the port of Oakland.
On Tuesday, thousands of 99-percenters and labor unions began implementing a plan to stage a coordinated general strike on May Day in protest against economic inequality and unjust corporate practices in the United States.
Occupy activists have called May Day their “coming out party” and the start of their spring resurgence, after the cold weather and evictions obliged many to stay home over the winter.