Media sources are reporting 10,000 as an estimate of the participation by protesters in yesterday's general strike called by Occupy Oakland. This action came in response to an escalation in the violence used by a combined group of Bay Area law enforcement agencies against peaceful protesters. The general assembly approved various actions taken in the demonstration such as blocking the entrances to banks that refused to close and shutting down the Port of Oakland. These tactics represent a more aggressive posture than anything that has yet been seen from the US Occupy Movement. Here's what that guardian of the American establishment has to say about it.

How Occupy Oakland Is Stealing Occupy Wall Street's Mojo Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2098628,00.html#ixzz1cfVkjIxp

As promised, the Occupy Oakland movement on Wednesday spilled from its home base in front of city hall, halting street traffic and blocking access to banks and businesses that defied its calls for a general strike. The mood was, for the most part festive, full of homegrown pride for a hard-luck city enjoying a rare moment in the global spotlight. Concerts and prayer sessions, free barbeque and ice cream were among the offerings to a motley mix of protesters. Cannabis smoke was widespread. And, of course, there were lots of speeches: in the main amphitheater, on top of trucks, in the middle of the street. The "Day of Mass Action" culminated with a shut down of the port, where as many as 7,000 people gathered peacefully to stop trucks in their tracks — before things took a violent turn overnight for the second week in a row, with police using tear gas after midnight after a group of anarchists attempted to hijack the final hours of the protest. But most of Wednesday provided further proof of how a small core of activists have managed to build a broader movement with substantial public sympathy — with an energy and a vibe, as well as hazards, that are eclipsing Occupy Wall Street in New York City. "The [initial police] violence was massive propaganda on our behalf," says Ethan, 22, a shirtless protester with a Guy Fawkes mask, who was out on the street on Wednesday for the general strike. Indeed, shared concerns over corporate greed and a dubious future have united blue collar workers and immigrants with punks and middle class families. "We're out here as a family because our child's class is overcrowded, libraries are closing, there's runaway climate change and our planet is being plundered," says Mateo Nube, 40, an environmental activist, who came to march accompanied by his 74-year-old mother, wife and two young children. "The CEOs of banks love their kids, too, but the imbalance is criminal and the exploitation has to stop." Union members, students and teachers were out in force. More than 300 took the day off, while some arrived after school to participate in the marches held during the day. Dozens of small businesses, and some national chains like Rite Aid and Foot Locker, were closed. Others stayed open and lent support by distributing food and water to marchers — though this was no free pass from harassment from a group allegedly sympathetic to the general strike but which appears to engage in acts of vandalism. A Whole Foods that distributed water bottles to passersby was set upon by black-clad masked men, forcing it to close. There were several other instances perhaps connected to the suspected splinter group, including smashed windows at branches of Wells Fargo Bank and Bank of America. Such incidents were still the exception during the daylight hours. At another downtown Wells Fargo branch, about 20 good-humored protesters sat chanting, "Shut it down, shut it down!" A dumpster blocked the ATM. No one attempted to get past the group and the web of yellow police tape that blanketed the entranceway as the protesters refused to leave until the door was chained. "An emerging reality is being created," says Michael Babel, 38, a graduate student who lives in San Francisco. "This is the movement we've been waiting for." As he spoke, a passing man blared through a megaphone: "The 99 percent is here. They're not cracking down on us; we're cracking down on them."



Added to the planned strike activities were some acts of splinter vandalism committed by a small group of people dressed in black and wearing masks. Their actions have been condemned by the general assembly. Never the less the incident is going to form part of the mosaic of media image and public perception.

Will the general strike mark a new chapter in the Occupy Movement? The movement began in New York about 6 weeks ago with a deliberate open ended agenda and a non-hierarchical organizational structure. It clearly touched a nerve in the national consciousness and spread like wildfire from coast to coast.

Oakland is not the only city to experience violence between protesters and police. Among other places it has occurred in New York, Denver, Nashville and Tulsa. The injuries suffered by Scott Olsen in Oakland stand out as being the most severe to occur yet. Yesterday's crowd in Oakland was swelled by people from all over the greater Bay Area which has at least 6 ongoing protest camps.

The Bay Area has a history of very active political protest. One of the interesting things about the Occupy Movement is that it has taken root in many places that are devoid of any such history. Will this spirit of increased militancy take root in such places as well?