MoreAt 3:30 p.m. yesterday, employees at the Port’s main office were sent home to ensure their safety and the flow of traffic in case there were any public actions affecting the immediate area.
Early Wednesday evening, more than 4,500 protestors walked from downtown Oakland to the Port in their attempt to shut down operations. As of 6:15 p.m., maritime operations were effectively shut down at the Port of Oakland, and a press release issued by the Port said that operations would resume when it was safe and secure to do so. The Port took steps to ensure that workers in the harbor area got home safely.
The Port appealed to protestors, stating that “Continued missed shifts represent economic hardship for maritime workers, truckers, and their families, as well as lost jobs and lost tax revenue for our region.”
As of 8:30 a.m. today, workers in the maritime area of the Port started returning to their jobs, and seaport operations had partially resumed, although the situation remained fluid. The Port reported that there were no injuries, property damage, or security problems from last night’s demonstrations. There was, however, a limited incursion into a private rail facility, but the trespassers were escorted off peacefully.
Port officials warned that continued disruptions would begin to lead to re-routing of cargo and permanent job losses.
This morning, protestors temporarily blocked an entrance to the Port in an attempt to stop trucks from entering. They erected a chain-link fence in front of the entrance, only to tear it down around 9 a.m. after meeting with the president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, who told protestors that Port workers would not receive their full wages if they couldn’t get to work.
As of 11 a.m., the Port of Oakland returned to being fully operational. Workers continued to return to their jobs, and seaport operations were returning to normal.
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