Protesters have disrupted operations at three US ports a little over a month after activists linked to the same movement brought work to a halt at the Port of Oakland.

The protesters were linked to the ‘Occupy Wallstreet’ movement, which started on 17 September and spread quickly around the globe.

According to a report in the Huffington Post, thousands of demonstrators forced partial closures of operations at shipping terminals at ports in Oakland, Portland and Longview on Monday.

A media release from the Port of Oakland stated around 1,000 protestors marched to the Port around 5pm local time, just as several terminals were shutting down their gate operations, per their normal schedule. “Other terminals closed gate operations earlier in the day due to protest activity and lack of longshore labour - no night gates were scheduled. Anticipating disruption, four terminals also cancelled work shifts for their vessels last night,” the media release stated.

The disruption comes after the Port of Oakland was forced to close for security reasons when people began protesting at the facility on 2 November.

According to the Huffington Post report, protesters have labelled the ports “engines of corporate greed” and have stated their actions are also in solidarity with union workers who have been engaged in high profile clashes with port companies.

While the November protest at the Port of Oakland drew around 10,000 demonstrators, it seems the movement is running out of steam, with just 1,000 turning out to the most recent demonstration.According to the report, the 1,000-strong crowd, which vowed to stay the night, had dwindled to around 150 people by 9.30 that evening.

The Port of Oakland reported there was a heavy backlog of work to get through on Tuesday morning due to work stoppages, adding that lost productivity was hurting both the port and the Oakland region.

“These disruptions cost workers shifts and wages, delaying and reducing paychecks. They also cost the port and City of Oakland vital resources. They hurt the many businesses that pay taxes and help us create jobs. These disruptions also distracted us from the productive work we need to be focussed on to create more jobs and economic opportunities for the region,” the media release stated.

“While we are disappointed and frustrated with the disruptions over the last day, we are relieved that the safety and security of the port were maintained, there were no reported injuries, and only two arrests. We are all ready to get back to work.”


Topics