As most of you are likely aware, it’s General Strike day for Occupy Oakland, and the City of Oakland in general. In order to show their support for the movement, and to show their lack of support for credit card companies, Oakland businesses like B Restaurant and Bar are going cash-only today. “We choose to show our solidarity as part of the 99% and refuse to take credit cards today,” the restaurant writes on Facebook. A flyer circulating town encourages all businesses to follow suit, and to not “pay into ‘the system,’” even though organizers are also encouraging no participation in the economy at all. (Would it be whiny of us right now to complain that while we appreciate this act of protest in theory, an all-cash existence sounds very inconvenient?) In any event, not all Oakland businesses are quite as supportive of the protests, and it’s likely some will shutter for the day as crowds thicken.
Reps from La Salsa and the Fountain Café in Oakland’s City Center complex both complained to the Tribune that their businesses have been hurt by the ongoing occupation and unrest nearby. “We don’t know if we’re going to stay open. This is affecting our business,” says Robert Guevera, manager of La Salsa.
Meanwhile, Oakland Local talks with a number of businesses around Frank Ogawa Plaza and near 14th Street and confirms that they’ve all felt drops in business. The site is going so far as to declare Thursday, for anyone who’ll listen, Small Business Day in Oakland, to encourage people to patronize local businesses after this strike day.
Update: SFist has a longer list of participating businesses in the cash-only thing. Also, Camino will be closed for the evening, in solidarity.
Oakland Braces for General Strike [SFist]
Oakland businesses brace for general strike by Occupy demonstrators [Tribune/Merc-News]
After the General Strike, come out to support Small Business Day in Oakland [Oakland Local]
