Oakland Businesses Regroup After Day Of Protest
OAKLAND (KCBS) – While damage wasn't as extensive compared to previous protests, businesses in downtown Oakland were once again trying to recover Wednesday following May Day demonstrations.
The Oakland Career Center at 12th and Broadway was shut down early on Tuesday after activists clashed with police and tear gas was deployed about two blocks away.
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[ Occupy May Day | Oakland ]
[ Occupy May Day | SF ]
Career Center employee Lakisha said she supports the message of the Occupy protest, but it got diluted by the activists with an agenda of destruction and violence.
"We service the public so that's the unfortunate part of it," she said. "We service people that really need us and we had to shut down three hours early."
KCBS' Anna Duckworth Reports:
Khairya Shrooh runs the Plaza Café in the heart of Frank Ogawa Plaza. "We were afraid something might happen, but luckily nothing did," she said.
Shrooh credits a line of police on each side of the plaza for keeping her café safe. While she supports the activists' right to demonstrate, she admits that a few people turned it into a difficult situation for many.
"Everybody's struggling to maintain a business," she said.
A Wells Fargo several blocks away had its windows smashed in. Graffiti and vandalism of several vehicles, including a CBS 5 live truck, made up most of the damage on Tuesday.
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