Protesters assemble in the morning at the intersection of 14th and Broadway streets in downtown Oakland for a general strike called by the Occupy Oakland movement. Unions and public workers joined their ranks to help shut down the city for the day.

Picket signs are piled near the entrance to the subway in Frank H Ogawa Plaza/Oscar Grant Park the day of the general strike.

Occupy Oakland supporters prepare picket signs ahead of the day's general strike activities.

An Occupy Oakland protester performs yoga before the rally in Frank H Ogawa Plaza/Oscar Grant Park.

Crystal Haviland, Oakland resident, holds part of the "General Strike" banner Occupy Oakland protesters unraveled at the intersection of 14th and Broadway before their march on the banks in the financial district.

Political activist, Angela Davis speaks to protesters assembled in the streets of downtown Oakland during a general strike in the city.

Protesters secure ropes that suspend a banner across 14th street at Broadway during the morning rally in the intersection before marching through the city during the general strike in Oakland.

Protesters march in downtown Oakland during a city-wide general strike called by the Occupy Oakland movement. Unions and public workers joined their ranks to help shut down the city for the day.

Protesters rally outside the Wells Fargo bank branch on Broadway, forcing them to close.

A giant withdrawal slip is taped across the doors of the Wells Fargo bank branch on Broadway in downtown.

Protesters march in downtown Oakland during a general strike called for by the Occupy Oakland movement. Unions and public workers joined their ranks to help shut down the city for the day.

Protesters block the Citibank branch in downtown Oakland during the general strike.

Yvette Felarca, a member of BAMN (By Any Means Necessary) activist group yells to the crowd that they have shut down the 1% and the Broadway branch of Comerica Bank.

Joe Regula stands in front of the Citibank branch on Broadway. He says he wears the American flag in honor of Scott Olsen and for the love of his city, Oakland. Scott Olsen, Iraqi war veteran sustained a critical head injury from an apparent police projectile launched into a crowd of protesters earlier in the week. Since then, Occupy Oakland supporters have called for the mayor's resignation.

Protesters block the entrance to the Citibank branch on Broadway. They all have the telephone number of the National Lawyers Guild written on their arms in permanent ink in case they are arrested.

A protester leads three blind supporters through the movement's camp in Frank H Ogawa Plaza/Oscar Grant Park during the general strike festivities.

Protesters march on the banks in the downtown financial district. They shut down many branches that did not honor the general strike.

Many protesters dressed for the street party atmosphere.

Thousands of protesters march through downtown Oakland during the general strike to shut the banks down.

Protesters block the entrance to the Chase bank branch at 20th street in downtown Oakland.

A police officer inspects the damage done by a few rouge protesters to the Chase bank on 20th street. A small group of anarchists targeted several banks in the area, smashing windows, ATMs and spray painting graffiti across the buildings.

A note on the broken window of the Chase bank branch on 20th street.

Damage to the front of the Bank of America building in downtown Oakland.

A hammer, thrown through the window of Bank of America by a protester, rests on a bench just inside the bank.

An employee clears shards from a 3/4 inch thick plate glass window that was broken at a bank during the march.

With the downtown skyline behind them, thousands of Occupy Oakland supporters march to the Port of Oakland to shut it down during the general strike.

Thousands strong, protesters prepare to march to the Port of Oakland to shut it down.

More than 10,000 Occupy Oakland supporters stop semi-trucks heading into and out of the Port of Oakland as they march to close it down during the general strike.

A truck driver raises his hands in solidarity with the marchers as they move past his truck.

Down by the main port entrance, marchers split into three smaller groups and head to block off additional entrances.

Protesters climb atop tractor trailers loaded and headed to drop off their containers at the port. With thousands of protesters surrounding the trucks, drivers had no choice but to sit idle.

Four women protesters stand in front of a tractor trailer pulling a load to port, preventing him from advancing.

An Occupy Oakland protester with helmet, mask and shield is prepared for any conflict with the police during the march.

Walking back from scouting another gate further down the road, a protester walks back toward the main group.

A fellow protester gets the crowd cheering at the port's main gate before the group splits to bock other entrances.

A truck driver waits for protesters to let him move in down the road at the port.

With thousands of protesters blocking the streets, trucks delivering cargo to the Port of Oakland sit idle as some protesters climb on the rigs and other structures over the roads.

Police in helmets and carrying nightsticks form a line across the road to prevent protesters from going any further past the port.

Occupy Oakland supporter Jazz V, San Francisco resident, tries to "peacify" a tense situation as a fellow protester (left) refuses to let an empty truck pass from the port entrance. Since the truck was not hauling any cargo and was leaving the port, she succeeded in getting the protester to move, diffusing the standoff, letting the truck by.

Protesters march up Broadway after returning from the Port of Oakland, in which more than 10,000 Occupy Oakland supporters shut down during their general strike on the city.

Occupy Oakland protesters occupy a vacant building they say was a community outreach non-profit that was foreclosed on by the bank. Protesters broke in and briefly held the building, playing music and dancing inside.

A protester charges his phone in the vacant building Occupy Oakland took over during their general strike in the city.

Protesters build a barricade with trash bins across the entrance to 16th at Telegraph, just down the street from the building they occupied in downtown Oakland.

A protester stands atop the barricade at 16th and Telegraph streets.

Back after thousands shut down the Port of Oakland, a group of protesters barricade 16th street off, near the vacant building they broke into and occupied.

Protesters face police lines in downtown Oakland during the general strike called for by the group.

A group of protesters watch their trash bin barricade burn on 16th street.

Police fired teargas to disperse Occupy Oakland protesters downtown, while TV crews recorded video from behind the lines.

A protesters attempts to talk with police, while another photographs them.

A protester in a gas mask records video of Oakland police forming lines and advancing on Telegraph as barricades constructed by some in the group burn in the background.

A police officer readies his weapon on Broadway in a face off with Occupy Oakland protesters.

Protesters face off police in downtown Oakland in the evening.

A protester shows the welt on his arm after apparently being hit with a projectile fired by the police during the protest and general strike that night.

Police in riot gear not only aimed their weapons at protesters, but photographers from the media covering the clash as well.

A protester tries to talk with a police officer in the line facing off the protesters.