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Occupy Oakland fallout may echo beyond downtown
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 11/13/11 | Carolyn Said, Chronicle Staff Writer

Posted on 11/13/2011 3:09:26 PM PST by SmithL

Three events planned for Oakland's historic Rotunda Hall were canceled this month. Four cafes abutting Frank Ogawa Plaza say customers are reluctant to visit, and they've cut employee hours. Several merchants on or around Broadway, including the Oaksterdam marijuana empire, say business is down.

Meanwhile, two other cafes at the plaza say sales are better than ever. And a block away at City Center Plaza, the midday flow of office workers grabbing lunch is undiminished.

As Occupy Oakland enters its fifth week, the encampment's impact on neighborhood businesses appears to consist largely of reduced sales - and a few increased sales - in the immediate vicinity, according to local merchants. But city leaders worry that something larger is at stake: Oakland's image as a place to shop, eat out or run a business.

Some store owners attribute the sales declines to customers' reluctance to brave the sights, sounds and smells of the 180-tent encampment. Protesters say that overblown media coverage and fear of police brutality could be daunting visitors.

"We are very distressed by the broad impact the encampment has had on downtown," said J.C. Wallace, president of the Downtown Oakland Association. "This is hurting people who can't afford to be hurt, primarily small-business owners. It definitely deters people from coming downtown; there are fewer customers and business is down."

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: california; oakland; occupy; occupyoakland; occupywallstreet; professionalprotest; sanfrancisco
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1 posted on 11/13/2011 3:09:27 PM PST by SmithL
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To: SmithL

Gee....just bring in the water cannons already....


2 posted on 11/13/2011 3:14:45 PM PST by Popman (Obama is God's curse upon the land....)
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To: SmithL

This is how “white flight” started in Detroit.


3 posted on 11/13/2011 3:15:29 PM PST by cripplecreek (A vote for Amnesty is a vote for a permanent Democrat majority. ..Choose well.)
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To: SmithL
I wonder how many of these downtown people voted for the idiot mayor who has let this crap go on. They are getting what they voted for.
4 posted on 11/13/2011 3:15:56 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: SmithL
"This is hurting people who can't afford to be hurt, primarily small-business owners.

0bamanomics on display.

5 posted on 11/13/2011 3:20:46 PM PST by EGPWS (Trust in God, question everyone else)
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To: hinckley buzzard

I have a sister-in-law who lives in Pleasant Hills , outside of Oakland and she says things are horrible because of all this. Traffic jams, business closed or open with limited hours, she says for herself trying to get to work is a nightmare. I’ve no sympathy for her though. She’s an Obama supporter through and through and he owns this. Liberals, what a bunch. When it comes to shooting themselves in the foot they’re absolute marksmen.


6 posted on 11/13/2011 3:25:05 PM PST by jmacusa (Political correctness is cultural Marxism. I'm not a Marxist.)
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To: EGPWS

“This is hurting people who can’t afford to be hurt, primarily small-business owners.”

0bamanomics on display.

Capitalists are are the enemy and profits are immoral. Mao would have liked this. Time for a cultural revolution. In all seriousness, OWS would kill us if given the opportunity.


7 posted on 11/13/2011 3:28:29 PM PST by JimSEA (The future ain't what it used to be.)
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To: FReepers; everyone; All



FReepathon Day 44!



8 posted on 11/13/2011 3:29:05 PM PST by onyx (PLEASE SUPPORT FREE REPUBLIC BY DONATING NOW! Sarah's New Ping List - tell me if you want on it.)
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To: cripplecreek

“This is how “white flight” started in Detroit.”

White flight has already fled Oakland; per the 2010 census whites are 34%.


9 posted on 11/13/2011 3:51:31 PM PST by snoringbear (Government is the Pimp,)
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To: snoringbear

White flight from Detroit wasn’t really white. In reality it was business flight because it became too risky and expensive to do business.

This is exactly what the occupiers are doing.


10 posted on 11/13/2011 3:54:44 PM PST by cripplecreek (A vote for Amnesty is a vote for a permanent Democrat majority. ..Choose well.)
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To: JimSEA

The really sad part is that the Chinese are now what they call state capitalist aka fascist. They may be socialist but they understand that profit is NOT a dirty word or a bad thing.


11 posted on 11/13/2011 3:58:34 PM PST by Nebr FAL owner (.308 reach out & thump someone .50 cal.Browning Machine gun reach out & crush someone)
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To: SmithL

Business at the Oaksterdam marihuana empire is DOWN because of all the hippies?


12 posted on 11/13/2011 3:59:50 PM PST by dangus
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To: SmithL

In the early ‘80’s a friend of mine went to the military induction??? center where they test you mentally and physically.
They sent him down by bus but he had looked at a map and figured what could happen on 3 blocks or so. Keep in mind he’s a big white guy.

He said he had never been so scared as going from the bus station to the hotel this trip. He said it was non stop people, easily in the 100’s just wandering the streets looking to take some kids money, belongings or both. I made the mistake of taking a short cut through Oakland that same year and it had just turned dark in Winter around 6:00pm. I pulled over to check something and what I saw was unbelievable, literally 100s of people just walking the streets and just as we has started to draw a crowd, we were gone. I’d rather throw a rod than get stuck there again.


13 posted on 11/13/2011 5:08:42 PM PST by Lx (Do you like it, do you like it. Scott? I call it Mr. and Mrs. Tennerman chili.)
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To: Lx

Hookers on the street on Sunday morning, lines at a liquor store at 8:00 am during the week. Those are my memories of Oakland.


14 posted on 11/13/2011 5:11:32 PM PST by King Moonracer (Bad lighting and cheap fabric, that's how you sell clothing.....)
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To: Nebr FAL owner

That would be so not Chinese to hate profits.

To be wealthy, is glorious.


15 posted on 11/13/2011 5:16:14 PM PST by RitchieAprile
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To: All


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16 posted on 11/13/2011 5:31:55 PM PST by musicman (Until I see the REAL Long Form Vault BC, he's just "PRES__ENT" Obama = Without "ID")
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To: SmithL

NO people want go to store not go to Raider game which Occupy protest turning into

That what my aunt said she afraid go to a store that near by she afraid she may get her a**** kick by Wantbe Raider fan


17 posted on 11/13/2011 5:42:59 PM PST by SevenofNine (We are Freepers, all your media belong to us ,resistance is futile)
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To: SmithL

NO people want go to store not go to Raider game which Occupy protest turning into

That what my aunt said she afraid go to a store that near by she afraid she may get her a**** kick by Wantbe Raider fan


18 posted on 11/13/2011 5:43:13 PM PST by SevenofNine (We are Freepers, all your media belong to us ,resistance is futile)
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To: SevenofNine

The OWSers signal accomplishment is to turn Oakland into Detroit. By the time they decamp, Oakland will be the Rust Belt of California.


19 posted on 11/13/2011 5:57:11 PM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: goldstategop

You got that right about Oaktown being Detriot of CA LOL!

It true thanks to stupid Occupy protesters they turn the camp into Raider game

I am Raider fan LOL!


20 posted on 11/13/2011 5:59:06 PM PST by SevenofNine (We are Freepers, all your media belong to us ,resistance is futile)
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