US port shut down by anti Wall Street protests

OAKLAND: One of the United States' busiest sea ports was shut down Wednesday as anti-Wall Street protesters marched on it after a day of protests and a strike in the Californian city of Oakland.

The Port of Oakland sent staff home early ahead of the march scheduled at the end of a day of mostly peaceful demonstrations in downtown Oakland, which was wracked by violence only last week.

Hundreds of teachers appeared to have heeded a strike call, while many downtown businesses were closed up.

Port authorities sent their main office employees home mid-afternoon, ahead of the evening march, saying: "This is to ensure their safety and the flow of traffic in case there are any public actions impacting the immediate area."

"At this time maritime operations are effectively shut down at the Port of Oakland. Maritime area operations will resume when it is safe and secure to do so," the Port of Oakland said in an early evening update.

"Safety, security, respect and dignity for everyone remain of paramount importance. We continue to ask that everyone remain calm, respectful, and afe," it added.

And it said: "Specifically, we ask that the marchers allow port workers safe passage home. Please allow your fellow 99% to get home safe to their families."

The dockside shutdown came after thousands of people rallied in the city center during the day, to support a strike called after police fired tear gas while clearing a protestors' camp last week, injuring one person.

While the protests were mainly peaceful, some acts of vandalism were reported, targeting closed-up bank branches downtown. (AFP)