Several Oakland businesses on Tuesday shut their doors temporarily with the hope of gaining more support, saying they are holding a strike calling for more law enforcement officers in Oakland and more financial aid for businesses.
The strike comes as crime rates soar in the East Bay's largest city, and small business owners have seen little to no relief from armed robberies in broad daylight, carjackings and break-ins.
Nigel Jones, who owns the restaurants Kingston11 and Calabash in Oakland, said that he will be participating in the strike and that both businesses will be closed Tuesday. Jones noted that Kingston11 was broken into three weeks prior and that thieves took cash, shattered windows and left him with more than $2,000 in damages.
"When those things happen, it’s a scar on the community because people see it. They walk by, they see the broken windows, as they do see broken glass from car windows all around the city," Jones said.
Specifically, Jones said he would like to see more law enforcement presence in Oakland and more funding directed to supporting local businesses.
Carl Chan, president of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber Foundation, said he is organizing the strike along with a variety of businesses from around the city. Chan explained that some businesses will close for the entire day Tuesday and others will close for just a few hours.
"We are seeking to ask for some grants and funding from county, state, federal but also from our city, directly benefiting our small businesses," Chan said. He also noted that the group is calling for more law enforcement on the ground in Oakland.
The strike will feature a news conference in front of restaurant LeCheval, which just announced it will be closing for good on Sept. 30.
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"We cannot wait any longer, otherwise many of our small businesses will be closing down one after the other," Chan said.
Earlier this month, NBC Bay Area reported the city of Oakland lost out on grants to address crime because it missed a deadline. Chan said that missed deadline compounded frustrations among businesses and prompted the strike.
"Small business owners, we have been there for a long time, we’re the lifeblood," said Nenna Joiner, who owns Feelmore Adult and Feelmore Social in Oakland.
Joiner is out of town this week but says she supports the strike. She noted her business was broken into a couple of months ago.
"Those instances of aggression -- economic aggression -- actually impacts your team directly and indirectly, but it also impacts other businesses," she noted.
Both Joiner and Jones say they hope this strike reminds customers that where they choose to spend their time and money makes a difference.
"We’re trying to build awareness, and we’re trying to build solidarity with our residents that they have a role to play as well," Jones said.
Oakland City Councilmember Dan Kalb told NBC Bay Area of the strike: "I fully agree with each of their stated public safety goals, and I’m certainly sympathetic to their concerns stemming from the increase in crime that many businesses have endured. But I do not believe a one-day closure of many businesses is a productive tactic to achieve those goals.
"It will result in lost revenue for local retail businesses, loss of tax revenue for the city, and less wages for their employees," Kalb added.
