The union activists had received assurance from the Oakland police chief that they could legally park their cars in loading zones near the stores on the weekends and at night. Nevertheless, police towed away the strikers’ cars and those of their supporters as soon as the officers had removed the picket lines.

As daylight broke on Sunday morning, December 1, the small crowd of striking clerks and supporters regrouped, facing 250 police posted in front of the stores. The police roped off six square blocks surrounding the stores in the center of downtown and, at 7:30 A.M., herded the twelve trucks to Kahn’s and Hastings’ loading docks. The union leaders were disgusted that their own tax money was being used to protect strikebreakers. Chaudet later said he believed that the Oakland General Strike was born at that moment, in the bruises and indignant feelings of union leaders who had been lied to, physically assaulted, and found their own tax-supported police force used against them.