Some of the businesses closed all day, while others closed up from 10 a.m. to noon, according to Carl Chan, longtime local business advocate and former president of the Chinatown Business Association.
Some of the business owners gathered for a press conference outside of Le Cheval.The 38-year-old family business announced last week it will be closing because of a drop in business due to increased crime.
Chan said the businesses want additional law enforcement resources to help protect them from being targeted by repeat offenders.
Responding to Tuesday’s strike, Mayor Sheng Thao issued a statement saying her office is working on the problem.
Thao said she had met personally with dozens of small business groups to “fund and support initiatives that deter crime and promote safe streets.” Among the groups the mayor mentioned were the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, African American Chamber of Commerce, Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council, Visit Oakland and others.
Recently, Oakland missed a deadline to submit an application for millions of dollars in state funds that were recently distributed to local law enforcement agencies through a state grant to target organized retail crime.