Protesters aligned with the “Occupy Wall Street” movement are expected to march through the streets of Oakland, California Wednesday, calling for a general strike to shut down commerce in the city.

The protesters are calling for people to stay home or walk out of work or school on Wednesday and join them in the streets of downtown Oakland. They are expected to march to the city's seaport, a major point of entry for foreign imports to the United States.

It is unclear how many people are participating in the strike.

Oakland came into the national spotlight last week when police began clearing dozens of protesters from a plaza in front of city hall. Violence broke out, and one protester, an Iraq war veteran, was critically injured.

Friday, police in Nashville, Tennessee arrested about 30 protesters for violating a nighttime curfew on the public square where they were gathered. They were released later in the day.

The Occupy movement has sprung up in outdoor parks and squares in major cities across the United States.

Goals of the demonstrations have varied from ending U.S. foreign military action, raising taxes on the wealthy, more emphasis on government social spending and learning how to live in a donation-based outdoor community.

Protesters have said they hoped the movement would last until at least the next U.S. presidential and Congressional elections in November 2012.