Occupy protesters heckle Wis. governor

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CHICAGO, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- About 60 people led by anti-Wall Street protesters heckled Republican Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker during a speech in Chicago Thursday.

Walker, who led efforts to eliminate collective bargaining rights for public workers in Wisconsin earlier this year, was interrupted repeatedly as he addressed business leaders at the Union League Club. He was talking about budget reforms and touted his efforts to balance Wisconsin's budget, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The protesters chanted: "Union busting. It's disgusting" and "We are the 99 percent" for about 6 minutes before they were asked to leave.

Walker, who is facing a union-led effort to recall him from office next year, told the departing demonstrators: "The bottom line is, no matter how loud you shout, the facts are the facts. The facts are that our reforms have worked and continue to work in the state of Wisconsin." He made a pitch for businesses and corporations to leave Illinois and relocate in Wisconsin.

In Oakland, Calif., Thursday an Occupy protester was shot in the leg with a projectile fired by police and was carried off on a stretcher, witnesses said.

However, the Oakland Tribune reported circumstances of the injury couldn't be confirmed and the victim's status was unknown.

Real estate developer Phil Tagami told the San Francisco Chronicle he brandished a loaded shotgun after Wednesday's general strike to scare protesters away from a downtown building.

He said no police were around when rioters tried to push their way into the landmark Rotunda Building near City Hall that recently underwent a $50 million renovation. The Chronicle said masked vandals spray-painted graffiti on the building and several others downtown on Broadway.

A 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of obstruction and battery on a police officer. The Oakland Tribune said police made 80 arrests downtown and that five civilians and three officers were injured.

Oakland police used tear gas and flash grenades to subdue the protesters who shut down the nation's fifth-largest port and took over a vacant building, authorities said.

Thursday morning, truckers faced down protesters who had erected barriers at the Port of Oakland, and one trucker ran through the blockade and threatened to run down protesters, the Tribune reported. The protesters took down fences after meeting with the president of the International Longshoreman's Association.

Elsewhere, police arrested 16 protesters at Washington Square Park in Rochester, N.Y., after midnight Thursday, first warning protesters would be arrested if they didn't leave the park by its 11 p.m. closing time, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported.