OAKLAND -- Occupy demonstrators turned their ire on big banks Wednesday by marching, blocking traffic and chanting -- and in some cases, defacing ATMs and pounding on doors at Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Chase and Citibank branches around downtown.

Occupy Oakland protesters march Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011, in Oakland, Calif. Thousands of anti-Wall Street protesters are in the streets of Oakland, Calif., as part of a day-long series of events aimed at showing the movement's strength and unity. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)Thousands of people from all walks of life poured into downtown Oakland from points east, north, south and west, with more heading in every minute to lend their support and their voices to the general strike, the first of its kind in Oakland since 1946. For a time large crowds split off in separate marches, with some staying at the Occupy Oakland camp at 14th and Broadway, and others marching and protesting at various banks located near the Kaiser Center at 20th and Webster streets.

Students and teachers from Berkeley and Laney College marched downtown to join the strike after first stopping to serve a symbolic eviction notice at Oakland Unified School District headquarters.

Joel Velasquez, a parent of two children at Westlake school, said school board members are "on notice that they will be evicted from office in the next election for doing the dirty work of the 1 percent."

"They are part of institutional problems that cause hardship on low-income children," Velasquez said.

A group of children were also gathering at the Oakland Main Library branch before marching to Frank Ogawa Plaza at 14th and Broadway, home base for thousands of demonstrators participating in the massive Day of Action.

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About 1,000 split from the group to target banks near the Kaiser Center on Lakeside Drive. At Bank of America, some protesters pounded on the locked doors and defaced ATMs with graffiti before moving down the street to Wells Fargo.

Earlier the massive crowd had done a loop around downtown Oakland, stopping in front of the Elihu M. Harris state building on Clay Street before marching down Broadway and blocking the intersections at 12th and 14th streets, The march followed a peaceful rally at Frank H. Ogawa Plaza during the first of three planned actions to disrupt business.

There was nary a police officer in sight as some in the crowd stood in front of Wells Fargo and Comerica bank branches at 12th and Broadway -- with a few in the crowd occasionally banging on the locked doors.