California Gov. Gavin Newsom is digging in against protesters who this week shut down most operations at the Port of Oakland, saying truckers “should focus on supporting this transition” to a new employment law, even as shippers warned the impasse was hurting their businesses.

Mr. Newsom’s administration indicated Thursday it wouldn’t bow to the protesters’ demands to pause the implementation of the new state law, known as AB5, that will make it harder for tens of thousands of independent truckers to operate in the state.

“Although it has been the subject of litigation, AB 5 was enacted in 2019, so no one should be caught by surprise by the law’s requirements at this time,” a spokesman for the Governor’s office said.The protesters have given no indication that they plan to give up. Hundreds of men and women, who started protests Monday, are preventing trucks from carrying cargo into and out of Oakland, the West Coast’s third-busiest container port. They are also stopping dockworkers from reaching their posts for loading and unloading ships.

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