Is the Pearl Worth Fighting For? A Dozen Occupiers, So Far, Say Yes

Portland Mercury:

Denis C. TheriaultUpdate 4:20 PM—Turned out to be much closer to the upper range of estimates for arrests—25, Chief Mike Reese said in a brief press conference at Central Precinct with Mayor Sam Adams. Charges include disorderly conduct and interfering with a police officer. The blow by blow—filled with photos and video—is over on my Twitter feed and the Mercury's. It mostly went down with no major clashes. Just a lot of arguing and heckling, of cops, but also of occupiers, by neighbors and conservative interlopers. A few people reported rough conduct by riot squad cops who eventually, late in the game, began clearing the park of all but the core protesters who agreed to be arrested. The rally, fed by occupiers and sympathizers from the main camps, was festive almost until the stroke of midnight, when tensions started to spike and the park rangers started weaving through the crowd telling people the park was, in fact, closed. A group of nearly 30 sat in a circle and a much larger crowd began parading around them, chanting that the police had a choice and that they were there to save their pensions. Meanwhile, mounted cops and a cruiser eventually made their way in, close to an hour after the park was supposed to close. But instead of fading back to the sides of the park, dozens of people crushed forward and started taking pictures and grabbing film. Two people were arrested at this point. And then, like magic, the police presence seemed to fade for a bit. Reese later said the bureau was trying to give people space and time to vent and express their freedom of speech, but that the noise got to be too much. He was on scene, along with Deputy City Attorney David Woboril, Adams' spokeswoman Amy Ruiz, and Adams' chief of staff, Warren Jimenez. Adams walked past but wasn't a presence. That was when a phalanx of riot-gear officers and horseback officers efficiently began pushing us all out of the way and shutting off spotlights to make it harder to film what was happening. They kept everyone back behind a perimeter of stone-faced officers who occasionally were ribbed by occupiers. Two paddy wagons and a cruiser showed up to collect the "arrestables," one-by-one, to cheers and song. (It was one guy's birthday, and the watchers all sang to him.) And wouldn't you know what happened after the cops pulled out and the paddy wagons went back to central precinct? Several occupiers told me a couple dozen people immediately coursed back in to Jamison Square, looking to reoccupy it at 5 this morning, when it reopens for the day. Adams, meanwhile, says the camps at Lownsdale and Chapman aren't going anywhere and that he still supports the movement. He says he ordered arrests in an "unnecessary confrontation" in Jamison because it's a residential park and the other two are not. Oh, and he'd really like it if everyone kept on the national economic injustice message. Makes his life easier, I suspect, when the Portland Business Alliance and cranky teabaggers keep breathing down his neck. What did anyone gain? I'm not sure anyone gained anything. Occupiers, who were by far peaceful and jolly, have strained the goodwill they've gotten from the city—although it's also true that any movement needs the kind of unifying tension that civil disobedience provides. The city kept its cool, and avoided looking like Oakland or Denver or anywhere else where things got rough. But they also were forced to partially shed their nice-guy cloak, too, and show what they're capable of when pushed. It's also late/early, and I'm bushed. Also, last I checked, the Oregonian website was down. And their delivery man just walked past me at city hall to drop off what was probably a "still waiting" headline. [ Subscribe to the comments on this story ]

Read the full article here. Discuss below.

connect with blueoregon