Filmmaker Michael Moore speaks to Occupy Portland crowd

KOIN:

Calling Portland "the seat of our new Democracy," filmmaker Michael Moore continued his book and Occupy movement tour, speaking to a crowd Monday at Terry Schrunk Plaza downtown.Wearing shorts, hooded sweatshirt and a baseball cap, Moore spoke at the Occupy Portland movement's newest venue, which is directly to the south of the main encampment and just across the Madison Street. It is also just across the street to city hall.The Occupy movement is six weeks old and spreading like wildfire across the country, said Moore, who favorably compared Portland's effort to larger cities like New York and Los Angeles."This is happening everywhere and it can't be stopped--it's only going to grow," said Moore.Moore arrived at the federally owned plaza before 5 p.m. and was quickly eliciting applause from the crowd.At one point he referenced the anti-war movement during the Vietnam era and also feminism, noting that those efforts took years and possibly were ongoing."These are usually very long hauls and long struggles," commented Moore.Earlier in the day, demonstrators following a Halloween-inspired zombie theme marched from Lownsdale Square to a Bank of America downtown branch to protest the bank's coal interests. The Occupy Portland demonstration began Oct. 6 in support of the Occupy Wall Street demonstration in New York. Portland is allowing camping downtown at Lownsdale Square and Chapman Square, but 27 people were arrested early Sunday for refusing to leave Jamison Square Park in the Pearl District after the park closed at midnight.

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