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Occupy Portland marched Saturday, 12/03/2011, and re-assembled in a new park. At 8:30 pm, militarized riot police kicked protesters out, arrested 19, and closed the park down, well before the normal 10 pm closing time. But for the extraordinary threat of granola and young people peacefully expressing themselves, this would have been an illegal eviction.
But the Stumptown Police were having none of it. They formed a jack-booted phalanx on the perimerter, a few slapping their thighs with batons, and effectively closed down the threat of free speech, light gleaming on their black helmets, like henchmen of the Apocalypse.
Protesters reassembled at City Hall, and retook the streets, probably a thousand, and marched at will, in spite of hundreds of threatening police. The police got to play war--with motorcycles, trucks, and bikes. In responce, Portland citizens danced, chanted democracy, and waved American flags. The local (Bush Supporting) Oregonian Newspaper lied (it seems) and reported only a couple dozen protesters.
I shot the following video of the march. You can click through, since I did not have time to edit it down.
Protesters then marched back and retook the park, which they still hold. The march was exuberant. I think the police saw that it was futile with the number of marchers and finally went home.
It seems Portland can draw the numbers to pretty much do what they want in the streets. That is a first step. Organization is ongoing, and lessons are being learned. Translation from streets to senatorial bodies, hopefully, be an inevitable peace-driven process. However, change often involves sacrifice and pain.
Marching beneath Portland's corporate Bastilles, in spite of surrounding police, is immensely liberating. It is a first step. Police could respond with overwhelming force. But that would be a mistake. People have a right to assemble. They have a right to man the decks of the listing corporate disaster, before it sinks, before the czars make off with lifeboats, as they have with stolen chests of treasure, indeed the wealth of our country.
In spite of the millionaire voices of Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity, and O'Reilly, Occupy must go on. The cost is a pittance, compared to the daily savaging by corporate wastrals of Lady Liberty, the Bill of Rights, and the American Constitution. All cities should provide a park or town square, and reward citizens who sacrifice time and blood, for the public good. Occupy may be a thorn in the backside of the corporate monster, but with many thorns, perhaps the beast will look in a mirrow, and see that once again, it can wear a crown.
ReOccupy Eviction by Youtube.
