Mayhem seemed only one step away from reality Sunday night as Occupy Portland protesters and police stood face to face for 9 consecutive hours into the night. Midnight Saturday, Portland City Mayor Sam Adams followed through on his promise to put an end to Occupy Portland protests. One of America's greatest displays of solidarity and patriotism for that matter, Occupy Portland protests marked the single largest O.W.S. movement inside the United States today. Larger than camps in; San Francisco, Oakland, Utah, Boise, Texas, D.C., Philadelphia, Boston and even New York; Occupy Portland protests are/were a "village of protesters." People began camping in two neighboring downtown city parks on Oct. 6th 2011, after 50,000 people rallied in Portland early last October. Regardless of the massive size and scope of the movement, on the 39th day of the Occupy Portland protests the "village," where thousands of Americans found refuge during record unemployment rates, was torn down by over 150 armed Portland police officers. Both parks where the protests took place were disassembled just before 10am Sunday morning. Currently fences are being erected by city officials in order to block the park off from future protests.
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Never the less tensions hit new highs last night between police and Occupy Portland protests. 10,000 willing and able Americans came to the protest in a face-off with police. All night Portland protesters were chanting their disregard for the ills of modern day America, throughout the late hours of Saturday night. In the wake of the eviction notice from Mayor Sam Adams, many protesters vowed they would not leave the parks because of their political beliefs, in particular the protesters overwhelming belief that the American economy has done average Americans an injustice. Even under the pretense of arrest, protesters bravely stood in solidarity, circling 10 acres of Lownsdale and Chapman parks from midnight Saturday until early Sunday morning.
The protest / rally occurred in the wake of Mayor Sam Adams decision to evict the protesters after 3 incidents of immaturity and drug use, incidents which occurred inside the camp, giving the protesters a bad name. Two protesters have reportedly overdosed since the occupation began on October 6th, however in many ways drug use at the protests seems to have more to do with the problems that the protesters are standing against (poverty), than the protesters occupation itself.
Thousands of homeless Americans found refuge at the Occupy Portland movement which offered shelter to ALL Americans. The Occupy Portland protests were literally a living community of downtown Portland, not unlike other areas of the very poverty stricken city. The protesters encamped downtown this month in many ways formed a community, a community that until yesterday stretched over 10 acres of multiple city parks. Occupy Portland officials served over 1,500 Americans food everyday, simply out of the kindness of their hearts, attracting many of Portland's homeless population to live inside the camp over the past few weeks. In many ways occupy Portland protests helped poverty stricken Americans with food and shelter far surpassing the philanthropy of even the cities largest homeless shelters.
Never the less, Civilians News interviewed police as they assembled in riot gear to evict the protesters Saturday night. Reading the police their 1st Amendment rights as American citizens, particularly the right to assemble peacefully. Civilians News reporters truly witnessed history as the people of Portland staved off police for 9 hours, up until 10am Sunday morning when the crowd disbursed.
Officials surrounded the park with full riot shields, blast masks and non lethal artillery midnight Saturday, but it was not until 9am this morning that the police reclaimed the park. After the 9 hour standoff, the police finally made their "move." Out of fear that confrontation could turn the protest into a full blow riot city officials wisely elected to fulfill the eviction at 9am Sunday morning as opposed to Saturday night. When protesters began dispersing back to their homes, the police than made their move, many of whom working shifts in excess of 24 hours! Still many protesters are refusing to leave the Occupy Portland protests Sunday and a small population remains in the park as city officials haul off debris today.
In the wake of these events, it is clear that Police Chief Mike Reese made the smart move handling the massive crowds. By holding off on evicting the protesters until the group disbursed in the early hours of Sunday morning, the Chief of Police most definitely made the correct move, avoiding violence that would have ensued if police had taken action at night, when the crowd was at it's largest, fully "prepared" to stave off the police eviction.
The protesters chanted, "Too Big To Jail," as police surrounded Occupy Portland at 12:01 Sunday night. Police promised protesters during the days leading up until the eviction that any protesters still inside the park after midnight Saturday, would be arrested and spend the night in jail. However only a couple dozen protesters have been arrested and in many ways the size of the movement forbid police from making arrests last night. The police had no other choice but to wait until the crowd thinned out before recapturing the city parks, most likely because their wasn't enough room in the Portland jails for ALL of the aptly named 99% occupy Portland protesters. One police officer was injured as piece of debris struck him, thrown by an anonymous member of the occupy Portland protests. Police seemed almost timid, as they stood in riot gear, unsure what to do as thousands of occupy Portland protesters chanted, "The Police are The 99% TOO!"
10,000 Occupy Portland Protesters Take To The Streets Minutes Before Midnight Saturday.
Tensions between citizens and government officials, including police and occupy Portland protesters, has continued to climb since the Sunday morning eviction. After the eviction many protesters vowed to return to the parks, which are now fenced off from the public. The occupy Portland protests remained peaceful and at one point Sunday night a conflict arose between protesters. The small fight quickly spawned a circle inside the protest where protesters instantly ran to the violence chanting, PEACE PEACE PEACE. The fight quickly ended.
24 people were arrested, but if the police had acted during the pinnacle of the rally midnight last night, as police originally planned, a much greater scope of violence would surely have taken precedence. Hundreds of protesters vowed to continue their struggles for economic equality and middle class prosperity inside the parks, regardless of the cities stance. Never the less, one cop was injured last night as a protester, immature and acting alone, threw an item at the defenseless officer. Occupy Portland protests boast a stance of strict non-violence, however eviction and government acts rivaling that of a 1984 police state, simply have pushed some protesters over the "edge."
So what is the future of the occupy Portland protests? In many ways protesters are seeking refuge from the American economy, an economy which has become engrained in the OWS movement. Many OWS protesters vowing to see the protests through until real changes occur in the federal government, which has long promised the American people "Change." Hundreds of protesters told their stories city monuments inside the park, all talking to the crowd on platforms, with megaphones all through the night. In the hours up until the police raid, one man's story echoes the loudest.
The Truth About Occupy Portland Protests
A military veteran, wounded in Iraq, under enemy Taliban fire, spoke into a megaphone. The veteran / occupy Portland protester said that he has never been so proud of his fellow Americans. The veteran / protester spoke vibrantly to a crowd of 1,500 Americans speaking on difficulties he and his fellow military personnel have endured coming home to modern day America. "It's almost impossible to get a real job these days, the middle class is all but extinct.... meanwhile CEO's give themselves billions in Christmas bonuses, while soldiers take bullets overseas. These wars have CLEAR corporate agendas and cost trillions of dollars yet the government can't find money for it's own people? I'm staying until I have another choice." The veteran spoke vibrantly into the megaphone on top of a monument in Lownsdale park. While the movement has lacked clear leadership many people from all walks of life have come to support the protest. Even though the encampment has ended today, being torn apart by the government at this very moment, in many ways occupy Portland protests mark a historical pivot for the movement, a pivot where perhaps occupy Portland protests have only just begun.
"Like" Civilians News on Facebook for exclusive content and reports inside OWS. Remain in solidarity, we must remain peacefully united in order to create a better America, as opposed to simple talking about the "rhetoric of change." Follow occupy Portland protests LIVE! And for all the cynical Americans who are currently occupying their couch or their parents basement, join the Occupy protests near you, it's in your best interests!
Sounds like an historical failure to me.
Why didn't the crowds STAY LONGER and stave off the police for good?