It's been a minute. Maybe it's time to start writing again. Shit ain't gettin' any better.
Here is something written by a friend of mine:
Let's do some quick math, friends:
- Antifa is not an organization; nobody belongs to it, there are no membership rolls. So you cannot prove you do not belong to it.
- If you have shown up to a protest, if you have been in a picture showing you were near a protest, if you have, like me, offered first aid at a political demonstration or shown up as clergy support or carried a sign or made a Facebook post or LIKED a post saying you're against fascism, you could be accused of being a "member of Antifa," and you can't prove it's not true.
- If this measure to declare "Antifa" "domestic terrorists" passes, that means you and I can be arrested and prosecuted as "domestic terrorists." No, really, you too. Which is funny, cause the fascists are the ones killing people and driving cars into crowds. Or lynching people or shooting up churches and I could go on for days.
Let me be clear here I love the idea of ANTIFA because ALL of the NAZI scum need to just go away forever. Freedom of speech is not a shield you can use when you are calling for the deaths of whole segments of society. The problem I have is the assholes who claim to be Antifa who go after people they don't like and muddy the waters, like when they wholesale attack the police. Yes, there are some seriously disturbed officers out there that need to be held accountable, but I have never been one to say fuck the police. I know some amazing police officers and I am related to a number of them and they are some of the best people I know. Another interesting fact is that there are and have been people posing as Antifa who perpetrate actions that besmirch the movement's activities and goals.
- We passed a bunch of laws and rulings back in 2002 or so declaring that accused terrorists don't get due process, and can be held indefinitely without trial, tortured, and so on.
(Patriot Act I and II)
- The Trump administration also just declared that they're opening up the death penalty for federal crimes, like terrorism, for the first time in years. (https://www.latimes.com/…/justice-department-executions-inm…/justice-department-executions-inm…)
- We have a whole bunch of new for-profit detention camps for holding people in indefinitely without trial, where people are dying right now from nightmarish conditions.(https://www.nbcnews.com/…/24-immigrants-have-died-ice-custo…/24-immigrants-have-died-ice-custo…)
- ICE is running around right now, without badges or uniforms or warrants, disappearing people--including US citizens--and locking them up, and fully half their agents belong to a Facebook group where they shared racist jokes, bragged about the violence they'd done to the subhuman animals they're locking up, and talked about how they wanted to assault and rape political figures they don't like.
- This is a license to lock up and execute political dissenters and community organizers without due process and the pieces have all been put in place to use it.
I have many pictures and videos that are currently loading up on my computers for editing. I will be posting these ASAP, not letting them sit forever like the Eviction and N17 photos and videos, which I also want to be done with by the end of the weekend.
Yesterday I had to bug out early, around 2 PM, to take my son to an appointment. Before I left, I saw no incidents with the police, though there might have been a little incident down around the federal courthouse that I did not witness directly, being distracted by taking pictures of the umbrella in the antlers…
Wednesday’s protest was called “F29,” as in February 29. Demonstrations were held in Portland and across the country to draw attention to a group called the American Legislative Exchange Council, also known as ALEC.
The Occupy movement’s biggest issue is with large corporations that they say use ALEC to craft legislation that favorable to them. The proposed laws are then forwarded to state lawmakers where they’re introduced in individual states.
Occupiers say that gives the appearance of popular support across the nation for any one particular issue. The protesters argue that’s essentially rigging the nation’s political system.
“Our goal today is to draw attention to the companies that are involved in ALEC and to expose that the biggest companies in the world are writing as much as 10 percent of the legislation that passes through our House here in Oregon,” said Brian Sloan with Occupy Portland.
Those behind the Occupy movement say ALEC allows corporations to influence laws without being held directly accountable for what those laws do.
Portland Police called the demonstrations well facilitated, generally peaceful and largely non-contentious. Lt. Robert King says F29 organizers designated a police liaison which made for reduced tension and more effective communication between police and protesters.
In all, seven people were arrested throughout the day. At the Wells Fargo Tower, three people were charged with criminal trespassing after they chained themselves to property with bike locks.
Two were arrested along SW Broadway for vandalism after jumping on a Verizon van. At a Bank of America at NE 12th and Broadway, two people were arrested for criminal trespassing after they refused to leave.
While I was there, the only riot police I saw were staying about six blocks away from the march. As the march moved through the city, they would move as well, but keeping their distance unless legitimately needed. This sort of staging plan seemed to work well from what I saw, since closer proximity always seems to provoke people rather than deter people.
This article refers to an event late Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning…
On their twitter account, Occupy fired back Wednesday morning at the vandals. "To the rock tossers: Thank you for not hiding behind Occupy and forcing peaceful marchers to take a beating for you this time." Earlier this month, Occupy Portland activists called out anarchists who resorted to vandalism during a march on police use of force. Some marchers turned on each other as windows in cars and a restaurant were broken.
An anti-bank march last November called N17 turned ugly, with activists accusing the police of excessive force and police saying they were trying to keep roadways clear. The conflict received national attention because of a dramatic use of pepper spray by police. An image from that protest captured by an Oregonian photographer received worldwide distribution through social networks.
The group spoke out specifically against the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, which is comprised of America's largest corporations like ExxonMobil, Wells Fargo and McDonalds.
When the demonstrators approached a building housing one of those corporations, they chanted and waved signs at those inside.
…
A group appearing to be separate from Occupy Portland vandalized two banks and a Starbucks shop overnight, and then emailed a statement to media in which they wished the Occupy movement good luck with its protest.
Just for giggles, I checked Fox News.com… There is nothing on the landing page about any Occupation activities anywhere yesterday.
I suppose if they mentioned the F29 actions, they would have to mention ALEC, which would probably anger their dark overlords. (The local Portland affiliate is much less evil.)
Fox did have room on their home page for this today: “Escorts claim Utah law makes acting sexy illegal.” Insert your own joke about Fox News on-camera “talent.” Nothing from Fox on the politics page, either, though they did have room, again, for the article I mentioned above.
To be fair, I could not find mention of any actions on CNN.com or MSNBC, either. I guess the other actions around the country were not as big of a deal as was hoped.
If the main goal of the protest was 1) to call attention to ALEC, and 2) to remind people that people are still pissed off and that the Occupation is still active, then I think the day, in Portland, at least, was a success.
The next several videos are from someone who seems to be looking for dirt on the occupation. I do respect the fact that he actually went down and took a look at what was going on, but I am not sure that these videos actually accomplish his goals.
Uh oh, dude put on a bandana. The barbarians are at the gates!
I disagree with calling the cops assholes. I, however, agree that the horses and cars are owned by the people. Using the banners to provide a safe barrier between the horses and the crowd was a well-planned part of the action and a great idea.
This appears to show the tensest part of the day. It was after I left, so I am not sure. This is nothing compared to N17, and it looks like the police handled themselves well. (No pepper spray!)
With this next video, I saw this and I am actually on this video in the background (black hood with camera, 1:02), taking a picture from the other side of the horses. There was no incident here.
Ah, shucks. Vandalism!
Hee, hee… I love this next one. The only thing I don’t like is that there were as many photographers in there as there were protesters! McDonalds… Not worth risking jail for?
This person finally caught some real dirt on this last clip.
Yes, the fellow with the umbrella is a moron and you have called him out. My only disappointment with the protesters here is that no one pulled him aside and shut him down. The whole point of actions like this is to bring media attention to issues such as ALEC, and this sort of behavior does nothing to support the cause.
I've seen some idiots get really out of line, much worse than this, with the Fox 12 crews, which is very lame. Fox 12 is very balanced compared to the cable network and many other local Fox affiliates around the country.
I've also witnessed many of its staff expressing a lot of sympathy and support, off camera, for the Occupy movement, at least earlier on. This includes on-air personalities.
If these were the worst incidents of the day, then it was a very good day indeed. Good behavior marks all around, to both the protesters and the police.
My take is that the mood was very different than the November actions. It felt a lot more like the opening rally and march on October 6. Obviously the eviction was going to be a tense and violent time, but I think the feelings from that night and day spilled over to taint the actions of N17, both with the police and with the protesters, more than they would have if the two events had a little more space between them.
Some videos going around on Facebook and other places recently originate from Anonymous, and I am sure that many believe, because of their topical relevance, that they are from people within the Occupation Movement.
While I am sure that there are many members of Anonymous that are also participating in the Occupation Movement, it is a separate entity.
Both groups, however, like to don the Guy Fawkes masks…
I wasn't there for this incident, but I was able to hear the story from someone who was very close to the action...
I was wondering if the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) would release their videos. God knows they've been as busy filming as the protesters have.
KGW video of the incident...
KATU Video...
PPB video of the Mounted Police Unit horse getting punched and Officer B9 whacking protesters. The PPB has not, to date, released any more video of the officers "deploying chemical agents" on the crowd.
NWCN video... Interview with PPB Lt. King (11/17 5:18 PM)
Photo of the Day, November 20, 2011. Taken November 17, 2011. Occupy Portland - N17: Occupy the Banks. Wells Fargo 900 5th Ave. Portland, Oregon. 12:29 PM
This is a good one. The guy in the uniform is a rock star and a superhero. Very likely, he is singularly responsible for the night turning out as peacefully as it did.
I shot the arrests from the outside, but here is the video from inside, before the police arrived.
Bringing them out, shot from inside. Not my video. In fact, I am on this one, shooting the one above. Got to love the conversation going on about the "losers"...
New, to me, video shot by the protesters above 4th Ave...
De-escalation question for a possible General Assembly proposal - I think this would be the appropriate evolution of our Occupation, and would be wonderful if we accepted AND the city accepted.....this WOULD evolve this protest, and bring out those that are currently fearful of joining us:
Could we get a consensus, do you think, on proposing to Sam Adams and the Portland Police Bureau that:
IF, the police, regardless of agency affiliation, who respond to and engage with Occupy Portland protestors agree to no longer respond in full riot gear and agree to treat protestors with respect, calmly arresting those who engage in acts of civil disobedience without use of force,
THEN WE, Occupy Portland, AGREE to remain peaceful at all times, we will agree to follow all traffic signals to avoid creating dangerous situations for vehicular traffic and pedestrians [unless police are present directing traffic, or unless protestors have informed police 24 hours in advance of a specific location that may be impacted - without necessitating a permit], and we will agree to stay on the sidewalks except when crossing the streets [or when police have chosen to close a street in order to open it for us].
FURTHER, any among us who are NOT compliant with this agreement will be presumed to be exercising their right to civil disobedience and not representative of the entire group but instead deemed to have been behaving autonomously, and if the situation warrants the individual's arrest, they should be arrested peacefully without use of force. Rare circumstances may arise where use of force is necessary, and we understand that; however, all use of force should be reasonable and should not be predicated on fear of the "mob." Occupy Portland as a group believes that police are part of the 99% and we respect the work you do for our society. We believe you are paid for with our tax dollars to keep all Oregonians safe, including those being arrested, even if those being arrested are behaving poorly. You are not who we protest against.
There are also some among our group who autonomously believe that police are working with the opposition to the Occupy efforts, and that police are enforcing the will of the 1%. It is very difficult to convince them otherwise when police responding to our protest come apparently dressed for war.
THEREFORE, so long as police continue to arrive dressed in riot gear, there will be those among us who respond negatively, believing that they were correct that police ARE working to destroy our civil rights through use of force to benefit the 1%. Many of us would like to convince them that this is not true, but it is becoming harder and harder to do so, with the increasing use of police presence and use of force in Portland and other Occupy locations through the U.S. In fact, some individuals that did not believe as they do are beginning to become convinced after seeing what appears to them to be excessive use of force by police, making things even more difficult for everyone.
By agreeing to this proposal, we believe that protestors will be able to effectively utilize their first amendment right to free speech and freedom of assembly under both the United States and Oregon Constitutions as well as ensure the safety and comfort of all those in Portland. The Occupy Portland movement is made up of a diverse population that reacts in a variety of different ways to the sight of militarized police on our city streets, from fear to anger, as well as indifference. In addition, some respond with amusement or feel that the scene is entertaining, including both some within our movement as well as some of those opposed to our movement (as well as media on both sides). This idea that the militarized conflict with citizens is "entertaining" disturbs many of us, and creates an even more volatile situation - we believe a de-escalation is necessary to ensure the peace and safety of all.
While we understand that the mayor and city officials would like us to get permits and inform officials of a route prior to protests and marches, this is truly an impossible task. There is no person leading the marches, there is no body planning the events in detail - this is not a parade. Ideas are created in an organic environment, that anyone is able to divert from alone or in large groups at will. The intent of our protest is to reach the 99% to engage them and motivate them to demand change from their government. Any given idea is subject to change, by consensus or individuals, in advance or while in progress. We don't all agree on the solutions, nor do we all agree on the individual causes of the problems we face - therefore we don't all agree on where the protests are best applied. Sometimes we find a lot more support for one particular issue - like N17 (directed at the 99%) - then we do for other issues - like the Chase CEO protest (directed at the 1%).
We DO all agree that our government is no longer listening to us, if it ever was. Our one demand is that our government prove that it can hear us and is listening to us (even when our government disagrees with us, or when we are in the minority in our population). That is really all we want: a government that acknowledges it can hear us and is listening, even if it disagrees after doing so. We aren't necessarily after specific policy changes as a group (although individually, we have a diverse set of specific policy changes that we do work towards), but instead, we want to ensure that our government is still ours: a representative republic. We truly are the 99%.
Mayor Sam Adams and the Portland Police Bureau can prove they are listening to us by no longer sending in police appearing in riot gear, ready for conflict. Come dressed as we are accustomed to seeing you in our daily lives, when we encounter you on the streets. We will thank you by twinkling our support upon your arrival without the riot gear, and we will commit to holding ourselves and those around us accountable to follow traffic signals and laws for the safety of all Portland residents, as well as twinkling our support when the police bureau uses a proper level of force in arresting those committing acts of civil disobedience (such use of force should typically be just putting on the zip ties and escorting them away). If police at any time need to convey a message to us, mic check it so that we can all hear instead of bringing out the vans to blare confusing messages that result in misunderstandings (which sidewalk, officer?) and escalation in use of force. We will respond to such requests, with either actions of compliance or discussion through mic check. These discussions among police and protestors will ensure the safety of all, and ensure clarity from both sides. And the option for non-violent arrests of protestors for civil disobedience will always remain available to police and will be responded to without resistance from protesters.
This will show the world the effectiveness of direct democracy in our local government, and will ensure that valuable tax dollars aren't wasted, and will allow Occupy Portland to engage in peaceful acts of civil disobedience without threat of harm to the individuals, the protestors or the public at large. It will also set the example for how to allow this protest to happen peacefully across the nation. The Occupy protest, along with many others who are not part of our movement [yet] understand that there IS a problem that we are all facing, and the time is now to discuss solutions. Use of force will not discourage this protest, it only increases our numbers and the frustrations on both the part of city officials and protestors. We have always tried to work with the city officials to maintain good relations. We would like the city to return to respecting that relationship and showing goodwill towards protestors, as we will do in kind.
- I intentionally left wiggle room for those among us who will inevitably refuse to conform, and cross against signals or refuse to move from a particular spot, such as a roadway, etc - I get it, and I think our city does too - but I think many of us WOULD agree to this - and it would lessen the fear by the city that they "need" such massive use of force ....
**If this is really getting such overwhelming positive support - and continues to - we should really have a vote on this IMMEDIATELY at tonight's meeting as an emergency proposal, as this issue is getting to be quite dangerous and should not be postponed any longer than necessary...
OK, Occupy Wall Street protesters, you have the world listening, it's time to stop wandering around and act with a plan. Since you can't seem to figure out one, I’ll help you out.
You want to make real changes, then do it the right way. Hold a real meeting without any protesting or threat of violence and invite all the legislators in your district to attend. Present them with a concrete plan. Tell them if they want our vote then support our cause. Ask them who is willing to stand up and carry the banner for the 99%.
Politicians want to get elected and tell them this is what we want for our vote:
1) It's time to create laws that financial institutions are accountable to their customers before one penny is paid out to executives salaries. They should be paid a bonus only after showing growth and profit for their investors (that’s us folks) and NOT guaranteed a penny otherwise.
2) No more bank bail outs - period.
3) We need to reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act that separated insurance companies, investment banking, and commercial banks.While this was in effect not one bank went under in America. This will put us the consumer back as the main concern, and force them to monitor their own business for risk when using our money. No more passing bad paper off to someone else, then taking the money and running.
4) Put the bite back in the SEC and monitor them. The SEC had information about Goldman Sachs, Bernie Madoff, AIG, and others well before they tanked, and did nothing. The people who were suppose to protect us just turned their backs.
5) We need to take back our elections from being controlled by lobbyist and the money of wall street. We need to create new federal legislation that would allow a reversal of the Supreme Court decision declaring that corporations have the same first amendment rights of individuals. This has allowed corporate domination of our elections. John Q. Public has no way of going up against the bank rolls of corporations to present fair and balanced information on legislative issues.
If you think it’s about Republicans vs. Democrats, you’ve been sucked in by the biased media you’ve chosen to listen to and watch. This is about the total decay of Americas financial stability perpetrated by a system that’s run amuck. Wall Street is corrupt and unaccountable. Want to blame the Clinton Administration and the Banking Reform Act or the Bush Administration and the total failure to monitor the SEC? Go ahead. Sure I’d like to round up everyone involved in the corruption of the mortgage markets and put them in jail, but that’s not going to happen.
So, Occupy Wall Street people, if you want to make change and create an economy that’s accountable to the people, it's time to get rid of your camps and refocus on new and responsible legislation for the financial institutions of America.
UPDATE - 11/17/11 - 6:40 AM Anyone can join the PUBLIC march - no one need risk arrest at this event! The rally action starts @ 8am on the East Side of Steel Bridge with a labor action with We Are Oregon.
Then join us for a second, 10am Rally at Waterfront Park @ SW Ankeny.
At 11am we march to visit civil disobedience actions in progress!
The Steel Bridge was closed Thursday morning to all but TriMet, Amtrak and commercial rail traffic.
Police spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson told KGW Thursday morning that the move was made primarily to make certain that mass transit was not affected by a protest. Pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers must choose another bridge, he said.
Protesters may also walk cross any other bridge by using the sidewalks, he said.
"We will not allow them to take a bridge and shut it down. It will not happen today," he said.
Well, I kind of wish they were not calling it N17... I am still a bit shell shocked from N30. But I could go for some good, old fashioned non-violent civil disobedience against the banks.
Occupy Portland’s Action Committee has issued a call for decentralized-yet-coordinated nonviolent civil disobedience against big banks. Let’s shut them down!
This is a call to form “affinity group” action teams, take on support roles, or join in a public march visiting action locations. An action “spokescouncil” for communication between and support of affinity group has been formed by the Occupy Portland Action Committee and seeks your participation.
If you have an affinity group wanting to organize an action for N17, or want to offer support to others, email join@n17pdx.org TODAY!"
