RIOT in Portland, OR?

[House-Of-Leaves]

A quick topic, since I'm watching a bit of live news about this very thing.

I attended a march this afternoon that ended in a huge roadblock on west Burnside, making the bridge useless, and cars obsolete. Some walked down to the interstate and blocked traffic there (more than one, actually), but I had to leave in time to catch the last bus home. The price I pay for refusing to have a car. *lol*

I only participated in the march, candle light vigil, and sit-in, which is what is continuing now. I REFUSE to burn an American flag, and I stayed away from that, and this demonstration has been going since 4 pm. It's now 10:45 pm, and the police are now trying to disperse the huge crowd.

They all sat down, locked arms. *cheers!*

So, I'm waiting to see what happens. Portland has a huge history of demonstrations, and a rather bad history with the police.The police have been VERY patient tonight...but what now?

They've formed a line all the way across the street and are walking toward the demonstrators. They're sitting. Linking arms, still.

ALL PEACEFUL! That's the best part.

[House-Of-Leaves]

...and the police have made a circle around the peaceful protesters, and aren't letting them out.

*sigh* I'm not confident about this.

[VasIndustries]

That's definitely not good. It's probably better for you not to be there now, but I'd like to be there if I could to help out... the protesters that is.

[TheloniousMONK]

Wow, I live about three to four hours away from Portland. I do not have a problem with them protesting peacefully... but disrupting traffic? Why punish the other citizens? They do not have any say in the war.

[OlenWhitaker]

I agree with Jazz_mazter, you'll win no converts by blocking traffic. It sends the message that you are the problem, not the war you're protesting against.

[House-Of-Leaves]

Update! *lol*

Probably not a riot, thank God. But arrests have been made and all. Percussion grenades fired.

There's a group in the middle of Burnside that won't move, and will likely be arrested. Some already have been, others plan on being.

Honestly, there was a leaflet passed out saying what the objective was. Ultimately, it was to 'shut down the city' for a time, to get the attention of everyone possible. With a blockade and sit-in planned, they also gave tips on what to do if we were arrested. Don't fight. Don't resist, don't hit, don't whatever. Be peaceful.

It wasn't a very organized demonstration, and there were a LOT of differing views there. The blockade? Actually, the street was already closed down, because of the march. We just sorta...stopped there. They didn't let us stop other places, which frankly? Didn't make sense. Burnside is like the vein of down town. I have a feeling that was also for the anti-corporation movement, which really isn't my priority.

That was where we were centered, yes, but there were groups all over the city, spread out, demonstrating. Apparently, all sorts of stuff happened that I hadn't heard about. I was hoping that everyone there would get that VIOLENCE doesn't protest VIOLENCE...but there were a few idiots that didn't agree. They started a fight on the Steel Bridge, knocking over some police motorcycles intentionally and stuff, but nothing too huge. The one that pissed me off the the vandalization of Mc Donalds. HUGE corporation, so I'd be willing to bet it was some of the people against corporate america.

For the most part, however, it's all been peaceful and non-violent. Part of me wishes that I -was- still there. I believe enough in this cause to be arrested for it...but at the same time, I'd rather be arrested with a group of like minded people, rather than those that might be there to demonstrate against something I don't believe in. I don't know. It's just something I've thought about.

I'm just -really- glad I brought money with me. *lol* I wasn't going to, but I decided to, just in case, y'know? The busses just were NOT running, and neither was the lightrail (MAX). So I took a cab to the nearest bus that WAS running. Cost me fifteen buck, but hot damn. I made it home.

...after typing all that, I can't remember who said they were 3 or 4 hours from Portland. Whoever you are, where are you that's so close?

[mysecondstar]

almost the same exact thing happened in Chicago as well. they walked the federal plaza downtown and marched to Lake Shore Drive which is the primary way of getting into downtown from the north and the south. the police finally herded them up on Chicago Ave. and Michigan Ave. on the Magnificent Mile which is where the main shopping district downtown is as well as the park in front of the Drake Hotel.

before it all ended, several thousand people walked through Lake Shore Drive, blocking all of it completely from Roosevelt Rd, which is towards the south of the city to Hollywood Blvd, which is at the north edge of the city. the reason it pisses me off is because i need Lake shore Drive to get home from work and they shut it all down. only a handful of arrests though. i heard San Francisco had more thana thousand arrests.

[TheloniousMONK]

That was me, I am in North Bend... it is on the coast, a relatively small town being consumed by its larger neighbor Coos Bay. You may have heard of Coos Bay.

[House-Of-Leaves]

At 3/21/03 02:42 AM, jazz_mazter wrote: That was me, I am in North Bend... it is on the coast, a relatively small town being consumed by its larger neighbor Coos Bay. You may have heard of Coos Bay.

Ah, yes. :) I know where both are, but I've spent more time in Coos Bay than in North Bend. Glad to have a fellow Oregonian here!