- jake Hatchquet
- MIDNIGHT! Better than a Dick Clark countdown.
While several dozen police wait on SW 3rd Avenue, no immediate attempt was made to move the crowd or make arrests. If police and Mayor Sam Adams still decide to make their move tonight, it's likely they'll wait until the early morning when the energy has died down. For now, the scene feels like New Year's, with thousands dancing and chanting.
"Someone is advertising free caviar, free coffee, free kisses," reports the Mercury's Georgia Perry.
Oakland gets a crackdown, Portland gets a party. Classic.
Amid the festivities, a group of clergy and legal observers are still holding a candlelight vigil in a corner of the park, hoping the night remains nonviolent.