- Photographs by Denis C. Theriault
- Chief Mike Reese says he’ll wait to talk tomorrow morning.
Sending rumors of an imminent raid—or at least an imminent posting of a notice-to-vacate—swirling around Occupy Portland, Mayor Sam Adams and Police Chief Mike Reese will go before reporters at 10 AM tomorrow and lay out what the mayor said would be their response to a tense few days at Occupy as well as any “next steps.”
Approached outside a police oversight committee meeting in City Hall, neither would comment on what those steps might be. Adams did say, however, that he and the chief would continue an afternoon of discussions into the night, and that he’d also be huddling with his staff to formulate his response.
He said he was especially alarmed by a report this afternoon of a near-fatal overdose, coming at the same time police reported arresting an Occupy camper on suspicion of setting off an incendiary device last night at the World Trade Center.
Things are “out of balance,” the mayor said.
Reese, a likely mayoral candidate, was especially brief but did address a KOIN reporter’s questions about the rapidly piling up Occupy overtime bill—saying the $300,000-plus bill is about what the bureau budgets for three officers in a fiscal year.
My educated guess? If and when (and maybe that’s coming tomorrow) the mayor decides he’s had enough, campers will receive the standard notice the city gives to all illegal campsites—at least 24 hours. I’m told there are action plans in place—with work on them beginning before the recent escalation in tensions—for eventually clearing the parks.
The endgame began in earnest today when Commissioner Randy Leonard today told the Mercury he was now in favor of setting a deadline to shut the Chapman and Lownsdale square campsites down—a turnabout from his previous support for letting the camps stay as long as Washington was doing bad things to working people. Commissioners Dan Saltzman and Nick Fish had long ago urged Adams to do the same thing.
Adams came close in a letter sent to Occupy on Monday—before the latest incidents upset him and his staff.
sam adams’ brain is out of balance. thank fffn god we won’t have that dumbass for a mayor after this term. please do us all a favor and quit politics. and dont even think of running for a senate seat because i will come and occupy your front lawn. seriously, this whole clusterfuck should have been dealt with weeks ago. i just hope those braniacs dont throw some kind of meth induced riot if the cop do decide to strong arm the situation. good luck dude….you are going to need it.
Mike Reese should arrest Sam Adams for absolute incompetence and endangering the lives of Poorlanders by his inability to lead. Poorlanders should feel proud that Sam has finally become upset.
Cool story, Andy
Andy from where, again?
I hope they don’t go all Tottenham that could ruin business for downtown. We do need a new police headquarters.
About half of Alpha camp is out of bounds for the Occupy people and those meths and clown seem to want a fight with the police.
If only someone had gotten a $218 permit from the Portland Mayor’s Office of Film and Video then Main Street would still be closed until Valentines day.
You’re right, Andy. Oakland is totally better off than Portland because they used force. Clearly, it’s all happiness and sunshine down there.
I seriously can’t believe how far up your own ass your head is right now.
I am in Portland and heard about this early in the papers, tried to notify Tad and Michele. Worried for my friends’ safety there. What shall we do, all go stand around the perimeter of parks to be a human fence?
Reymont, Oakland is one of the few cities worse than Poorland. Both mayors embraced the movement. The Oakland movement closed the parks, then gave in to the protesters. She even gave the day off to all the city workers, except for the cops, so they could also protest.
How did you even get on the Oakland thing anyway? Strange how every city where the shit is hitting the fan, they are run by liberal mayors. Hum…