It’s becoming increasingly clear this summer that Last Thursday—the notoriously free-spirited (sometimes out-of-control) arts festival that takes over NE Alberta once a month—is facing an uncomfortable reality:
If the nonpermitted event can’t recruit more volunteers, and raise more cash to take care of security costs, the city might finally lose patience with the whole thing and do something drastic.
The cops this afternoon sent out a release detailing a series of fights that erupted toward the end of last night’s event, including one in which a 5-year-old girl was flung to the ground with a bloody nose. The release mentions an increase in police staffing for the event after a few months of similar reports. Who should fund that extra security, especially as event organizers have resisted moves like attracting sponsors, has been a bone of contention between Mayor Sam Adams’ office and the nonprofit Friends of Last Thursday.
On Thursday August 30, 2012, Portland Police officers responded to multiple fights along Northeast Alberta Street during the monthly “Last Thursday” event in the Vernon and Concordia neighborhoods.
The “Last Thursday” event runs from approximately Northeast 15th Avenue to 30th Avenue. Based on an increase in problems at the July “Last Thursday” event, staffing was increased from 21 officers to 32 officers along with three sergeants, and one lieutenant.
At approximately 8:15 p.m., the first of approximately 10 fights involving large groups of juveniles started along Northeast Alberta Street. During one of the fights, a 5-year-old girl was pushed to the ground by fleeing juveniles and suffered a bloody nose. Officers followed the juveniles then returned to speak to the child’s parents but the child and her family had left the area.
An additional 14 officers and two sergeants were called to respond to the area to assist with crowd management.
While officers were re-opening Northeast Alberta Street to vehicular traffic, a crowd of juveniles began fighting at Northeast 21st Avenue and Alberta Street. Officers heard reports of a woman defending herself from a group of juveniles by using pepper spray, but neither the victim or suspects were identified.
Officers were able to arrest two juveniles for Disorderly Conduct.
I’d heard a similar recounting of last night’s event from another source about an hour before the cops sent out theirs. And, as such, I’d already spoken with Friends of Last Thursday’s volunteer coordinator, Bridget Bayer, about what’s been going on.
One big problem? There aren’t enough volunteers to properly manage the the sprawling festival without having to rely on cops. Bayer said, over the course of last night, 23 people showed up to help. But some came earlier and some came later and that maybe, over the whole festival, there were not many more than five people in place at one time.
“We need 100 volunteers to successfully pull this off as a community-led event,” Bayer says. “We have seven hardcore volunteers who come to committee meetings and come to the night of event. Those are really our stalwarts. And that’s it.”
Bayer says the biggest problem is that a younger crowd, less interested in fattening neighborhood businesses and shopping among the street’s arts vendors, shows up after dark. Like the way an amusement park or fair changes after the nighttime lights on the midway come on.
“Everything changes after it gets dark,” she says. “They’re having a good time. A great time, actually. But they’re not part of an art festival. They’re just enjoying the fact that they can be on a street that’s closed. It’s a different vibe.”
Asked if the challenges this summer have led to a troubles with the mayor’s office, Bayer says they hadn’t. She said the office has stayed patient and helpful, offering advice on how to recruit more volunteers and maybe break even. Some diehard organizers worry, though, that going too legit will crush the spirit of what’s supposed to be an irreverent happening.
Bayer says businesses are “stepping up” and making it more worthwhile for people to give up an evening to help run the event. Yesterday, she said, there was double the usual rations of coffee and doughnuts, and also some shaved ice and burritos.
“We want volunteers and we’re getting more volunteers,” she says. “There’s some good perks.“
How is having more volunteers going to stop fights? You expect a local artisan to act like a security guard? Either pony up for policy or private security or shut it down. More volunteers won’t make a bit of difference.
Just shut it down already. Alberta has been bled dry of whatever “free spirit” it ever had.
Legions of portly children and SUV moms line the street waiting for a taste of Salt and Straw or Pine State Biscuit.
Emasculated men carry their swaddled babies up the stairs to Bishops and get matching “hip” haircuts.
Meanwhile, two dozen twenty-somethings all take their visiting grandparents to Petit Provence on the same day.
Alberta is bland. Shut down the “art” festival and maybe the punk-anarcho-poseurs will stay in SE.
Last Thursday is now 90% huge block party and 10% arts. It needs to be staffed accordingly, and I wouldn’t be the least bit sad to see it shut down in favor of only the annual street fair.
the real truth is that the calm people who used to show have had it with the nonsense that goes on now so the obnoxious drunk frat guy to normal person ratio is getting very out of whack.
@econoline – It is certainly not all “drunk frat guy” types. There are a ton of crusty street punk rawkers wandering around, driving real people away with their BO.
So people are FREAKING out over… what? Some kids getting into a fight? For fuck sakes, all the times i’ve been to LT, i’ve NEVER seen any of these so-called shenanigans taking place! And as far as the cops are concerned – well yeah they’re gonna fucking LIE and put out false and/or jigged-up “press releases” about “out-of-control” crime and how [they] had to step in to “keep the peace”. This ofcourse, justifies their actions and their very presence! And gotta love how these pigs kept harping on “5 year old girl/knocked down/bloody nose” – in order to maximize sympathy.
And i’m also willing to bet that most of the complaints regarding LT are coming from folks who live no where near Alberta!
Hey DamosA – I have lived in Alberta.. I’m going to guess by your indignant tone.. since you’ve been in grade school. And I have been beyond sick and fucking tired of all the white, privileged, art kids coming into the neighborhood I live in to fucking tell me what Portland is. Fuck you, go back to wherever you came from, get cancer, die. Thank you.
Well DamosA, I live in the neighborhood (have for 15 yrs) and have had it up to here with people pissing on my lawn, standing outside my house yelling at 1AM and being told to fucking move if I don’t like it. Fuck you! I’m so tired of being told that no one who lives in the area complains. I live 2 blocks off Alberta and can’t park near my house on Last Thur. I’m kept up all night by drunken idiots standing in the street yelling and then have to clean up all the broken bottles and cans left behind. Enough already. Take this miserable excuse for a street festival to some other neighborhood. FOLT can’t control it and don’t want to have to take responsiblity for it either. You can’t invite 15,000 drunken people, with no rules or respect into a small area and have it run without issues. It’s people like you who have this sense of entitlement to be able to do whatever you want, and not be accountable or respectful of the people who live here. We don’t owe you anything!
it is a discrace to have to put up with this bs
The parking tickets issued on Last Thursday should easily cover the additional police presence.
Sorry, but I have no remorse for white hipsters complaining about the scene on Alberta. This is your neighborhood, move back to SE if you don’t like it. Sorry that your idealistic “art-district” isn’t all you thought it was. Wait a few more years and all the lower-incomers will be moved out, than you go gallery-hopping in peace. Once the gentrification is complete.