We talk a lot about the vulnerability of people living on Portland’s streets—nearly 40 percent of homeless people in Portland report being the victim of an assault. But incidents like the one the police report today make the statistics feel more real. At about 2 am Tuesday night, officers responded to a house on SE […]
Homeless
Posted inCity Hall
Cameron Whitten Will End His Hunger Strike
Denis C. Theriault Cameron Whitten, a week ago. Cameron Whitten, is finishing Day 55 of his hunger strike today, enduring the last three weeks with only water and a carefully calibrated menu of salts and minerals. After all that, the activist says he’s ready to announce an end to the protest he’s waged since June […]
Posted inElection 2012
Scenes from Cameron Whitten’s Epic Rally for Housing Justice
Photographs by Denis C. Theriault There was a moment Friday night when I was certain Cameron Whitten—then on Day 50 of his housing-justice hunger strike, and speaking to the 300 or so people who showed up for a rally at Terry Schrunk Plaza—was going to declare a symbolic victory and call it quits. He managed […]
Posted inCity Hall
Nick Fish Issues Statement on Cameron Whitten’s Hunger Strike
Commissioner Nick Fish, who oversees the Portland Housing Bureau, has put out a statement addressing Cameron Whitten’s hunger strike outside city hall, now on Day 49. Fish, who met privately with Whitten a few weeks ago in Terry Schrunk Plaza, has been publicly quiet about Whitten and his demands (relief for Right 2 Dream Too, […]
Posted inCity Hall
Lawyer for Old Town Camp Asks City to Make It Legal, Like Dignity Village
On the same day the Portland City Council approved another contract extension for Dignity Village, an attorney with the National Lawyers Guild sent Commissioners Dan Saltzman and Nick Fish a letter demanding that they offer the same legal status to Right 2 Dream Too—the “rest area” for the homeless that’s been operating since October at […]
Posted inFood and Drink
Dining With Dignity This Month
More charitable dining options… This entire month of July, restaurants and cafes around town are committing to donate 10% of a day’s profits to Sisters of the Road for their annual Dining With Dignity fundraiser. All donations will be matched dollar for dollar as a part of their Full Plate Project summer campaign. Check out […]
Posted inHomeless
Racist Website Discovers Hunger Striker Cameron Whitten
Cameron Whitten, now on Day 22 of a housing-justice-themed hunger strike outside city hall, texted me late last night to say he wound up as a discussion topic on this terrible and strange internet rabbit hole of white-pride hate. This morning, I was pointed to an Occupy Portland Media Collective video in which Whitten shares […]
Posted inCity Hall
Hunger Striker Cameron Whitten on Day 19: “I’m Out Here as Long as It Takes”
Alex Zielinski It’s now been 19 days since Cameron Whitten set up his “hunger stump” outside city hall and gave up solid food and vowed to live on juice and water alone until he got his wish on a short list of very difficult housing-justice issues. We’ve been checking in on him every few days. […]
Posted inElection 2012
How’s Cameron Whitten Doing on His Hunger Strike?
The newly dubbed “Hunger Stump” So it’s been ten days since former mayoral candidate Cameron Whitten kicked off his “Hunger Strike for Housing Justice” outside of city hall. I know you’re curious: How’s he holding up? Judging by our conversation this morning, surprisingly well. “I feel like a hundred bagels!” Whitten said cheerily, bundled up […]
Posted inHomeless
Fight Hypocrisy: “Pitch a Tent” at the Rose Festival!
Tomorrow, the eve of the Rose Festival parade, marks the one day a year when conspicuous tent camping is not only permitted, but also encouraged, on the streets of Portland. That way, the reasoning goes, the fine folks who live in Portland’s finer neighborhoods and hinterlands can beat the crowds and lay their claims to […]
Posted inCity Hall
Hunger Striker Cameron Whitten Accuses Media of Ignoring Him
Denis C. Theriault As promised, former mayoral candidate really did haul himself over to Portland City Hall last Saturday and start a hunger strike aimed at budging city and county officials on a handful of complex, practically intractable housing-related issues. I caught up with Whitten outside city hall today. He was propped up against a […]
Posted inElection 2012
Former Mayoral Candidate Announces Hunger Strike
Alex Zielinski Cameron Whitten, the 21-year-old Occupy Portland participant who finished fifth in the mayoral primary this month, announced the next headline-grabbing chapter for his activism: Come this Saturday, June 2, while thousands of Portlanders are watching the Starlight Parade, Whitten will take up a position outside city hall and begin a hunger strike aimed […]