Comments

1
Nothing new here, the PPB regularly used this level of brutality - tasers, pepper spray, dragging people by their hair, arrests, etc. - while policing Critical Mass rides for minor traffic violations from mid 90s to the mid 00s.
2
Nothing new except that we can organize all citizens of this city to demand justice. Fire a cop - Hire two teachers! http://www.portlandoccupier.org/2012/05/03…

Also - having a rule go into effect that specifies that Portland Police officers needs to live within the city of Portland. 70% of the force lives in the suburbs. The foreign, foreign land of strip malls and cul-de-sacs. They moved out there because they don't want to live in the city. Why should we trust them to protect it?
3
'The May Day repression is only the most recent example of the police violence that our communities face each day. The struggles around Trayvon Martin, Occupy, and May Day have brought to light what many know and live on a daily basis. Police in the US are a primary line of defense in maintaining the domination of the 1%'

I am hoping that I have overlooked information about police involvement of any kind in Martin's death or am somehow misreading the intent as trying to liken the results of these protests to his death.
4
Trayvon Martin's killer would never have been arrested by the police if such a massive community outpour of rage didn't happen. They would let a killer hide behind a law like "stand your ground" which is racist by nature.
5
@shaitan - if you agree that there's a problem, let's argue about solutions, not the language of the press release.
6
THAT JACKET IS A FASHION VIOLATION. I'D PUNCH HIM FOR THAT.
7
I'm a member of the Portland community and I wasn't assaulted or attacked. So, Ms. Koch is incorrect unless her definition of community is limited to those interfering with others' right to travel the streets freely.
8
#4 So are you saying that it's not that Trayvon Martin was brutalized in any way by police but that Zimmerman's actions/Florida's regional and relative prosecutorial will is on par with the PPB's behavior on May Day?
9
@shaitan,

"I am hoping that I have overlooked information about police involvement of any kind in Martin's death or am somehow misreading the intent as trying to liken the results of these protests to his death."

It's referencing the police's lack of appropriate action in the Trayvon Martin case and how the justice system had been miserably failing that family until the public pretty much forced them to take action.
10
#5--sorry--I stepped away. I'm just trying to understand what the connection that's being made is.
11
y'all is brutalizin me
12
Where's the video? I would like to watch what happened. Surely there's video. They say they were jaywalking, but if they were blocking traffic in a heard and refusing to move, that must be something different. I'd think jaywalker is only interested in crossing the street, not intending to cause a nuisance, not flaunting their disobedience to the police and not under the illusion that walking in the middle of the road is a constitutional right.
13
how is walking or biking in the middle of the road not a right we all have? We all pay for local streets with our taxes, whether we drive a motor vehicle or not, and I'm fairly confident there is nothing in the constitution about roads being for motor vehicles only.

Maybe you should find and read a copy of 'Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City' by Peter Norton, which describes the fight for the future of the city street between pedestrians, street railways, and promoters of the automobile between 1915 and 1930.
14
@13
your taxes pay for railroads too. try walking down one of them
15
Wrong, railroad rights of way are all privately owned.
16
"I'm fairly confident there is nothing in the constitution about roads being for motor vehicles only." Y'ALL CAN QUIT TROLLING NOW, WE'VE REACHED THE APEX OF STUPIDITY IN THIS THREAD.
17
How is that a troll, Graham? Please tell us.
18
Until I see video showing otherwise, I'll tend to take the cops version of events over 'occupy' protesters who seem to be picking fights.
And by picking fights, I equate not having a permitted march.
19
frankieb,

"Until I see video showing otherwise, I'll tend to take the cops version of events over 'occupy' protesters who seem to be picking fights. And by picking fights, I equate not having a permitted march."

What's the difference between a permitted march and a non-permitted march? Both marches take up space. Both marches interrupt traffic. Both marches involve people voicing their issues. It's just that one paid money to keep the police from attacking them.

As for the videos, there's plenty of them out there. Also, saying that you're siding with the police without looking at the videos is an act of willful ignorance. I always find it funny that everybody else can find the videos and pictures except for you. I wonder why that is. (Laziness)
20
@RANDY: I DIDN'T SAY YOU WERE TROLLING. I CLAIMED THAT WHAT YOU SAID IS STUPID. GET IT STRAIGHT.
21
Graham,

Post #20 "@RANDY: I DIDN'T SAY YOU WERE TROLLING. I CLAIMED THAT WHAT YOU SAID IS STUPID. GET IT STRAIGHT."

Post #16: "Y'ALL CAN QUIT TROLLING NOW, WE'VE REACHED THE APEX OF STUPIDITY IN THIS THREAD."

Would you like to retract post #20, Graham?
22
It wasn't stupid either, it's simply the truth.

The fact is that we in the US have turned our public streets over to the hegemony of the motor vehicle, but it wasn't always like that, nor does it need to be that way forever - it is a mistake that can and should be corrected.

Open your mind a bit, Graham, it would be good for you.
23
@ 15

they're subsidized
24
"the hegemony of the motor vehicle"
bah ha hah!
We need to free the sidewalks from the hegemony of pedestrians too I suppose, right?
Remi, is 'occupy' above the law? And if it was just 'paying off the cops' - as you seem to think it is - then why the hell didn't you guys get together and pay them off?
Then no one would get hurt and your message would come through clearer - people hearing of ideas instead of - yet another - protest march that went awry.
25
I'm glad the police are using excessive force on these losers. I need to get out and see one of these stupid marches/protests/stinkfests for myself. Nuke up some popcorn even.
26
frankieb,

"Remi, is 'occupy' above the law? And if it was just 'paying off the cops' - as you seem to think it is - then why the hell didn't you guys get together and pay them off?
Then no one would get hurt and your message would come through clearer - people hearing of ideas instead of - yet another - protest march that went awry."

Occupy Portland did not host or organize any events for May Day. So attributing anything that happened in Portland to "Occupy" is inaccurate.

Also, why should people have to pay anybody off to exercise their constitutional rights? That's kind of what people are protesting -- the fact that in order to get anybody to listen, they need monetary compensation which creates an inequality in speech. Those who have more money, since money is apparently speech, have more access to rights than those without.

I shouldn't have to pay anybody to keep me safe. People have a right to be safe. You're engaging in victim blaming.
27
Un-permitted parades happen every day at rush hour when motorists cram the streets. If the marchers were driving instead of walking, there would be no trouble.
28
Portland Police went out of their way (like running onto the sidewalk, where I was filming) to assault 3 livestream journalists. One of us was arrested, despite having a press pass and identifying himself as media. It takes a lot of gall for them to claim that they welcome transparency. They engaged in hours upon hours of sadistic brutality, and they don't even have the basic human decency to apologize for it. A lot of regular everyday people were radicalized that day, in response to the wanton cruelty they witnessed.
29
@28: THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A "PRESS PASS", THAT'S JUST AN IDEA MADE UP MY PEOPLE WHO AREN'T ACTUALLY IN THE PRESS LIKE IT'S SOME MAGICAL GET OUT OF JAIL FREE CARD. WRITING 'PRESS' ON A 3X5 CARD WITH A SHARPIE DOESN'T CREDENTIAL YOU IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER. BUT NICE TRY ON FICTITIOUS FEAR-MONGERING.
30
clown monkey needs some excessive force laid upon him at the next tea party convention he goes to!
31
"Occupy Portland did not host or organize any events for May Day. So attributing anything that happened in Portland to "Occupy" is inaccurate."

That, in a word, is bullshit. Occupy is smart enough to know they only bring bad publicity by using the name "Occupy" so they left it off this time. Savvy marketing, but it doesn't change the reality.

As Graham aptly points out, there's no such thing as a "press pass". You get credentialed for press events, to which a protest doesn't qualify. And even if it was, credentials give you no more or less rights than anyone else. Not mention that holding cameras that post to UStream doesn't make you any more of a journalist than taking pictures of the Grand Canyon during a family vacation does.

I'd have a bit more respect for these things if those involved just fessed up, as others have done, that the purpose is to "shut shit down." The charade is rather played out at this point.
32
Graham,

"THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A "PRESS PASS", THAT'S JUST AN IDEA MADE UP MY PEOPLE WHO AREN'T ACTUALLY IN THE PRESS LIKE IT'S SOME MAGICAL GET OUT OF JAIL FREE CARD. WRITING 'PRESS' ON A 3X5 CARD WITH A SHARPIE DOESN'T CREDENTIAL YOU IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER. BUT NICE TRY ON FICTITIOUS FEAR-MONGERING."

You must really like being wrong.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_pass
33
Some of the people here are acting as if Occupy Portland is the only activist organization in Portland.

Also, I saw the following press passes down at the May Day actions:

KATU
KIRO
DEMOTIX
OPDXLIVE
MERCURY
OREGONIAN

People are talking out of their fourth point-of-contact regarding press passes. You are wrong.

Press passes are a legitimate form of identification for a member of the press or independent media who is attending any event, whether it's an organized event or not.
34
To clarify KIRO, there was a video out of Seattle where there was a person with a KIRO badge on.
35
@REMIMEDIC: I'M GLAD YOU LINKED TO WIKIPEDIA, THAT'S ALWAYS A GOOD SOURCE OF RELIABLE INFORMATION. COULD YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHO THE OFFICIATING BODY IS THAT ACTUALLY DISTRIBUTES AND REGULATES PRESS PASSES IS? HOW DOES ONE APPLY FOR A PRESS PASS? ARE THERE FORMS AND SHIT? OR DO NEWS ORGANIZATIONS LIKE TO GIVE LAMINATED PIECES OF USELESS JUNK TO THEIR EMPLOYEES? WHAT PREVENTS ME FROM CREATING MY OWN PRESS PASSES? THERE IS NO SUCH THING IN PORTLAND AS A PRESS PASS.
36
The PIGS that were caught on camera using excessive force on protesters need to be held accountable. Their unilateral protection of corporations will only be met with an increasingly strong anti-corporate greed backlash.
37
OOOHHH WOW, scooter calls the cops 'pigs'!
Way to stick it to 'em man!

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