Midnight
Another strange turn of events: For about half an hour, the re-occupiers danced in the South Park Blocks, chanting and basically waiting to see what the police would do. The police did exactly what you’d expect: Amassed a large number of riot police near the park and appeared ready to move in to clear the park.
Over the police scanner, an officer said, “Is there anybody who’s not in position?” Then the order was given to “roll”… swiftly followed by an order to hold off. Then, at about 11:50, a voice over the scanner said, “All units return to Central, where we’ll write reports & hopefully have pizza. I’ll explain when I get there.” The order was repeated: “I want every officer who was out here tonight to return to Central and write reports.”
Then the scanner essentially went silent for Occupy news—just the usual reports of hit and runs people kicking in doors wielding machetes.
Not really sure what’s going on, but we’re assuming “Code Pepperoni” can mean two things:
1) The police (and mayor?) have decided it’s better to hold off and try to clear the South Park Blocks when there’s less of a crowd. Waiting until dawn worked almost seamlessly to clear the previously occupied parks.
2) Something went seriously wrong during the interactions earlier this evening and the police are looking to sort of the details ASAP.
Meanwhile, the O has a startling photo of a 15-year-old protester who was injured earlier tonight.
11:10pm
Surprise!
After marching around Old Town, the protesters suddenly got coordinated and started running full speed BACK to the South Park Blocks, from which they were evicted just over two hours ago. The protesters arrived in the park and immediately established a Michael Jackson dance party at the scene. There’s about 600-800 people at the protest currently, with only about five police officers in sight, according to News Editor Denis Theriault. There’s definitely more people in the park now than there were pre-eviction.
- jake hachquet
- Re-Occupied! The Park Blocks at of 11:10 tonight.
10:40pm
The march is now reportedly wandering around Old Town. The crowd is over 300 people strong, which is large enough to block traffic and garner alternate solidarity fists/”Fuck You!”s from the bros hitting the bars downtown.
It’s a bit of a cat and mouse game, with police seemingly trying to guess the direction of the march and block it off, but overall taking a hands-off approach to the protest at this moment. There appear to be few or no riot police directly around the march. There is, of course, at least one person on stilts.
Here’s a photo from Twitter user Interdome of the march:
10pm
The protest has taken off marching from city hall down SW 4th Avenue, while blasting Bjork.
No explanation for that last part.
9:50pm
Several lines of riot police stretching the entire width of the park advanced into the park, using their batons to jab protesters who stayed put. It was definitely a rougher confrontation than previous interactions between Occupy Portland and the police. There were several reports of injuries, say Denis Theriault and Matt Bors, with several protesters showing split lips and bruises. One protest organizer named Mike Bluehair was shoved to the ground by police and allegedly kicked.
“They shoved me and fell to the ground, then they started kneeing me and kicking me. But they let me up, though,” says Mike.
There was no use of pepper spray, or even a warning that it might be used. An ambulance were called to treat injured protesters, though it’s unclear right now whether any are serious. A number of people who refused to leave the park were also arrested—hopefully we’ll have an accurate number of arrests soon but so far the only number is “at least six.”
Once they were pushed out of the park, a large group of protesters remained on Salmon Street, chanting and dancing. Eventually, a chant of “CITY HALL! CITY HALL!” went up and the crowd marched through the streets to City Hall, joining a group of protesters who had gathered there earlier.
The total crowd seems to number 300-400 and now the scene feels like a big raucous party outside City Hall: Someone has a Christmas tree and there’s a dude with a gas mask up on the balcony outside Nick Fish’s office. Just a regular Saturday night in Portland!
9 pm
Several vans of riot police are currently on the scene. Lots of shouting and chanting of “SHAME ON YOU!” from the Occupier side, but so far the police have not actually moved in and attempted to sweep the park. The park has been declared shut by an “emergency ordinance,” but it’s not clear what the emergency is.
- jake hachquet
8:30pm
The police just announced that they’re closing the South Park Blocks half an hour early. There is a PA truck, a phalanx of riot police, and a dozen bike cops around the South Park Blocks, announcing that everyone who’s in the park will be arrested if they don’t leave immediately.
Occupy supporters had about 20 tents up in the afternoon, but now people are slowly taking the tents down.
Denis Theriault reports from the scene: “This is going to bifurcate. The plan I’ve heard is that some people [Occupiers] are going to stay here and likely get arrested and another group is likely going to head to city hall.”
Sounds like police will be moving in very soon. The Occupy-run livestream is here.
Update 7:30pm—
The Occupy bat signal is up and running at the South Park Blocks and a crowd is still at the site. There are about 20 tents up and word on the street is that the police are considering enforcing a park eviction at 9pm. Riot police are reportedly suiting up and on site.
ORIGINAL POST:
- Matt Bors
- A business owner skeptically watched the Occupy march pass his shop.
Well, the “reoccupation” is underway. Supporters of Occupy Portland met at Salmon Springs fountain this afternoon and went on a round-about march to a previously undisclosed site they hope will be a new tent city for a two-week long occupation.
The location chosen for the reoccupation was kept secret because protest organizers worried about the police getting word of the location and shutting down the protest before it even started.
After marching over the Willamette and back again just around downtown, the 300-person crowd headed to the mystery location: the South Park Blocks, right behind the Schnitzer. When the group arrived, people started shouting, “Welcome home!”
There was minimal police presence along the march and, although Mayor Sam Adams said yesterday that park closure hours would be enforced, minimal police presence at the Park Blocks so far. As Occupiers started setting up tents, one the handful of police officers accompanying the march told them to take the tent down, but after the crowd began chanting, “We love the police!” no action was taken.
As Denis Theriault reports, the parks are now home to five tents, three canopies, and several platters of veggie chips.
Updates as we have them!
They should’ve held out for a mystery location wrapped in an enigma location. This one’s right across the street from at least one residential building. Sam’ll have the camp removed tonight.
Why can’t you OccuTards get out of the streets, stop destroying public property and start making more videos like the one you made last week? That latest video had a more coherent message than anything else you have done. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYhUPrXJ7eM I don’t agree with it, but it is an A+ as far as the quality of the video, sound, effects and editing. It should easily win some awards.
Please go occupy a parking lot instead of destroying the grass, soil and the trees in a public park.
This si starting to seem pathetic.
Now, by veggie chips, do you mean “fries” or “crisps” ??
ANDY FROM BEAVERTRON I DEMAND YOU CHANGE YOUR LOGO INTO THE CHANGE INTO A TRUCK PICTURE OF OPTIMUS PRIME. YOU ARE SO FULL OF AWESOME, GO ALL THE WAY.
Björk and Green Day? Some very questionable music selections by #opdx
Andy, this isn’t oregonlive. We don’t do the “tard” thing here.
Wow, Justin Bieber got his ass whipped.
To the Occupiers: Why have you choosen to be not at the “rich” end of the Park Blocks but the Senior/Disabled end. Where there are 4 low-income Senior/Disabled building – 300 residents. Not up the blocks to where the super rich LADD residents are – your so called 1% live. You decided to steal the senior/disabled residents tiny area of Portland, to keep us up all hours of the night blasting Thriller. There are extremely sick people in some of these buildings who can not sleep because of the blasting boom boxes past midnight. That tiny park is the only place that most of the tenants, who are wheelchair bound can go during the day. That is their only enjoyment our little end of the Park Blocks. That is where they read, talk and sit – the only things they can afford to do. Now you have stolen that away from them. And now they have to walk in the dark blocks out of the way to take their dogs out not just across the street. It is their access route to the market. Move up to SW Columbia and SW Jefferson where the Rich Park Blocks are. Give the disabled & seniors back their park for them and their dogs. There are close to 300 residents who surround that end of the park. Additionally, when we asked the occupiers who returned after the police left to please turn the music down (it was after midnight) – we got obscenities and some bull about you are either with us or against us – so live with it. It was the seniors cleaning the park this morning of all the garbage and dog poop left my you people.
If it is really the 1% you are raving about – than move to where they live – not where people are living at little more than $7,000 a year. Why should the most vulnerable part of Portland society be forced to suffer because of you. Your group should be ashamed of themselves.
If you continue to occupy our tiny park you will have 300 seniors/disable at least 75 in wheelchairs protesting you to “Take back our park” and that will not look good on the 6PM news. And believe me that will hit every news worldwide. That the occupiers do not care about the people who have suffered the most from the 1% – seniors and disabled. We are not against your cause only who you feel should suffer for it.
So, literally, you’re saying they should get off your lawn?
Alex L. Valid points, thanks for adding your voice here.
Occupy has had a history of working with concerns of the neighbors and police. As an example, in the last camp, there were noise curfew hours. If they stay, I encourage you to talk to them directly and I’ll bet they will work these issues out.
They may not have thought about your concerns, especially since the intention was to stay for short periods of time, rotating among locations. The advantage of rotation is that they are able to bring the movement to many people, including yourselves, should some of the residents there wish to participate. Seniors are especially affected by the creation of an aristocracy in this country, with extreme income disparities and the threat to health care delivery and Social Security and your views would be important to hear.
Knowing these folks as I do, I truly believe, had they been allowed to stay for the two weeks, you would have been very welcomed into the park, the noise curfew would be reinstated and the needs of your dogs would have been handled by the Occupiers.
They also have a history of blowing off the cops or peoples concerns.
The unblocking of 5th ave (?) till police action comes to mind.
I agree with Alex… I don’t see much effort at change…just and effort to “occupy” and confront authorities….with predictable results. This looks a lot like self empowerment with some asshole behavior mixed in