PRESS RELEASE: 10/20 Sam Adams Press Conference Response

For as long as there have been politics and wealth, there has been corruption and disparity. The fight against oppression and inequity is a never ending battle, but it is in this most opportune time that we the people have set out again to raise our voice in the name of justice, not to relive history, but to make it.

The City of Portland, the Mayor’s office, and various government agencies have repeatedly expressed a central idea: the issues that Occupy Portland and the greater Occupy Movement are discussing represent a tipping point within our society, and the ideas expressed are foundational not only to the situation we find ourselves in today, but the very principals upon which the Constitution is based.

We are the 99%, but even more importantly, you are the 99% as well. Some have said that we are vague and lacking specificity. The truth is that Occupy Portland represents something quite specific: a voice. Those who have expressed hesitation over our goals and messages have been just as marginalized as those of us who have set up tents and expressed discontent.

The Mayor’s office today restated that our protest represents an important message, and that so long as the function and safety of the city is not compromised, discretion will be used to address our situation. Occupy Portland has been engaging in peaceful, non-violent protest for fifteen days. We have learned a lot, grown a lot, and integrated ourselves with neighbors, friends, and the community at large.

We invite people of all walks of life, of all political and ideological backgrounds, of all educational and vocational opportunity to come and participate. We hide nothing that we do, we keep our meetings publicly available, and we do not exclude voices from the process. If anyone feels their voice is not represented, we invite them to contribute to our conversations.

Some have attempted to paint with a broad brush, and color everyone at Occupy Portland with imaginative descriptions or accusations. Anyone who perpetuates such fantasy is either lying or has never actually seen the occupation. We challenge everybody to uphold intellectual honesty, ethical conduct, and to avoid cheap labels.

People of the entire world—no matter their ideologies—are waking up to the fact that their voices are not represented, and that their representatives often govern without consent. We all experience this in different ways, but the injustice and inequality is systemic, and so to voice our concerns we venture outside the system, where we can talk to each other and collaborate on what really matters to us as people and citizens of the United States of America.

The entire world has been waiting for things to be different. It is time to stop waiting and start doing. For every protester that sets up a tent there are thousands at home who silently understand. We can’t be silent any longer, and neither should you.

Occupiers, detractors, media, small business owners, union members, laborers, public employees, police officers, and more… we are all the 99%.