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Visit: N17pdx.org
Portland, OR — Occupy Portland and a diverse collection of groups will unite and take to the streets on November 17th to shut down major, corporate banks in Portland.
This international day of action follows the forcible eviction of the Occupy Portland encampment during which over 50 protesters were arrested. N17 will be one of many actions over the next week that Occupy Portland organizers are using to grow and engage the thousands of supporters who have joined this evolving movement. Participants intend to prohibit business-as-usual at the banking institutions that they feel have hijacked the government, contributed to the vast inequality of wealth that exists today and made enormous profit off the suffering of communities around the world.
Two specific demands uniting the N17 organizing groups are that banks stop foreclosing on people’s homes and that the city of Portland and Multnomah County immediately cease enforcing foreclosures. These demands embody the larger goal of reclaiming democracy by putting people and the environment before profit and greed.
“Refusing to enforce home foreclosures is one concrete way that we can reclaim power from the big banks and meet the needs of the people,” says N17 organizer David Osborn, “Our movement will continue to grow and evolve as we reclaim our economy and recreate our democracy.”
The N17 organizing group is an unprecedented, multi-generational collaboration of student organizers, labor groups, veterans, animal rights and environmental organizations, immigrant justice organizers and Occupy Portland activists.
Schedule for N17:
8am: Occupy Portland & labor groups converge on the east end of the Steel Bridge to demand Jobs Not Cuts.
10am: Rally at Waterfront Park (SW Pine & Naito)
11am: March & Mass Mobilization
More information at: www.n17pdx.org
The Bike Swarm is Back!
Tomorrow’s ‘N17 – Occupy the Banks‘ actions of civil disobedience throughout downtown Portland can count on an assist from a cadre of people on bikes. A ride dubbed ‘Swarm the Banks‘ will look to play a similar role to the ‘bike swarm’ that made its presence felt at the big standoff at Chapman and Lownsdale Squares this past Sunday.
Let’s get the next one going later in the day for those who work 9-5′s and/or on the weekend. It’s hard for me to attend these rallies otherwise.
Shout out to the media team, GREAT VIDEO! AWESOME MUSIC! May N17 be a day of empowerment for all.
How about demanding that consumers stop buying things that they can’t afford. Joe Blow agreed to the terms of the loan, if he can’t pay it, it is no longer his. I can’t figure out why this is so hard to understand, as they say ” you can’t fix stupid”.
I arrived at Chapman and Lonsdale Parks late in the morning on Monday the 14th. I stood at 3rd and Main with my sign and protested alone for most of the day while city employees filled trucks and dumpsters with the remains of the occupation and a small army of police stood outside the fences. I never camped in the parks but the occupation was inspirational to me. I came every weekend and marched and protested, washed dishes, helped load dumpsters with trash, smoked cigarettes rolled by Nick@Night and ate my share of the endless food flowing from the kitchen. I loved sitting at the crossroads of Chapman playing my guitar, listening to others making music, and talking to different people, but I could see that the parks were not designed to facilitate what was happening.
That evening I went to the GA in Pioneer Square where I found a crowd larger than I had expected. All the core occupiers were there along with many families, with children, that wanted to see the changes that the movement embraces. Everything went smoothly until certain people, not following GA protocol, demanded to have their say. The facilitators eventually gave in and let them have their say. It got ugly. Not that I’m the virgin Mary, but the language got foul and one guy with a flag on a long pole even insulted the crowd. As the crowd started to thin a little, I wondered how many might have been alienated and hoped people could get past this moment.
On Tuesday afternoon, I wandered into Pioneer Square to find a very informal GA. People shared ideas—it was a relaxed scene. I joined a march with probably about 100 people and just about as many police, keeping us out of the streets. We marched to the US Bank building and went inside. I thought we were going into a bank and thought “uh-oh.” I didn’t know it was a small mall with shops. One shop owner quickly closed his doors in fear of the crowd. This illustrated his perception of what we were all about. I wondered how many other people shared his misinformed fear. We marched through the mall chanting our slogans. The police remained outside and were there to meet us as we exited. We marched on with the police keeping us on the sidewalks and making sure we safely crossed intersections when the traffic lights changed. A few protesters demonstrated their animosity of the police, taunting them. The police remained calm and refused to be baited. I don’t really know for sure but it seems that there wasn’t a definite route we were taking through the streets. The police didn’t seem to know where we wanted to go next, making their job more difficult. I hoped this was not the intention of those that seemed to be leading us. At one point we came to a standstill, the police surrounded us. Down the street, a group of police in riot gear were marching in formation toward us. They looked like storm troopers from the Empire Strikes Back. It was very confrontational. If I had had children or my 88-year-old father with me, I would have left the march at that point, fearing for their safety. I am not protesting to fight with police, or to shove my ideas down someone’s throat. I am protesting to draw attention to the social, political, economic injustices we’d like to see changed. The standstill ended without incident, we marched on peacefully to City Hall where we chanted and danced and then dispersed.
I don’t live in Portland, but it seems to be one of the most tolerant cities I’ve ever visited. The people, including the homeless, are friendly to me. I feel safe walking the streets late at night. In some places, the police are looking for reasons to hassle people, but I don’t get that feeling in Portland. They seem to look the other way when I jay walk, which could be a reason to be hassled and searched in many other places. The city is full of beautiful parks, public restrooms, and I love all the bubbling water fountains everywhere. Michael Moore said we had the largest occupation in the county when he visited us.
We have to put behind us all the bad blood that the occupation of Chapman and Lonsdale Parks caused. We have to stop demanding apologies and stop bickering. We need to focus on moving forward. We need to be almost inhumanly reasonable and peaceful. We need to occupy a spiritual park where parents feel that their children and elderly parents are safe when they join us. We need to rely on and include the police in order to accomplish this. When we march and publicly assemble, we should lovingly demand that the police see to our safety. We should approach them as friends because we need them to accomplish what seems to be an almost impossible goal—changing a world motivated by greed into a world motivated by love and tolerance.
How about you retards occupy some job applications?
Really? Banks should stop foreclosing on homes where people can’t pay their mortgage? So, along with FREE college education that millions have paid for, you also want free room and board to those who either won’t work for it or can’t afford it? So what about us working stiffs that bust our butts day in and day out for things like, rent, mortgages and college loans? Should we all get refunds and be allowed to live for free? Please, just stop. You’re costing us 99% a lot of money in tax dollars that we don’t have!
Nice try morons, only a very small portion of banking business takes place in a branch. The only business as usual activity you will be prohibiting is the business of the people that you claim to represent. You are all rediculous children that have no concept of reality. The world will never be all sunshine and rainbows, work hard and you can be successful. Don’t and well…. look in the mirror.
Funny how the video complains that the banks funded the destruction of the environment. Do you occupiers realize that it will be the Portland tax payers funding the destruction you caused to our environment?
Hypocrites.
natural environment and man-made environment are two very different things.
Keep up the demonstrations and marches….anything that requires police to cover your demonstrations, is an added burden to the city’s budget, and an expense that takes away from something else the city needs….eventually the city will listen too your demands just to stop the drain of their revenues for police coverage….keep the pressure on the city by demonstrations that require police coverage, this is your bargaining chip and power….
“eventually the city will listen too your demands just to stop the drain of their revenues for police coverage”
And what possible demands could be met that would cause people to stop at this point? Looks to me like protesters are going to keep this up until either they get bored of it or the city burns to the ground whichever comes first. If their demands were met (are there even demands specific to Portland?), there will be new demands. Your comment implies that Occupy is negotiating, when in fact they are demanding unilaterally and furthermore their demands can’t even be satisfied by Sam Adams or anyone in the city if they wanted to. Then you carry on as if everyone else but you are the crazy ones. Good luck to you guys and I hope you come up with a healthy solution that is respectful to everyone who agrees with you or not.
“Refusing to enforce home foreclosures is one concrete way that we can reclaim power from the big banks and meet the needs of the people,” says N17 organizer David Osborn, “Our movement will continue to grow and evolve as we reclaim our economy and recreate our democracy.”
Ok, so there are the demands, thanks. I’m just really frustrated by this situation.
THE MORE YOU COST THE CITY….THE STRONGER THE MOVEMENT BECOMES….
“This illustrated his perception of what we were all about. I wondered how many other people shared his misinformed fear.”
Honestly it’s reasonable for any shop owner to close their doors when they see a mob coming no matter what the intent of the mob is. It’s entirely possible the shop owner was not “misinformed” but that they used common sense and/or had some knowledge of the psychology of mob mentality.
Clearly you had no intent to damage the stores, but what about if there were agent provacateurs among you?
I agree with the sentiment of OWS, one thing that bothers me about it is the lack of empathy protesters have for members of the 99% who are not part of their protest. It’s an ends justify the means attitude that I believe is unhealthy whether it’s coming from the government or the protesters.
Here’s a comment that you should read at the G.A. tonight…. One of the best I’ve seen….It was in the OregonLive.com comment section, by jahpablo3.
jahpablo3
This isn’t a movement made up a few college kids, “dirty hippies,” or “substance-abusing bums” as you ignorant people seem to assert verbatim from the mainstream media. Millions across this country and, for that matter, the WORLD are joining and participating in Occupy events or the like and the concerns inherent to the movement are both clear and righteous. The very fabric of what it means to be an American or a free citizen of this world, democracy, and Constitutional if not human rights are under attack all across America and the world and the sheep among us (most of you on this page) are leading us all to slaughter by believing and supporting lies manifested by large corporations, big banks, and dirty politicians and reiterated in mainstream media. I think it’s positively hysterical that, all of a sudden, you all are worried about some parks downtown that you’ve never even been to and probably never will instead of defending the First Amendment, democratic due process, economic sustainability, world peace, and civil rights. You are the problem with this country, not the protestors. I’m sure the likes of you probably called MLK and his fellow African Americans “the N word” as they walked the streets in defense of their God-given human rights. You probably also don’t believe women should vote and that we should continue to sacrifice our youth across the pond in multiple pointless wars dedicated to securing oil, fighting “terrorists” whom the US government not only brought to power but funded, and further colonizing the world for our own selfish gain. You are more un-American then any of those kids walking the street right now. This country was founded by a group of individuals who sought to escape the tyranny of the British Empire and their close relationship with large corporations of the time, most notably the East India Company. It is more American to walk the streets to speak out against the corporate and political robber barons amongst than it is to sit on your likely large bottom, eating Taco Bell and drinking some chilled high fructose corn syrup, while ridiculing those of us that have the courage to fight for the common man. And, just so you know, because I’m positive you won’t actually come down to any of the events, the Occupy movement is made up of people of all ages, races, genders, socioeconomic statuses, ideologies, political affiliations, abilities, and purposes. I stood side by side with an elderly woman in a wheelchair during the last protest and I’m pretty sure she wasn’t a violent street kid. Get a clue.
Posted on Occupy Portland: PSU students gather for protest, march through downtown on November 16, 2011, 2:26PM
Thank you very much for re-posting this. My sentiments exactly.
im a truck driver and i just saw a military convoy with helicopters headed west on 80 out of cheyene wy maybe it was a drill but ive never seen anything like this their red and blue lights were flashing they were led by local sherriffs a couple of silver suburbans that said federal bureau somethin and they had blue lights and several military humvees and such had blue lights flashing i have never seen red and blue lights on a military flashing on the highway until today and like i said 3 military helicopters in the air accompanied this convoy.
Cool story bro!! I just saw a squirrel run up a tree and then back down and then a leaf fell out of a tree right next to the squirrel.
WTF you doing in my backyard?
Hahahahaha!!! I love it!!!
“THE MORE YOU COST THE CITY….THE STRONGER THE MOVEMENT BECOMES….”
“Anything that requires police to cover your demonstrations, is an added burden to the city’s budget”
It seems we have a problem on several levels. One is the fact that when there is damage done to parks, banks and structures and the police are called in on an overtime basis then we all pay for ALL of that on next year’s taxes. I know that everyone would like a peaceful protest but I have seen some protestors get angry and go off the deep end at the slightest whim.
I suggest that everyone take a page out of the 1960′s Flower Power protests against war and use PEACEFUL means of protest such as a “sit in” – just sitting ONLY sitting, chanting quietly and NOT ENCOURAGING VIOLENCE AND NEGATIVITY!!
I also think more importantly that the leaders figure out clear and understandable topics to protest on (since there is so many) and encourage everyone to educate themselves on the different kinds of government and different ways to PEACEFULLY PROTEST!!
The goal really should be PEACE and PATIENCE!! Wait for the police to make a move rather than instigate them into action!