Injured Occupy Portland Protester to Testify at City Council Hearing on Police Accountability

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

http://nightingale.chipin.com/jj-bridges-recovery-fund

Portland, OR, December 7, 2011 — Injured Occupy Portland protester Justin James Bridges will testify at Thursday’s City Council hearing on police accountability at 2pm at City Hall. Bridges was a victim of police brutality during the eviction of Chapman Square on November 13. He remains in a wheelchair, unable to feel or move his right hand and right leg. He has lost his livelihood as a professional guitarist and his avocation as the volunteer sign language interpreter for Occupy Portland. Bridges does not have health insurance and supporters have established a recovery fund to pay for his medical care and therapy.

Bridges was one of several peaceful protesters who left the scene at Chapman Square in an ambulance on the afternoon of November 13, after police raided the park. [At this link, see video of the incident at 6:15 and Bridges signing at 0:28: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9v8VvrAX0E.] Hailing from Texas, he makes his living as a southern blues guitarist and cannot play until he can recover full use of his right hand. “I was scheduled to play some big gigs in Texas and to record at Sunrise studio in Houston. Now I can’t travel or play guitar,” said Bridges.

Bridges was at Chapman Square on November 13 both to protest the eviction and to serve as the volunteer sign language interpreter at the Occupy Portland General Assembly, which held an emergency meeting at the square at noon. From the early days of the occupation up until the incident, he was the main interpreter for the deaf. Bridges explained, “I joined the occupation to speak out against injustice and to stand up for the right of the people to peaceably assemble. When I saw the need for a sign language interpreter so that deaf protesters could participate, I volunteered.”

Supporters have established a medical recovery fund to help pay for Bridges’ medical exams and therapy. “Justin is always helping and giving to others. Now we need to give back so that Justin can heal, make music, sign, and use all his talents in service again,” said Deborah Norton, coordinator of the Nightingale Network which formed after November 13 to support victims of police brutality. Aimee Miller, a member of the deaf community, said, “When I heard the news about Justin I was outraged. He volunteered to help me and other deaf activists with our communication needs. He inspires me.”

When he heard about the opportunity for public testimony at the City Council hearing Thursday, Bridges decided to speak out against police brutality and to speak up for accountability. “The fact that there are children going hungry in this country is a travesty. Governments and corporations must be held accountable for their actions. That’s what peaceful protesters are trying to do, and then we’re met with violence from the police. All people should be held accountable for our actions.”

Supporters can donate to the Justin Bridges Recovery Fund at http://nightingale.chipin.com/jj-bridges-recovery-fund. At that site, Bridges is also offering a free download of a recently remixed song of his own—created digitally on a computer using only his left hand and his voice.

This entry was posted on December 7, 2011 at 6:44 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.