“As you may have heard, representatives of the Westboro Baptist Church from Topeka, Kansas are planning to demonstrate in front of Olympia High School on North Street on Thursday, June 7 from 7:15 to 7:45 a.m. This well-known controversial group is in town to protest the marriage equality bill that was recently passed by the Washington State Legislature. ”

On Thursday, June 7th, our OHS students are planning a “Turn our Backs on Hate” Unity Rally in front of Olympia High School beginning at 7:15 a.m., in response to the Westboro Baptist Church’s protest that will take place across the street at that time.

The OHS students are crafting their message.  Adults who would like to offer friendly and positive support to our students are welcome to join us outside of the main entrance to OHS on North Street from 7:00-7:45.

We are asking all of our adult supporters to:

1.)  Wear Olympia Bear colors of blue and white

2.)  Not bring any signs, but rather support student and their rally for community unity against hate, bullying and harassment

3.)  Please support the guidelines that have been given to our students which include:

• Being respectful and safe
• Not engaging with any protesters
• Staying on the school side of the temporary barriers
• Following all school rules and state laws

4.)  Park at The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd on the corner of Henderson and North Street

We believe this is a great opportunity to showcase the incredible class and dignity of our student body and local community. We think this is something that can bring us all together and make us a stronger school and community and we are inspired and proud to see so many people who are passionate around making a difference and standing up against hate in our community.  Thanks for your support and for making our schools and community a positive and welcoming environment for all people.

The full statement is here:

http://osd.wednet.edu/community/response_to_westboro_baptist_church_demonstration

This post is  in solidarity with the Olympia School District and their ”Turn our Backs on Hate” Unity Rally. 

Nan recently returned to Portland after protesting at the Chicago NATO/G8 summits where she was detained by Chicago Police and where her belongings, including clothes, cell phone and walker were not returned to her.

There is a WePay set up in her name taking donations until midnight May 27.  https://www.wepay.com/donations/let-s-buy-nan-a-new-walker for those that want to help her replace the items taken from her while expressing her First Amendment Constitutional rights.

Nan was featured on MSNBC http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/20/11777363-great-grandma-ready-to-lose-my-life-protesting

Come on out and share some love with Nan.

4 PM Mt. Tabor Park SouthEast of the reservoir

This post is a Solidarity Statement in accordance with Occupy Portland GA approval. And it’s about Nan, who freaking rules.

Watch live on OPDXLIVE: http://opdxlive.org/

Because one or two people may show aggressive verbiage at a Portland Police Officer, it is ridiculous to characterize and entire movement as changing its tone, especially when Occupy Portland has been committed to peaceful marches, events and occupations from day one. And Occupy has successfully demonstrated our commitment to peaceful protest.

The only time there have been any incidents of violence at an Occupy event is when the police show up and instigate the violence. People only get hurt when the police hurt them. The outliers of this fact have been few and far between.

I have spoken to this fact in City Hall, and Mayor Adams didn’t have a word to say in response. There was a blank face and barely an acknowledgment of my words.

We have seen an incoherent and inconsistent strategy by the PPB in regards to how they approach and deal with Occupy and affinity groups and we are seeing an ever present sense of more malice and aggression.

After yesterday, it is clear to us that the tone and tenor of the Portland Police has become decidedly violent and aggressive and they are clearly not upholding their civic duty to promote the peace and safety of Portland citizens exercising their Constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly.

There’s no explaining the amount of violence and tactics deployed during the May 1 events, but we’re going to demand an explanation regardless. People were pulled off their bikes for no reason. People were slammed into pavement and hit with police bikes. Where in the Police manual is it legitimate to slam a bike into a person from behind for stepping off a sidewalk to help someone that has fallen down? This happened to someone very close to me.

When did it become policy for a Police officer to repeatedly punch a restrained person who is on the street and not resisting? Take a look at this video at around the 19 minute mark.

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/22273409

The next video shows two police brutally wrestling a person to the street, restraining him and then throwing down a woman on top of him and trying to drag the woman by her hair.

The woman was clearly pulled into the situation, and when by PPB policy is it appropriate to pull someone to one side by their hair?

Another great example is the takedown of this peaceful woman. Please explain this series of photos.

What the hell is going on with your department? Where is the leadership and training?

Mayor Adams, Chief Reese, Lt King, Commander Day, Captain Westbrook and others: If you think it’s acceptable to use violence on people that step off a sidewalk, hold people zip-tied for more than 4 hours for a misdemeanor violation and punch a 15-year-old kid, then you need to explain all of this to the citizens of Portland.

We are collecting and documenting these events.

Whether its New York City, Seattle, Oakland,  Portland or anywhere; Police violence is unacceptable . Nothing that happened during the May day events warranted the brutal response from the Portland Police.

It is no wonder that the US Department of Justice has an open investigation on the use of force and brutality in the Portland Police Bureau.

We expect and demand better. And we will hold each of you accountable.

Expect Us.

Kip Silverman
Portland Oregon

The Occupy Portland Spokes Council stands in solidarity with this letter.

May Day arrestee meeting on Friday, 5:30 to 7pm.

Stu Sugarman’s Office – 838 SW 1st Ave., Ste 500.

Take notes and gather evidence now while it is fresh.  Write statements
about what happened on May 1st and the circumstances regarding your
arrest. Collect all pictures and video possible.

If you have not checked in with the ELK Hotline ( 503 902 5340 ), please
do so.  You can email your evidence to info (at) elkpdx.org.

Please pass on to anyone else that needs this information. It is
absolutely crucial for your defense, and the defense of this movement to
participate actively in this effort. The police are in the spot light like
never before for police brutality. Lets make that light even brighter!

This is posted in accordance of the Occupy Portland GA Solidarity and News policy.

A National Day of Action in Defense of Public Transportation

“With fare hikes and cuts to service at TriMet looming on the horizon, Occupy Portland joins Occupy Boston’s call for a national day of action on April …4th in defense of public transportation. ‘Occupy TriMet’ will be a local day of action in support of reliable, affordable transit throughout our region.

On April 4th, 1967, Martin Luther King stated profoundly that “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” The 1% has wasted trillions of dollars fighting oil wars that should have gone towards building and funding the greatest public transportation system in the world. We shouldn’t have to be fighting each other for scraps to fund transit in the richest nation on the planet.

Amalgamated Transit Union International President Larry Hanley has endorsed A4, stating, “Public transportation is a human right and critical to our nation’s economic recovery. The ATU pledges our support for the Occupy National Day of Action for Public Transportation. It is so appropriate that these actions take place on the anniversary of Dr. King’s April 4th, 1967 speech ‘Beyond Vietnam’ because this crisis is about the toll and resources these wars have taken on working people and their families.”

We recognize that public transportation is absolutely essential for the 99% to get from home to work, to school, to doctors appointments, but we also realize that public transit is about more than moving from point A to point B. The streets used to be places where people gathered to engage one another. Unfortunately, 100 years of building for automobiles has seen rural road design replacing urban street design. The result is neighborhoods where people are forced to drive a car, and with millions of Americas barely able to afford housing, paying thousands of dollars a year for a vehicle simply isn’t an option.

Portland is a place worth caring about because of the positive ways that good planning and transit help define space. City centers should be places of social interaction, of festivities, of shopping, of performance, music, and art. We have made it easy to experience all those things and more in Portland by creating a strong network of public tranpsortation. Occupy TriMet plans to utilize many of those kind of activities on April 4th, to remind people that when you create modes of transit for people, the places in between become healthy, vibrant communities as well.

It is for all of these reasons that we will take action on A4, to engage and encourage the public to help solutions to take shape. We have a great variety of direct actions to deliver positive information, statistics, and proposed solutions that anyone can participate in. This is a day of empowerment for the people. Public transportation is the heartbeat of any major city. A4 will be a day to support our own livelihoods, and help it thrive. We invite everyone to come out and get involved.

‘Occupy TriMet’ demands public transit funding for all! Investments in rail must be matched by investment in buses to maintain a strong network. No more cuts to service. No more fare hikes. TriMet workers earning living wage with progressive benefits are no longer to be blamed. Degrading our public transit network will no longer be tolerated!”

• Date: April 4 2012
• Time: 4pm
• Location: Pioneer Courthouse Square (SW side)
  

Cash Mob Social creates a platform for free advertising for struggling businesses, targeted economic stimulus, and a crowd having a blast supporting the community at no cost to the business. We want you involved! Bring your friends to one of the following bi-monthly cash mobs and meet other great people with their heart in the right place.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012- 6:00 PM at The Candlelight Room 2032 SW Fifth Ave. Portland, Oregon 97201. The Candle Light Room holds special memories for many of us with its wonderful live music, great food and drinks. It will be a thing of the past on March 31, 2012 when the city of Portland knocks it down to expand the light rail from Milwaukie. Join us for Taco Tuesday where Tacos are two for a $1.00 and celebrate with us the final memories of this location.

Monday, April 2, 2012 beginning at 6:30 PM at Wichita Town Pub at 6106 SE King Road. Milwaukie, Oregon 97222. This business has been very supportive of fund raising events for years. Join us for a game or two of pool, shuffleboard or listen to your favorite music via their internet jukebox. Get the Occupier Special: Cheeseburger, fries, and a pitcher of Coors for $9.

Friday, April 13, 2012 beginning at 8:00 PM at the Bulldog Tavern at 1650 W. Burnside St. Portland, OR 97209. The owner is an Occupy supporter who is struggling to keep things afloat. He takes pride in his business down to the ingredients he uses to prepare his amazing food. There will be drink specials, open mic and the city’s dopest revolutionaries.

Have questions? Know of a business in need of a mob?

contagiouslyrevolutionary@gmail.com

This post was sponsored by the Webteam Committee. It is not approved by the Portland General Assembly

Tell Your Senators: Reject the Pipeline!

http://act.350.org/sign/kxl/

This post has not been approved by the Portland general Assembly but is posted in solidarity with the effort to stop the Keystone XL.

• Date: Sun, February 12
• Time: 3pm – 5pm
• Location: Corner of SW Salmon st and SW Park Ave, Portland OR

Purpose

Stop the war of the 1%

We the people of Occupy Portland condemn any act or form of violence.

We believe that any problem can be resolved in a peaceful way, and we are against any future conflict against the nation of Iran.

We want peace on our Planet, not war and no more false flags.

The people of Iran and America do not deserve to be used as tools for the benefit of the 1%. We the people of the world will lose in this war and nobody will win from any side, except the very few people who are orchestrating this insane war.

For this reason we want to make a call out to all the occupations in the country to join us in a national day of anti-war rally and march event this coming February 12, 2012, to make it clear to President Obama and the government that we don’t want any war with Iran.

Going to war with Iran means more tax money will be invested in the war, that in education or health care.

Going to war with Iran means the possibility of future bigger events and possibly war with other nations such as Russia, China, and Pakistan. For the future of the human civilization and our mother earth, let’s stop this madness and make our voice heard.

Peace will come when all come together as one.

WE ARE GOING TO HAVE MUSIC AND SPEAKERS FIRST AND THEN WE WILL MARCH.

More information:
http://portlandwiki.org/Occupy_Portland_Events#NO_WAR_WITH_IRAN_RALLY_and_MARCH
https://www.facebook.com/events/258444774225446/

See the flyer here: Anti-WAR March

This event was approved by the Occupy Portland GA. We do not have the date of approval presently. Regardless, No War with Iran is an excellent idea. You should attend.

February 8, 2012, Portland, OR – Occupy Portland protesters won a major legal victory Monday, with the help of pro bono attorneys from the National Lawyers Guild. Multnomah County Judge Cheryl Albrecht ordered the District Attorney’s office to respect the full constitutional rights of arrestees in the trial process.

Close to 200 arrests of protesters have been made in Portland since October 6, 2011, when thousands took to the streets in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street, protesting corruption in financial institutions and demanding social and economic justice. The vast majority of defendants were charged with misdemeanors, such as disorderly
conduct or trespass, that the District Attorney’s office later dropped to violations. Violation trials typically have no jury, no public defender, and a weak burden of proof, saving time and money for the state while making it that much more difficult for defendants to win their case.

Volunteer attorneys from the Portland Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild filed a motion on behalf of 20 Occupy defendants, arguing that since the police treated arrestees like criminals, the defendants are entitled to the same protections under the Oregon and U.S. Constitutions as criminal defendants. “The State can’t have its cake and eat it too,” said Attorney Bear Wilner-Nugent who argued the motion.

Protesters didn’t just receive written citations, but instead were handcuffed, booked, detained, and usually fingerprinted. Deborah Norton, a defendant who testified at the hearing, describes her experience like this: “The night of my arrest was a defining moment for me as an American citizen. It was the moment I realized I had the
right to exercise my First Amendment rights in the face of mass intimidation tactics by the Portland Police. I’m an ordinary citizen, a 40-year-old mother of two. They treated us like criminals and degenerates. It’s time for the public to wake up to the brutal tactics being used by our police force and say enough.”

In her decision, Judge Albrecht agreed that most arrestees are entitled to full protections, including jury trials, court-appointed counsel, and a burden of proof “beyond a reasonable doubt”. The only exception was made in the case of Class C Misdemeanors (such as Trespass) which carry a lower maximum fine.

Keller Henry, the lead defendant who also testified at the hearing, said, “This decision is a personal and a movement victory. I felt the judge actually took the time to hear my story and see me as a real person. Personal stories are at the root of the Occupy movement-people connecting with each other to find ways to combat the greed and corruption that brought us out into the streets.”

“The irony is that we did nothing to deserve arrest and criminal treatment in the first place. We were peacefully protesting, defending our First Amendment rights,” said Jackie Miller, another defendant. “The arrests and brutality we’ve experienced are traditional authoritarian tactics calculated to intimidate, harass, and put a chill on
political dissent. That’s why it’s so important to fight these charges,” said Cameron Whitten, a co-defendant who is a candidate in the Portland mayoral race.

Miller added, “And in the process we’ve won a decision that could help protect everyone in the county from harassment by police and protect constitutional rights and due process for arrestees. That would probably never have happened if it weren’t for our amazing NLG attorneys joining forces with Occupy.”

Elk Law Krewe (ELK), http://elkpdx.org. For further information, contact: Keller Henry,
radiomaker.keller@gmail.com or 616-401-5563; Bear Wilner-Nugent (NLG), 503-351-2327; Stu Sugarman
(NLG), 503-944-9779.