Occupy Portland will continue to use Main Street as a common space for meeting and community building, except for emergency vehicles, bicycles and the anti-war march on Saturday, October 15th.

We will initiate direct communication with transit and emergency service unions, as well as the community as a whole, to develop a long term plan that honors both the needs for accessible gathering space and the safety of the entire community.

This process will take effect as soon as a protocol is developed. A working group has been tasked with developing this protocol and will begin work immediately on reaching out to the communities mentioned. There will still be room for continued discussion about the use of Main Street. We encourage all members of the community to join us at our next General Assembly meeting by the Elk on Main Street at 7pm so you can participate in our process.

In addition, The General Assembly of Occupy Portland agreed upon the following
statement on October 12, 2011.

City Officials and the Portland Police have expressed concern that
Occupy Portland is endangering the lives and livelihoods of the people
of this city through our continued occupation of the section of Main
Street between City Hall and the Department of Justice downtown.

We, too, are concerned about the lives and livelihoods of the people
of Portland, as well as the safety of Occupy Portland. However, we
believe that a political and economic system controlled by the
wealthiest 1% is a greater and ever-present danger to the people of
Portland and across the world.

It has been claimed that our occupation of Main Street is slowing down
emergency vehicles and risking people’s lives. We acknowledge this
concern however, the real risk to people’s lives is the fact that 40
million Americans are without healthcare, 560,000 of whom are
Oregonians.

We occupy Main Street with them.

It has been claimed that our occupation of Main Street is interfering
with public transportation and inconveniencing Tri-Met workers. We
acknowledge this concern, however, the real threat to Tri-Met workers
is the millions of dollars in budget cuts, which are undermining the
wages and benefits of public employees and destroying our public
transportation system.

We occupy Main Street with them.

It has been claimed that our occupation of Main Street is keeping the
working people of Portland from getting to their jobs on time. We
acknowledge this concern, however, the threat to working people is an
exploitative economic system in which people find themselves with
growing levels of debt, unemployed, or stuck in low paying jobs
without benefits and virtually no control over their working
conditions or everyday lives.

We occupy Main Street with them.

We are the 99% and we occupy together.

This is not an official statement by the General Assembly of Occupy Portland.

This is not an official statement by the General Assembly of Occupy Portland.

This is not an official statement by the General Assembly of Occupy Portland.

This is not an official statement by the General Assembly of Occupy Portland.

This is not an official statement by the General Assembly of Occupy Portland.

This is not an official statement by the General Assembly of Occupy Portland.

This is not an official statement by the General Assembly of Occupy Portland.