“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. 

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.

From the Occupy Portland PR Committee

At 11:30 last night, a letter from the Communique for Night of 2/28, a non-Occupy Portland group, expressed that their action was done in solidarity with Occupy Portland. As Occupy Portland has clearly stated in every mention of #F29 Shut Down The Corporations, this event will be peaceful. Property destruction through autonomous action by individuals or groups has never been advocated for or supported by Occupy Portland.

Occupy Portland, Portland Action Lab and the many others that will joining the F29/Anti-ALEC march and rally look forward to a peaceful and informative day of positive action and discourse with fellow Portlanders. We recognize that all protests can cause temporary disruptions. We will be on the streets today because of the lasting damage ALEC has done to our democracy and environment, to workers  and to people fighting to keep their homes in the face of foreclosures. We hope that fellow Portlanders recognize that though our actions today will be disruptive yet peaceful as we create awareness to shut down ALEC, when we succeed we will have changed the course of history in our political system by helping restore the legitimate voice of all of the American people, not just the 1%.

MOVE TO AMEND AND ALLIANCE FOR DEMOCRACY OCCUPY THE COURTS

National Day of Action for a Constitutional Amendment Making Clear that Corporations are Not People and Money is Not Speech

Portland, Oregon – On January 20, 2012, at 11:30 a.m., hundreds of citizens will gather at Pioneer Courthouse Square for a rally and march calling for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which makes clear that corporations are not people and money is not speech. This is a national day of action just one day before the second anniversary of the infamous Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which held that corporations (as people entitled to the rights protected by the U.S. Constitution) can spend unregulated sums of money in order to influence elections. The Portland event is one of over 130 rallies in cities and at federal courthouses around the country, including the U.S. Supreme.

Neither the Declaration of Independence, nor the Constitution mentions corporations, which were rare entities at our nation’s founding. However, thanks to decades of rulings by Justices who molded the law to favor elite interests, corporations today are granted rights that empower them to deny citizens the right to full self-governance. Armed with these rights, corporations wield ever-increasing control over jobs, environmental protections, elected officials, even judges and the law.

“Corporations are not persons and possess only the privileges citizens and their elected representatives willfully grant them,” said David Delk of Move to Amend Portland. Move to Amend, supported by hundreds of thousands of people, across the county proposes a Constitutional Amendment that will overturn the Court-created legal doctrines of corporate personhood and “Money Equals Speech.”

On January 12, 2012, the Portland City Council adopted a resolution supporting such a Constitutional Amendment. With passage of this resolution, Portland joins the city councils of Los Angeles, CA, New York, NY, and Duluth, MN, which have all passed similar resolutions. “The resolution is a huge first step toward giving power back to the people and restoring democracy for the 99%; now it’s Congress’ turn,” said Erin Madden of Occupy Portland. Occupy the Courts is a manifestation of the frustration of citizens with the increasing corporate control of our government and the momentum building across the country for an amendment that puts the power back in the hands of “We the People.”

Speakers at the event will include Adam Klugman, host of “Mad as Hell in America” on KPOJ 620AM; David Delk with Move to Amend Portland; Erin Madden with Occupy Portland; and Barbara Dudley with the Working Families Party. The Raging Grannies will provide musical entertainment and the Supreme Court “Justices” will also attend and provide great photo opportunities.

Sponsors of the event include KBOO Community Radio, Alliance for Democracy, Move to Amend, the Economic Justice Action Group of the First Unitarian Church, and Occupy Portland.
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