Cops get all lovey-dovey with Occupy Portland
The Portland police had nothing but kind words to say about yesterday's Occupy protests. Nice, mellow overtime -- they loved it:
Today’s F29 rally, march, and demonstrations were well facilitated, generally peaceful, and largely non-contentious. While today’s events were promoted by organizers as peaceful demonstrations of free speech, some information obtained by the Police Bureau leading up to today’s events had caused concern because it suggested that there would be large scale, possibly aggressive or violent, direct action resulting in significant disruptions in the downtown core. Luckily, that behavior did not materialize and concerns for safety and peace were largely relieved.
And Willy Week must have taken a survey or something that's told them to add Occupy to marijuana as their top priorities. They're positively fawning over the Occupiers these days. March around, block traffic, and shout at each other in "mike checks" -- it's all well and good, but is it really "leadership"?
Of course, F29 Eve wasn't too pretty. The mindless anarchist types in the Sunnyside neighborhood trashed three bank branches and a Starbucks. What is it with Portland that we never seem to bust these people?
But just remember, we've got no money in the city budget for a Republican Presidential debate. No, that's too much for the taxpayers to bear.
| Posted at 9:45 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (14)
Cops re-appraise Occupations because they got the memo, maybe?
A Message to All Police Officers From Occupy Wall Street,
Collapse Net, Mike Ruppert, 27 October 2011
Any anti-loveys and haters watching this (vimeo) video should be extra attentive at the 01:05 time mark, and ask themselves, if they were cops what would they do
in a face-off against such a mammoth Occupying force of sincere universal love.
Posted by Tenskwatawa | March 1, 2012 10:59 AM
I admit to some confusion over just what the so called Occupiers want. It seems they just like to march around and act angry. However, it does not break my heart that Portland wont be hosting yet another Republican "debate". The marketing promotions of the Republican Party billed as debates hardly meet any of the criteria one would expect to find. The weekly comic spectacle of the candidates tossing sarcastic one liners at the President and each other has done little to educate the electorate or clarify their actual positions. Nevertheless they provide great material for The Daily Show and other comedians. Bravo!
Posted by dean | March 1, 2012 12:52 PM
Over ten times there have been posts here questioning why the occupiers won't get up in arms about something the author feels up in arms about, or otherwise demonstrating serious ignorance of one of the most active political movements we've seen around here in a while.
Why not ask them? Did you get a chance to take a tour of their little community while they were dug in? The atmosphere was friendly and there were plenty of folks with heads firmly affixed to their shoulders happy to discuss their views.
You're not going to figure them out watching TV news, reading police reports, or rubbernecking live streams when the police break things up. The people throwing rocks and wearing masks were around here doing what they do long before the Occupy movement started up.
Posted by Aaron | March 1, 2012 1:37 PM
"I admit to some confusion over just what the so called Occupiers want."
"Why not ask them?"
... reporter then went back to his office and wrote the news story(s) about Occupy. Maybe the news story gave you a real clear explanation.Posted by Tenskwatawa | March 1, 2012 2:21 PM
"What is it with Portland that we never seem to bust these people?"
Come now, do you think that Adams would allow the Portland cops to develop informants within the anarchist "community" so that the people involved could be busted?
This is Portlandia! We realize that a certain amount of property vandalism is just part of having so many wonderful "creative class" types in town!
Posted by Random | March 1, 2012 2:27 PM
I'll be sure to patronize Starbucks diligently from here on out. When the coffee at work is not quite doing the trick, you can add some of those overpriced instant-espresso Starbucks packets to it. Very useful conditioning agents, although the packets run out quickly-keeping them on hand is a challenge.
Occupy lost a powerful enemy today. Andrew Breitbart collapsed on the sidewalk outside his home, age 43. He was a refreshing kind of right-winger, making a point recently to welcome gays ("homocons", in his words) to the conservative fold.
Posted by gaye harris | March 1, 2012 2:47 PM
I admit to some confusion over just what the so called Occupiers want.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/03/01-8
Posted by Ex-bartender | March 1, 2012 2:55 PM
In a truly telling event, a buddy of mine told me a little interaction he had with approximately 30-40 of the "Occupiers" last night.
My buddy is a bartender at a "dive" bar on Grand Ave and after the protest yesterday the aforementioned "Occupiers" showed up. 90% of them used corporate bank debit cards to pay and 80% left nothing as a tip.
He was good spirited about it and did not induce a riot, but nonetheless the smell of contradiction is strong with the group.
Posted by Z | March 1, 2012 3:28 PM
If anyone here knows a lawyer, please ask them if there is a statute, ordinance or prohibition against wearing a face obscuring disguise in public?
Many years ago, just prior to Halloween, we we advised by the police costumes were no problem, but in public...face obscuring masks were prohibited.
It's clear to me, that the masks and uniformly dark hoodies provide cover for the anarchist element which the majority of "occupiers" say are not associates but they facilitate their fading into the crowd.
If the police started pulling the masked avengers out of the crowd, pull off their bandanas, ID & photographed them and THEN released them back into the stream...much of the over the top behavior would be nipped in advance.
"Thank you for coming, you may pick up your bandana at central precinct tomorrow, Dirk"
Besides...when a black hoodie and masked anarchist forces his way into a bank...well, the results are fairly predictable.
Posted by LTJD | March 1, 2012 4:58 PM
These people are nothing but terrorists that commit terrorist acts. Nobody else could get away with this crap. They all get a pass because they are BO's foot solders and part n parcel of the democratic party. Therefor Shame Adams is OK with playing patty cake with them. Where the hell is homer land security?
Posted by GW | March 1, 2012 5:33 PM
I gotta find Tensk sometime between now and Christmas.
Wow...sincere universal love. Excuse me, got to go board up the windows.
Posted by Max | March 1, 2012 7:10 PM
I would be interesting to see the Occupy folks take on the cartel known as the American Medical Association? Now that would be charming.
Posted by Evergreen Libertarian | March 1, 2012 9:28 PM
They (the city and criminal punks alike) won't stop until there's a never-ending direct action at a newly-designated Riot Park.
They love how they look so radical on YouTube. Be sure to keep supplying them with rich straw-men (and free pizza).
Because if you don't... they'll complain some more. Have they changed anything -- even a little bit -- since last September?
Portland is pre-Occupied. Why aren't these people protesting in the suburbs around D.C.? That's where the 1% is anymore, just look at the stats.
Posted by Downtown Denizen | March 2, 2012 10:28 PM
There have been 20 already. Let us waste money on something else.
Posted by Jo | March 4, 2012 4:10 AM