>>X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express Macintosh Edition - 4.5 (0410) >>Date: Tue, 02 May 2000 08:53:54 -0700 >>Subject: Report on Portland's May Day "riot" - please pass on >>From: "Mitzi Waltz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >>Hi folks - wanted to pass this on, an account from local peace activist >Dave >>Mazza on yesterday's May Day march in SF. I can add what I saw about 2 >hours >>*before* the march as we drove home from downtown. A contingent of about >100 >>mostly young anarchist types, many on bicycles, came toward us on NW >>Broadway. They were attempting to march toward downtown from NE Portland, >>accompanied by a giant paper-mache pirate puppet and a car-sized "pirate >>ship" tottering along on bicycle wheels. The pirate ship was left behind >on >>the Broadway Bridge; as we passed it we noted a van-load of people being >>searched by the police. I think they may have been towing the "ship" but >I'm >>not sure. The group that had made it across the bridge was surrounded >by a >>huge phalanx of police - I'd estimate 40+ officers - including horse >patrol, >>police on ATV trikes, and dozens of cop cars. Its was the arrangement of >the >>cars that let me know that violence was sure to happen that day. In the >back >>of most was an officer already dressed in riot gear, many equipped with >one >>of their "non-lethal" (beanbag) shotguns. (By the way, having seen >>first-hand how these were used against a crowd of young Black people >>protesting police mistreatment 3 blocks from my house last year, I know >how >>painful and dangerous the loads used in these devices can be.) The back >>doors of the police cars were propped open so that the riot police could >>leap from the vehicle on a moment's notice. Each had his hand on the door >>bars, ready to make that leap. >>The crowd stayed in the street and was amazingly orderly. At least half >of >>the marchers had their faces covered, and this probably spooked the cops. >>Along the periphery of the crowd were various plainclothes officers, and >a >>number of plainclothes vehicles were parked on side streets leading to >>Broadway. >> >>It goes without saying that the police had the violent end of this >>"situation" planned well in advance, as usual. Our new chief of police, >Mark >>Kroeker (recently arrived from 30+ years with the LAPD and a stint >>overseeing military policing in Eastern Europe with the UN's >International >>Police Task Force), will no doubt see this event as a feather in his cap. >>He's apparently considered some sort of "terrorism expert," serving on >the >>Trilateral Anti-Incitement Committee for the State Dept. If anyone has a >>copy of the magazine "INTELLIGENCE" (ISSN 1245-2122, N. 70 New Series, 17 >>November 1997) it carries an article on Kroeker that I'd love to see! >>There's also an "inspirational" audiotape by Mr. Kroeker available from >the >>Christian Peace Officers Association (see >>http://members.aol.com/cpastrath/tapes.htm) that might be interesting >>listening, especially the section on "The New Social Disorder". >>Incidentally, Kroeker was passed over for LAPD chief a couple years ago. >>During the election he had the endorsement of the LAPD's corrupt, >>brutality-excusing police union. >> >>Anyway, I digress.... here's the report: >> >>Anyone who saw the evening news tonight is aware that violence broke out >at >>the May Day march through downtown Portland. Unfortunately, the source of >>that violence was the Portland Police. May Day organizers obtained the >>proper permits for the gathering in the park blocks and had worked out >the >>details of the march with the police. The marchers, furthermore, worked >very >>hard to comply with the groundrules that had been worked out. While there >>was one arrest outside the county courthouse and a few brief scuffles >>between the police and the demonstrators, the march was peaceful and well >>within the boundaries of lawful dissent. Nearly 800 demonstrators turned >>out. There were, according to news reports, around 150 police officers on >>the scene. >> >>When the marchers reached the World Trade Center - home to the offices of >>Senator Smith - an observable change occured in police behavior. Officers >>seized a handwagon pulled by one marcher and roughed up the owner. A >>long-time Jobs with Justice activist tried to mediate with the officers >and >>was pushed aside several times in response. There was some pushing and >>shoving - all initiated by the police. >> >>The marchers had been chanting and drumming in front of the trade center >for >>about ten minutes when the officer in charge at the scene declared a >state >>of emergency and ordered people to move to Waterfront Park. The police >line >>almost immediately began herding people away from the trade center. March >>organizers, thinking that they could regroup at the park, called on >people >>to move towards the river. There were catcalls and people yelling about >>constitutional rights, but people did attempt to comply with the police >>order in spite of their anger over what was happening to their rights. >> >>Even then, the police struck out at a number of people. A young woman >>carrying a flag on a long bamboo pole accidently let the end of the pole >>touch an officer's face mask. She was unaware of what was happening - her >>back was turned towards the officer and she was heading to the park. The >>officer, nearly twice her size and weight rushed up behind her and >grabbed >>her partly by the hair and party by the hood of her parka and began >dragging >>her backwards. Suddenly being pulled backwards and off balance, the woman >>struggled to regain her footing. The officer responded by twisting her >head >>and pulling her back even harder. Finally, other marchers locked arms >with >>the women and several others, facing the officers, told him she hadn't >done >>anything wrong. It was only the presence of several cameras and >>videorecorders that seemed to convince the officer to let her go. >> >>Meanwhile, people reaching waterfront park were beginning to realize they >>had made a mistake. Moving in around the fountain, demonstrators found >the >>northern end of the space blocked by chain link fence. The southern end >of >>the space was largely blocked by McCall's restaurant. To the East the >River >>and to the west, a line of police officers were forming on the sidewalk, >>sealing off 800 people in a space not much larger than your average >>residential lot. >>The police turned back people who attempted to leave the area. Meanwhile, >>the officer in charge began telling people again that a state of >emergency >>existed, this was an illegal assembly and that people were to disperse >>immediately. When some protestors pointed out the lack of exits, the >police >>pointed to a narrow area along the river where people could move down to >>Jefferson St. and then "go home." >> >>There wasn't much further discussion. The police line began moving >forward. >>The mounted officers rode into the crowd attempting to herd people like >so >>many cattle, but doing little more than frightening their own horses and >>placing people in risk of being trampled. People not moving quickly >enough >>were struck in the back with police batons. One man, I'd estimate he was >in >>his early 60s and not in the best of health, was attempting to keep >ahead of >>the police. Each time he lagged behind an officer butted him in the >back. I >>was walking at a much faster pace and still I received two sharp blows in >>the kidneys from the butt end of a police baton because I wasn't >dispersing >>quickly enough. >> >>As to be expected in the environment the police had created, some people >>turned and shouted at the police for the brutality they had resorted to. >No >>bricks, no bombs or bullets. Just well-deserved epithets and calls for >the >>police to obey their own general orders (two officers were aiming >shotguns >>loaded with what is euphemistically called beanbags at people only a few >>feet away - the bureau guidelines state that weapon cannot be used at a >>distance closer than 25'). A large group of people - 100 or more - were >>encircled by the police. To avoid being struck, they sat down in the >grass. >>Others began fleeing across Front Avenue, chased by police officers who >were >>now swinging clubs at anything that moved. >> >>As some of us moved southward along Front Ave. a line of police moved >>forward to cut us off. One officer wielding a shotgun presumably loaded >with >>beanbags moved out ahead of the line, gun aimed from the hip, and began >>screaming for people to "surrender." A second later buckshot "beans" >>smashed against the wall above our heads. Behind us, some people were >being >>sprayed with pepper spray - you could smell it as well as see several >people >>run away with tears streaming down their faces. Several more rounds of >>beanbags were fired into the group moving south on Front. One young man >>broke into a run, crying "they're after me!" He passed me, followed by at >>least six officers. A few feet ahead, one officer tripped the man, >sending >>him crashing to the ground, three other officer piled onto him. Although >the >>man was face down in the street and his hands were clearly bound now with >>plastic cuffs, three officers remained on top of him and were kneeing >him in >>the sides. >> >>At this point the whole thing dissolved. Looking back up front I could >see >>police cornering small groups of marchers - mostly young people dressed >in >>black or in ragged clothing - those most easily dismissed as >"anarchists" or >>dangerous street elements. Looking up the side streets I could see >groups of >>police following close behind marchers trying to make it back to the park >>blocks. In Waterfront Park the police continued the cordon around the >>protesters sitting in on the grass, while ahead, small groups of police >>continued to pursue individuals and groups of 2-3 protestors. Sirens >could >>be heard everywhere. >> >>There were no broken windows. There were no burning newspaper stands or >>dumpsters. No one threw rocks at the police. People tried to stay within >the >>lines, play by the agreed upon rules. In response, the police taunted and >>provoked demonstrators. When that didn't bring about the desired response >>they simply attacked and continued to attack. >> >>At least 12 people were arrested. For what remains unclear. >> >>Other people will be sharing their stories, I'm sure. I don't claim this >is >>an exhaustive account - only what I saw and that filtered through >exhaustion >>and a great deal of anger. >> >>If ever there was a question about whether we needed stronger civilian >>oversight of our police bureau, today answered that question in full. I >hope >>and urge people to get on the phone tomorrow to Mayor Katz and express >>outrage over the behavior of the Portland Police today. I also hope >people >>will get involved in the Police Accountability Campaign for a stronger >>review board. >> >>Portland's not Seattle I heard one cop say. He's right. What the people >in >>Seattle seem to have considered a gross mistake on the part of their >police >>department seems to be standard operating procedure for our own police >>force. >> >>Dave Mazza >> >> >> >> >> >> >>-- >> <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. 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