July 23, 2007

Olympia Port Militarization Resistance achieved a significant victory this weekend in the city's refusal to host naval warships at the port for Lakefair.

In preparation for their annual event in downtown Olympia, organizers for Lakefair committed the mistake of inviting naval warships: the U.S.S. Ingraham and the Canadian vessels HCMS Saskatoon and HCMS Whitehorse. It was the intent of people like Lakefair president Teri Chmielewski to bring the warships to our port to honor our military. But in accordance with our stated intentions to keep the military out of our port, PMR established a quick response designed to point out Lakefair's errors in conducting such a divisive, provocative invitation.

With support from Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace, Veterans for Peace and the support of our community, the commitment to our democratic obligations prevailed. Several members of these organizations and members of the community attended Olympia City Council, Port of Olympia Commission and Lakefair committee meetings to display their dissatisfaction.

At an Olympia City Council meeting on July 10, an overwhelming majority of the public attending vocally opposed the ships’ presence at Lakefair. Under the impetus of our economic obligation to resist, even city council members questioned the Lakefair organizers’ hasty plans to ask for and expect financing for an increased amount of security to counter “protesters”.

Herein lies PMR's outstanding achievement. Our sustained resistance has shown other port towns the impracticality of consenting to military operations when the public doesn't want them around. The community of Olympia in resistance to war has established a reputation so non-violent, practical and forthright that we now have the power to prevent 'war as usual' operations from being conducted beyond the point of consideration.

This weekend's actions (and the previous months in preparation) have also broadened our resistance in efforts not explicitly related to war operations. From our moral and humanitarian obligation, we viewed the ships dormant presence as a dangerous opportunity to deceive youth and function as a tool of recruitment. It did not matter if this was or wasn't the central purpose for the naval presence. Therefore, anticipating the pageantry of ship tours and legitimization of illegal foreign occupation, we concluded this environment would perpetuate the lies reinforced by policymakers to our military communities.

Veterans For Peace, Rachel Corrie Chapter 109, expressed solidarity with us when we were invited to join them in the Lakefair parade. When Lakefair organizers announced that the ships wouldn't come on July 16, we knew our movement had achieved a significant victory.

PMR is currently involved in spreading these strategies of resistance to other port communities. After a workshop at the U.S. Social Forum in Atlanta, organizers in Baltimore, Washington DC, Philadelphia and New York invited PMR organizers to give workshops in their cities. We are proud to confirm this will take place soon. Along with a promising network with Tacoma, Aberdeen and Gig Harbor PMR, our work has earned wide-ranged, formal support from longshoremen in Oakland, CA to students in Vancouver, BC. Both are cities where we provided education regarding our cause.

Another local development is engagement with two of the three standing port commissioners (and also Suzanne Nott, an electoral candidate for commissioner) who have agreed to come to PMR meetings and listen to our concerns for the future.

What's needed now for Port Militarization Resistance to grow is emboldened public support through an increased presence in our meetings. The success of PMR to keep military ships out since our formation in May of 2006 cannot rest on reputation. Our movement still depends on the networking of other local port communities and keeping the internal pressure on those in power who choose to militarize our ports.

For information on how to get involved or for Olympia PMR meeting times, you can sign up at riseup.net for the olypmr list-serv. Or call 360-867-1477/253-334-8781

(for the public archives)