Olympia Port Militarization Resistance (OlyPMR) March and Rally

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Olympia Port Militarization Resistance (OlyPMR) March and Rally

Submitted by enpen on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 8:16am.

Start: Nov 17 2007 - 1:00pm

Taken from Sandy M's blog.

The excessive use of force by police in Olympia, WA has turned a local antiwar protest into a major national news story.

On Saturday, Nov. 17, Olympia Port Militarization Resistance (OlyPMR) will hold a large scale march and demonstration to protest the use of local community resources to support the war in Iraq, and to bring attention to the police brutality experienced by antiwar demonstrators in Olympia over the past two weeks. Saturday will mark day thirteen of a campaign by OlyPMR to stop the war in Iraq by preventing the movement of military equipment. Demonstrators have been engaging in nonviolent direct action, using their bodies to block convoys of Stryker combat vehicles from leaving the port.

This march comes on the heels of two weeks of peaceful demonstrations that have been met with excessive force by the police. In one instance, after stopping any movement of military equipment for 17 hours and successfully forcing a convoy back into the port, a line of demonstrators held hands in front of the port gate in nonviolent resistance. Police responded with batons, pepper bullets, and pepper spray, often applied after removing demonstrators' protective goggles.

On Nov. 13, more than two hundred people rallied at the port. Thirty-nine women were arrested while sitting, arms linked, in front of the main gate. At the same time, a group of demonstrators attempted to blockade a second gate and were bombarded by police with tear gas, pepper spray, less-lethal shotgun rounds and concussion grenades. Dozens of people were injured.

On Sunday night, demonstrators met at city hall to demand an end to the brutal tactics of the Olympia Police Department. City Councilmember TJ Johnson heard compelling testimony from more than sixty citizens who experienced police brutality over the preceding several days.

The march on Saturday will begin at Percival Landing (4th Ave and Water St.) at 1:00 pm, stop briefly at City Hall, then proceed to the Port Plaza for the rally.

Community members are available to speak to the press.

Contacts:

Noah Sochet (510) 325-8138

Andrew Yankey (360) 349-1089

Annamarie Murano (360) 878-1401

Sandy Mayes (360) 878-3238

###

Link to footage of police action against protesters:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgi5ESpueX8

http://www.kirotv.com/news/14573082/detail.html

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Calendar

Of course Oly PMR will have...

Submitted by Tschida on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 10:27am.

all the proper permits for a march and coordinate with traffic police so as to show a tiny bit of respect to the city they are affecting.... right? C.

One of the great non sequiturs of the left is that, if the free market doesn't work perfectly, then it doesn't work at all-- and the government should step in.

Thomas Sowell

No permit is required, so

Submitted by chaney on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 10:48am.

No permit is required, so long as you only block traffic in one direction. And really, the question of respect can go both ways.

I don't know....

Submitted by Tschida on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 11:26am.

the ins and outs of city/county laws on this stuff. You are correct respect can go both ways. Obey the law, and I will bet you will avoid getting any static from the police. Perhaps it should be in the forefront of this discussion that respect is earned. C.

One of the great non sequiturs of the left is that, if the free market doesn't work perfectly, then it doesn't work at all-- and the government should step in.

Thomas Sowell

Honestly...

Submitted by chaney on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 11:52am.

I don't mean to accuse the OPD of profiling or anything, but when I was in high school (Oly and Avanti, if you're wondering) I had shoulder length hair, sometimes longer. The police stopped me all the time, I'd say once every month or two, to "run my name." I've never been charged with a crime or ticketed in my life. Since I've cut it, this doesn't happen anymore.

I think there's a perception that the OPD views members of certain subcultures as the enemy, and I think they did a lot to reinforce that idea this week. I've heard a lot of people say that it seemed like the police were enjoying themselves, and it looked that way to me too. So again, the talk of respect, and earning it, can go both ways.

Ummm...

Submitted by Tschida on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 12:23pm.

You said, "I think they did a lot to reinforce that idea this week." You mean by arresting those who were breaking the law? Sitting in the street? Blocking traffic? Pedestrian interference? This is not a case of profiling. Further, respect does go both ways, with out a doubt. Police have earned the respect by becoming police. Don't get me wrong, I don't have much in the way of warm feelings towards the police, but they have earned the right to wear the badge, and even if I disagree with them, or I know for certain they are breaking the law, I will obey the law, and take up the issue properly, not by defying their authority and put my self or anyone else at risk of getting a baton on the chin or pepper spray in my eyes. What have the protesters done to earn anything other than the scorn of every clear thinking person? C.

One of the great non sequiturs of the left is that, if the free market doesn't work perfectly, then it doesn't work at all-- and the government should step in.

Thomas Sowell

They reinforced the idea by

Submitted by chaney on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 12:49pm.

They reinforced the idea by using violent methods when orderly arrest was clearly possible. My point was not that the protesters were profiled, but that when the police take the first opportunity to escalate that sort of situation, it feels like they've been dying for the opportunity to beat up some "hippies." Would there have been concussion grenades and rubber bullets if a few hundred pro-lifers blocked the entrance to Planned Parenthood? It's very hard to respect police who seem to view themselves as on one side of a culture war, especially when they're on the other side.

As for the protesters, well, many of us have been "taking up the issue properly" for going on five years now. The war is tearing our country apart. Ultimately, when justice and the law conflict, you have to choose one or the other, and I personally respect those who choose justice.

"justice"?

Submitted by rebecca on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 1:11pm.

"Ultimately, when justice and the law conflict, you have to choose one or the other, and I personally respect those who choose justice."

Even assuming the war is wrong and assuming that breaking the law in order to oppose it is justified ... wouldn't you acknowlege that there is a "right" and a "wrong" way to go about it? That there is some limit, besides whatever limit comes from the law, for how a cause can be rightly be promoted?

I realize there's been some dispute on here as to how peaceful the protesters were or weren't --- maybe partly due to different protesters taking somewhat different approaches. So would you be willing to clarify what you have in mind by "[choosing] justice"?

Does this include using other citizen's property to block traffic (without there permission)? Does it include throwing bottles or whatever (which could potentially injure someone)? Or do you just mean blocking military-related traffic?

I want to hear where you draw the lines. Thanks.

Blocking military-related traffic.

Submitted by chaney on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 1:33pm.

I think both sides probably went too far, and both sides escalated things in response to the other. But I saw none of the delight in violence *directed at other human beings* on the side of the protesters, and that's where the police lost me on issues of respect and justice. I'm not aware of any injuries caused by the protesters, and I don't think you'll ever see a protester shoot anyone in the face with anything in their efforts to stop the war.

I don't think...

Submitted by Tschida on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 1:39pm.

I would agree with your notion of 'justice'. C.

One of the great non sequiturs of the left is that, if the free market doesn't work perfectly, then it doesn't work at all-- and the government should step in.

Thomas Sowell

That's fine.

Submitted by chaney on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 1:45pm.

That's fine.

Cool!

Submitted by Norm on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 12:28pm.

Have fun with that. I'm writing myself a note not to be downtown Saturday afternoon.

You should go Norm

Submitted by Rob Richards on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 1:09pm.

It'll be a good chance for you to break out that Cat sweatshirt. Seriously, you should go. It'll be a good time, and you might learn something about things you don't understand.

I'd go at the end, but I wouldn't march.

Submitted by Norm on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 1:36pm.

I would be the epitome of a hypocrite.

Frickin' A People.

Submitted by JstPlnOnry on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 5:48pm.

I was going to try & take my grandsons to the Farmer's Market again.

This just isn't right. How do I explain to a 3 year old and a 4 year old that, AGAIN, we can't go do one of their favorite things to do on a Saturday? They miss Mr. Sully giving them free apples after making an apple swan and eating a pastry from Wagner's on the benches while somebody performs onstage.

Before long, it will be too cold to take the boys down...

It's a sad day in Olympia when you're too afraid to go to your own downtown core with your grandchildren for a day of fun. Now, I'm angry.

I really doubt you have anything to fear

Submitted by Guglielmo on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 6:06pm.

about the Saturday event. I'll buy you a pie if it turns out otherwise.

Thank You, But

Submitted by JstPlnOnry on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 6:09pm.

nobody thought things would turn out the way they did this past week either and I just won't take a chance of things getting out of hand with my grandchildren nearby. If my husband was with me, I may not be so worried since we could each whisk one of them off, but it's just me and the boys this Saturday.

That's understandable

Submitted by Guglielmo on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 6:35pm.

Sorry to hear that.

Saturday at the Market

Submitted by grandma on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 7:12pm.

JstPlnOnry -

I'm going to go to the Market about 10 or 11, just in case. From the notice, looks like the march will be at 1:00 p.m.

You could head down their early with the grandkids, then treat them to lunch someplace else.

Good luck!

I Thought About That Too!

Submitted by JstPlnOnry on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 7:13pm.

I just wonder how many will be down there for pre-festivities if you know what I mean!

This is just a march.

Submitted by Rob Richards on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 7:26pm.

There's no plans of direct action, just a march, signs and chanting and stuff. I seriously wouldn't worry about it. Especially if you're going to be inside the Farmer's Market.

Yeah, Well

Submitted by JstPlnOnry on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 7:31pm.

the protest was supposed to be peaceful and nonviolent too! It ended up being just the opposite! Not to mention, there are a lot of angry people at the protesters now and who knows how they'll react to this march too!

Maybe I'm just a big wuss who doesn't want to take any chances with her grandchildren. I'm OK with that!

I totally understand not

Submitted by Rob Richards on Fri, 11/16/2007 - 11:44pm.

I totally understand not wanting to take any chances. I wouldn't take my son somewhere if I was worried about something happening that could endanger him.

This is a different kind of event though. This is just a march and a rally, this isn't about blocking the port or civil disobedience. Anyhow, you should do what makes you feel comfortable, just don't let the freak events of this weekend scare you away from rallies that are going to be peaceful and safe, usually they're pretty fun.

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