Police Put Down Portland Protesters

Hundreds of police officers dressed in riot gear approached Occupy Portland protesters Sunday in order to break up demonstrations.  Protesters set up camps in the city parks in relation to the Occupy Wall Street movements to protest economic inequality. 

Portland Mayor Sam Adams warned protesters weeks ago that their camps needed to be shut down for safety reasons. CBS News reported that Mayor Adams told protesters their camps needed to be shut down Saturday at midnight, but when protestors didn’t move, the Police stepped in.

Adams told CNN, “a series of increased drug overdoses... an arsonist that used the camp as camouflage and almost a 20% increase in crime surrounding the encampment” caused him to take action.  

The event was streamed live and people all around the country watched.  Police wore riot gear as a precaution. They arrived at the camp before noon on Sunday.  CBS News reported that officers arrived while demonstrators were having a “meeting” to discuss a new plan.  Police warned over a loudspeaker, “anyone who resisted, risked arrest, and may also be subject to chemical agents and impact weapons."

"We were talking about what we were going to do and then they just started hitting people. Seems like a waste of resources to me," protester Mike Swain, told the AP and CBS News reported.

Police forced people out of the camps into the street, and they lined up shoulder to shoulder with batons trying to hold the marching protesters back.  Protesters blocked traffic for hours. Over 50 protesters were arrested, Fox News reported. Protesters wore goggles and gas masks, but Fox News also reported that police did not use tear gas, rubber bullets, or other non-lethal weapons.  Only minor injuries were reported.

Temporary barbed-wire fences were put up around the parks to keep protesters out while the area was cleaned up.

Police confront other city’s protests

Reuters reported that police intervened with demonstrations in many other cities because they also had safety risks. 

In Oakland, California, the city issued a third eviction notice. Protesters were told that if they did not get out of the town plazas parks immediately, they would face immediate arrest. 

Mayor Francis Slay in St. Louis told protesters they needed to dismantle their camps that were set up in the parks, but he offered to talk about another area where the protest could be set up.

Occupy Philly protesters also faced police patrols at the city’s Dilworth Plaza.  The city was concerned about fire hazards, garbage, and unsanitary conditions. The area also had instances of theft, assault, and sexual attacks.  The plaza was awaiting a $50 million makeover. Philadelphia Mayor Nutter told Reuters’ reporters, “Occupy Philly is now purposely standing in the way of a nearly 1,000 jobs for Philadelphians at a time of high unemployment.”

In many places, Police have had to intervene with protests because of health and safety issues in the cities’ public places, not because they don’t support the protests.

Photo by S.MiRK.