--- Forwarded Message from Portland Copwatch <copwatch@teleport.com> ---
>Date: Wed, 3 May 2000 11:08:32 -0700 (PDT)
>Subject: Police Attack May Day Marchers (by Dave Mazza)
--- Forwarded Message from "Dave Mazza" <<mazza@teleport.com> ---
>Date: Mon, 1 May 2000 21:33:42 -0700
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
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