Justified. Got damn hipsters acting stupid.

I don't think I implied in any way in my report over at Portland Metblogs that this was a case of Police Overreacting. I just wrote what I saw on KPTV and read on KATU.com. It was meant to be an open thread in order to garner other's reactions to what happened.

I linked it so people could see comments, some of which claim police were overreacting...

"Essentially what happened was as DJ spinning records drew a crowd of around 100 people who started dancing in the street. The crowd was fun, friendly with no open drinking in sight and just the occasionally reefer aroma."

If you want to party in the street, get a permit, lock the street down. Otherwise, kindly leave when the cops ask you to clear the street. These complaints remind me of spoiled kids in college whose sense of outrage towards authority trumped all reasonable logic with regard to how to prevent these types of incidents. Moreover, there are as many people who say that the cops instigated this as there are people who say the cops were just chilling until a fight broke out. Let's not assume we know all the facts based on one or two anecdotal observations from either perspective.

GETALIFE, you know what the anarchist kids will say to your, "kindly leave when the cops ask you to clear the street," comment... "Who's streets? Our streets."

The whole thing could've been a lot worse (although I wasn't there). But picking up a cop's Taser?! Isn't that something you're only supposed to do if you're trying to get shot?

Unpaid Intern,

I totally agree with you on all points. My comment was directed at those whose instinct is to blame the cops first, rather than the "anarchist kids." I also think the inclination to blame the media is misplaced as well. While I'd love for them to be at every community function, they can't always attend. As a result, when this stuff happpens and they're late on the scene, all they have is police reports and stragglers to go on. Those of us present ought to help them out with video and photos of the cops and anarchy kids when possible.

I wanted to go, but the Unpaid Intern had to work at one of his paying jobs (the one he's not legally allowed to comment or blog about). I wanted to go to see art not, "booze, fire dancers, and clowns," although I would've had a little booze.
Sounds like some people looking for Burning Man got lost... Fire dancers on Alberta?

I'm more than just a little surprised that no one has blamed this incident on people moving here from California...

It was prolly a bunch of damn Californians!!

Where's SmackBog? Shouldn't he be on here harping about how blame rests with condos, streetcars and TRAMS!?

So, the 'riot' that everyone is talking about is a total sensationalist spin on what really happened. My friend and I were sitting on a bench listening to a DJ on about 26th and Alberta and watching a handful of people dancing (children and 50something old hippy women). Gradually the crowd got bigger-- everyone was laughing and having the time of their life. It was a superfun wholesome time! When a bus or cop car wanted through, the crowd parted and let them through. The only riotish aspect of the makeshift club floor was the ocassional ironic chant, "It's our street, it's our street." The only person we didn't let through was some sorority girl talking on her cell phone and blasting her horn-- so obviously missing the infectious joy of the crowd. The couple in the mercedes smiled as they went by. One guy mock danced as he drove by, shaking his head to the smooth DJ tunes. Sorority girl was not having any of it though and so we wouldn't let her through. She had to back up and go around. She was pissed and we had a good laugh. So uptight. Anyway, the cops left us alone. The DJ closed up shop at 11:30 and when i drove by the same spot a few minutes later the cops were talking with stragglers. I don't know the circumstances of any arrests. I do know it wasn't a riot, it was merely a large group of people spontaneously dancing in front of some music. What could be more human than that? please.

Crazy how things work... Take a look at this post I found on Portland IMC.
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2007/04/358388.shtml

This person walked up as the situation right after it went down, and although they didn't see it, they felt compelled to blog about it and how the police were bullying peaceful people.

Now that they've read some other blogs out there, they've realized they misinterpreted the situation and the peaceful person the police were yelling at had actually picked up the officer's Taser in a drunken state. Oh, so that's why they pulled their guns on him...

I was there (at the Nest) and the person tasered was running from the officer. The officer clearly said "stop" and after that tasered the guy who was running. Are they supposed to just let him run away? Personally I thought it was a appropriate response on the part of the police. I wonder if any of the police critics have ever been crime victims and had to call the cops? When it happens that fast, they can't know if the guy was drunk, sober, had a gun, whatever.

Wow, I was thinking of walking over there for a quick drink late that night, but stayed in.

How could anyone be so foolish as to grab a Portland police officer's weapon ?

That boy is lucky to be alive.

There was no riot, and no angry Mob. [maybe they should've been]

it was not an anarchist action.

workforf_ood.livejournal.com

I read the Portland Police Bureau's press release, and I think they're lying about certain things, especially about the crowd at Nest "throwing bottles".

Have any videotape, cops? No? Then I don't believe you, since I've seen many police reports saying that crowds were throwing rocks, bottles, or other objects, when the video shows otherwise. When you lie on your reports, people tend not to believe you.

And it's funny....cops use Tasers as low levels of force, but when someone picks one up, they draw a gun?

And riot cops always escalate situations.

Shut down Alberta to traffic on Last Thursday. There's nowhere to park, anyway, with all the suburbanites and Pearlies in the neighborhood seeking overpriced art...