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Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Cops BREAKING: Anti-Police Protest Draws 50, Takes Over Burnside in March to Cop Shop

Posted by Sarah Mirk on Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 12:07 AM

Between 50-100 Portlanders marched tonight in protest of today's fatal police shooting, temporarily closing down East Burnside and breaking an ATM and Starbucks window before peacefully dispersing.

Smashed ATM on E Burnside
  • Smashed ATM on E Burnside

Police and Commissioner Saltzman have not released any more details about the incident at Hoyt Arboretum in which an officer responded to a disturbance and wound up shooting an adult male. But that did not stop the grassroots protest from marching on the Police Southeast Precinct, demanding accountability, transparency and an end to police shootings.

The crowd, which was not organized by a specific group but rallied through word-of-mouth and text message, met up in Colonel Summers park in SE Portland around 8pm and marched to the Southeast Police Precinct on SE 47th and Burnside. There, dozens of police met the protesters, who then broke off into small groups, meeting up again in Laurelhurst Park before again dispersing into the night. According to multiple witnesses, there were no major clashes between the crowd and police but at least two protesters were pepper sprayed.

Kathryn Cates and a friend were walking by the protest as it gathered in Colonel Summers and decided to join. Cates was frustrated that NPR this afternoon only had a short snippet of information about the shooting. "My immediate reaction was I wanted to hear more, I wanted to know what’s going on," says Cates. "We knew everything about the Aaron Campbell thing within a few minutes. When the community is asking for more accountability, why the lockdown? We need to feel safe. We don’t know what happened to that guy. We don’t know if he was out for a jog, we don’t know if he was black. And now in the meantime the police get to put their story together."

As the crowd moved up Burnside, someone seems to have thrown a rock through three windows of an insurance company next to Chopsticks II on Burnside, also smashing up a Wells Fargo ATM and the window of the Starbucks on the corner of 28th Avenue.

Brian Boshart was working the booth at the Laurelhurst Theater when the protest passed. "I heard some sounds coming up the street, at first I thought it was caroling," says Boshart. "Then a crowd with sticks and full face bandana action blocked the street, turning over the newspaper boxes and shouting. A guy came up to the window and said, 'The cops shot someone! We're rioting!' They passed and then came the cop cars. I counted 19 cop cars!"

The protest smashed this insurance company window on E Burnside
  • The protest smashed this insurance company window on E Burnside

I raced TV news vans on my bike to reach the tail end of the protest at the Southeast Precinct, but arrived just as a group of about a half dozen people masked with bandanas were walking away from the station, heading toward Laurelhurst Park. Maybe 20 people regrouped at the small, dark playground in the center of Laurelhurst Park, but the immediate consensus was to disperse before anyone got arrested. A few activists and I headed to the corner of the park, where we watched five police cars circle the neighborhood while discussing what went down.

"People aren't waiting to hear what happened today because the police don't have any credibility," said one protester.

Tentative plans are to rally again tomorrow at 6pm in Colonel Summers. More updates as they come. Send information and photos to us here.

Officers outside SE Precinct.
  • Ian
  • Officers outside SE Precinct.

Update 7:54 am: The Oregonian is reporting that the victim is a white man in his 40s who police were not able to identify yesterday. The medical examiners office is planned for 10 AM this morning to ID the man and determine cause of death.

 

Comments (33) RSS

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1
Rioting NOW isn't right. We don't know. The guy may have given them no choice.

But "people aren't waiting to hear what happened today because the police don't have any credibility," said one protester.

THAT IS THE PROBLEM, PORTLAND POLICE
Posted by PDXwahine on March 23, 2010 at 12:39 AM · Report
2
I heard this march pass by my house and i ran out to find out what was going on. These folks are expressing a rage that so many portlanders feel. How can the cops have the shame to demand a closed-door contract negotiation with the city and kill another member of our community on the same day?

I watched this march get pepper sprayed and shoved with batons while a cop told a young girl "Just wait till I give you the beat down, doll face."

This is too much. They've crossed the line one too many times.
Posted by pdxlocal on March 23, 2010 at 12:57 AM · Report
3
Please, let's not riot illegally, by damaging property and etc. That's simply lowering ourselves to the level of the ppd. Let us remain peaceful. Factual words speak louder than illegal behaviors, that give the officers reasons to fight back. Thanks,
Chris Shelamer-Terry
Posted by Chris Shelamer-Terry on March 23, 2010 at 1:31 AM · Report
4
The real damaging issue is how Portland liberals let their neighbors be brutalized by a 700 member gang called the Portland Police Association. Thank god people are starting to wake up. Criminalize the murdering cops not the local folks that fight back or you're doing the PPA's job for them.
Posted by pdxlocal on March 23, 2010 at 2:06 AM · Report
5
II am not part of the police association, I'm angry too, however,we aren't gong to get anywhere by rioting by illegal means, by being destructive of property that does belong to us, crashing in business property, etc. It wasn't their fault. Argue peacefully. Find facts about what happened, and there are many people that protest successfully at City Hall that have put pressure on the ppd,the commissioner, and Same Adams for change, and we will continue. Join the Amazon and Support change thisway
. We don't need more crime! Thanks,
Chris Shelamer-Terry
Posted by Chris Shelamer-Terry on March 23, 2010 at 4:17 AM · Report
6
Why is no information coming out? Easy the union is giving this cop time to lawyer up, they don't want any info to come out before the lawyer's prepared spin statement.
Posted by econoline on March 23, 2010 at 6:19 AM · Report
7
"Giving this cop time to lawyer up?" Are we really at the point where we don't believe that police should have constitutional rights? If I were a suspect in a killing, and that's the way police are treated, I'd certainly want to speak to a lawyer before waiving my rights under the Fifth Amendment.
Posted by Polis on March 23, 2010 at 6:55 AM · Report
8
That insurance company window deserved it!

This may be a case of police malfeasance, and it may not, but to "riot" about this before you know ANY real facts is to just make oneself look a fool.
Posted by hairyfro on March 23, 2010 at 7:27 AM · Report
9
I can understand the anger, even though I think it's a little early for this kind of action, given how much we know. What I don't understand is how they think the vandalism furthers their cause. These businesses had nothing to do with the police, this shooting, or any other one that we know of. It's not like they were busting up police cars.

I thought the whole point was to protest violence against those that don't deserve it.

Seems like a pot/kettle situation to me.
Posted by jeff on March 23, 2010 at 8:20 AM · Report
10
'The cops shot someone! We're rioting!'

That's a good way to get shoot.
Posted by DLS 3.0 on March 23, 2010 at 8:22 AM · Report
11
I can understand the outrage but as Portlanders I would've thought we're all above rioting and hurting local businesses. That's just hateful and quite frankly, retarded. You're only going to justify the cops' continuing brutality by doing such deeds.

The cops: "See? They're an angry mob! We've got to keep them at bay!"

Ugh. Come on, Portland. We can do better than this.

I'm just as pissed as the rest of you, but believe me, rioting isn't going to do a damned bit of good.
Posted by Jackattak on March 23, 2010 at 9:01 AM · Report
12
At least it was a Starbucks and not Heart!
Posted by Bronch O'Humphrey on March 23, 2010 at 9:25 AM · Report
13
I heard these folks chanting by my place. Then I checked twitter to get the lowdown, and couldn't find any tidbits of info. Then I heard cop sirens heading east on burnside for about 20 minutes straight. Sounded like a lot of cops.

There's a history behind that insurance building (with the smashed window); a history of anarchists who can't read thinking it's a rundown and totally evil bank, and so they paste up signs and stuff that go on and on about how we shouldn't be supporting this bank, etc. It's not a bank anymore, dudes! It's just a little insurance company with an ATM outside.
Posted by ROM on March 23, 2010 at 9:35 AM · Report
14
Take that Wells Fargo! Wells Fargo will certainly think twice before they shoot someone at the arboretum again! Take that Starbucks! No more brutality from you!

A freaking retard circus. Why don't we wait to find out what's happened? It hasn't even been 24 hours yet.

"...arrived just as a group of about a half dozen people masked with bandanas were walking away from the station"

We all know who these assclowns are. Worked up kids playing a role. I'd pepper spray them too. Let's not turn them into civil rights heroes.
Posted by Blabby on March 23, 2010 at 9:38 AM · Report
15
Sad to see all of this in Portland.
Posted by Reymont on March 23, 2010 at 9:39 AM · Report
16
SPRING BREEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK! WOOOOOO!
Posted by miguelaron on March 23, 2010 at 9:45 AM · Report
17
If this turns out like the Campbell shooting, I'm thinking Vortex 2.
Posted by martin on March 23, 2010 at 9:54 AM · Report
18
Disorganized, reactive violence? With callous disinterest in what the on-the-ground facts are?!

Isn’t that the whole reason everyone’s so pissed at the cops?

Fighting fire with fire makes for a good slogan. But if that’s your way, I wouldn’t trust you to douse my burning house… or blow out your own birthday cake, for that matter.
Posted by Night Moves on March 23, 2010 at 9:59 AM · Report
19
All discussion of tactics or approach aside, I think these people are right to be angry and to act on it. It may suck for a few business owners or workers to clean up, but think about the message it sends to the police and to the city: When cops shoot people, THE PEOPLE GET ANGRY. There are struggles for greater police accountability up and down the West Coast right now. Police power has grown in later years--they get huge budgets & they build a police union that bullies the city. They get fancier weapons (they say to prevent deaths) and they use them to readily assault people--no fewer deaths.

Marches like this one may add productively to the dialogue & bolster the movement for public oversight
Posted by Some body on March 23, 2010 at 10:05 AM · Report
20
@ Some Body -

What good did the Los Angeles riots produce after the Rodney King debacle?

Rioting gets us nowhere. At least, nowhere good.
Posted by Jackattak on March 23, 2010 at 10:08 AM · Report
21
1. Wells Fargo and Starbucks aren't "local" businesses;
2. sometimes property destruction is a way to get attention to injustice;

3. There are plenty of social workers, medical workers, and advocates of many stripes in this city who deal with armed and dangerous people as part of their job and who don't get guns and still manage to deescalate situations without anyone getting killed. The cops DON'T need guns. The cops CHOOSE to escalate situations into bigger problems until things DO get Dangerous. TAKE THEIR GUNS AWAY!!
Posted by elicantdie on March 23, 2010 at 10:18 AM · Report
22
you captioned picture of the copsters tell it ALL (why they shoot to kill in any confrontation) ... they're all so out-of-shape and fat, that they couldn't possible out run anyone or engage in less lethal confrontations, so it seems their only options--as they see it--is to shoot and hope they hit the target as they run backwards (that's why there is always a fuselage of bullets fired)
Posted by Bad Robot on March 23, 2010 at 10:25 AM · Report
23
@ Bad Robot - Something tells me you've never taken pictures of yourself wearing a class-III protective vest. Not terribly flattering.
Posted by Jackattak on March 23, 2010 at 10:43 AM · Report
24
take a closer look there dude...don't seems as these guys have anything behind their shirts other than flab. are protective vests made of flab now?
Posted by Bad Robot on March 23, 2010 at 10:52 AM · Report
25
Every single officer wears protective vests at every single moment they are on duty. It's a requirement, Bad Robot.
Posted by Jackattak on March 23, 2010 at 11:02 AM · Report
26
Sorry Polis, but the police are public servants. On duty you should always be immediately accountable. YOU should get time to talk to a lawyer, so that your story is straight, for the police. They've got too much power, we forget their real bosses are the tax payers, and it's unfortunate that they can never actually have a voice without costing some business owners a few dollars.
Posted by afraidofmurderers on March 23, 2010 at 11:22 AM · Report
27
Yea.......it's about time we got rid of all the cops. Time to give the city back to those with the clubs to take over and make the rest of you safe and protected. Portland would be a lot better with no laws or cops.
Posted by buggyboo on March 23, 2010 at 11:53 AM · Report
28
You know, if Matt Davis wasn't on vacation, he would have covered this story in his usual ignorant, inflammatory, and half-cocked manner. This riot might have been worse if he'd been in town yesterday.
Posted by Reymont on March 23, 2010 at 12:48 PM · Report
29
It's just so hard to imagine why somebody needs to be shot dead. There has to be some other way than ending a person's life. How many police shootings have there been now? None of them were necessary. Of course people are outraged. How should they express it?
Posted by Argh! on March 23, 2010 at 1:21 PM · Report
30
@Aargh - That's a clear example of wishful thinking. "Wouldn't it be nice if no one ever died, or committed a crime?" Some of these shootings were definitely necessary.
Posted by Reymont on March 23, 2010 at 1:35 PM · Report
31
Harsh, that is my favorite ATM. I use it all the time.
Posted by sam g on March 23, 2010 at 2:01 PM · Report
32
Screw that ATM, cheaper just to use Beulahlands or Chopsticks. 3 bucks is criminal. Who ever smashed that ATM should be given the key to the city.
Posted by Blanders on March 23, 2010 at 5:25 PM · Report
33
Chris Shelamer-Terry: If things can be solved by legal "rioting" great. But many times, when things get serious - illegal, possibly, - that's when things change.
And also, kudos to Austin Cook's comment.
Posted by MorganMDC on March 24, 2010 at 9:50 PM · Report

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