A group of Lewis and Clark College volunteers [EDIT: It's actually Lewis and Clark assisting members of Occupy Portland's Transitions and Sustainability Working Group] conducted a big survey of Occupy Portland protesters last week about their views on the camp, Portland, and politics in general. The results are pretty interesting and give a good overall view of what people are talking about at the camp, rather than the on-the-spot-random-dude interviews that have dominated most media coverage of the protest so far.

From November 1st through 4th, the team distributed surveyed 545 people, both online and at the camp. Just over 80 percent of the respondents had spent one or more nights at the camp. Here's what they said (and there's the pdf results of the full survey!). [UPDATE: Link fixed!]

QUESTION: Overall, it feels safe to visit the Occupy Portland camp.
YES— 76%
NO— 24%

QUESTION: The police make me feel unsafe when they are at the camp.
YES—22%
NO—78%

QUESTION: Occupy should work with political parties.
YES— 47%
NO— 53%

QUESTION: The Occupy PDX movement should occupy other public spaces during the night.
YES— 43%
NO— 57%

QUESTION: Arguments or fights between people in the camp make me feel unsafe.
YES— 60%
NO— 40%

QUESTION: I worry that sexual assault or harassment might occur in the camp.
YES— 61%
NO— 39%

Questions about drugs and alcohol below the cut!

QUESTION: The use of alcohol in the camp bothers me.
YES— 70%
NO— 30%

QUESTION: Should people be encouraged to keep alcohol out of the Occupy Portland camps?
YES— 88%
NO— 12%

QUESTION: The use of drugs at the camp bothers me.
YES— 79%
NO— 21%

QUESTION: Should people be encouraged to keep drugs out of the Occupy Portland camp?
YES— 92%
NO— 8%