Portland Obaerver, August 3. 1983, Page 3 METROPOLITAN Portlanders protest U.S. role in Central America by Robert Lothian M ore than 150 protester*. includ­ ing 17 from Portland, were arrested July 25-26 during a blockade o f the Concord Naval Weapons Station at Port Chicago, Calif. A coalition of Bay area Central America solidarity and anti-nuclear groups organized the blockade to protest U .S. arms shipments to C en­ tral America and storage of nuclear weapons at the base. A Navy spokesman said that 100,000 tons o f weapons are shipped annually through the facili­ ty, which is the main weapons depot for the Pacific Fleet. According to protest leaders up to 80r « o f U.S. arms shipments to El Salvador go through Port Chicago. At the height o f the Vietnam W ar, 120.000 tons o f guns, bombs and napalm were shipped monthly from Port Chicago, according to the Navy spokesman. Numerous blockades and protests occurred at the facility then. O n M onday, 104 persons were arrested at the gates for obstructing traffic and trespassing on federal property. Another 49 were arrested Tuesday. Most were released and charges dropped within hours, al­ though 28 remained in custody W ed­ nesday awaiting arraignment, Nancy Webster, one o f the Port­ landers arrested, and a member of the Portland Central America Soli­ darity Committee, said she partici­ pated in the blockade out of frustra­ tion with "norm al channels" open to citizens to influence U.S. Central America policy. " I t ’s something one can do in addition to writing a letter,” she said. “ I was scared, because I ’d never been arrested before. I also knew we weren’t going to back d o w n ." Webster said she felt “ a real feeling o f togetherness” with other protesters during their six hour con­ finement in the Contra Costa County jail. “ I felt a strong solidarity with everyone," she said. " I t just felt like it was real important for us to be there for ourselves. Everyone was real supportive from the Portland group.” During a march through residen­ tial Concord Sunday, a 20’ -wide banner proclaimed in 3’ high letters: " P O R T L A N D SAYS N O T O U.S. IN T E R V E N T IO N ." Over 100 O re­ gonians were present, including 80 from Portland. Police estimated the crowd at 3,000 while march organiz­ ers estimated 4,000-5,000. A diverse cross section of social change and anti-nuclear groups chanted and carried signs and banners under the hot Central Valley sun: "Stop the arms race, not the human race,” "M o n e y for jobs, not for w a r," "S to p exporting m u rd er," " C IA out o f Nicaragua." and “ No draft, no war, U.S. out of El S alvador." Tom Donnelly, a member o f Trade Unionists in Solidarity with El Salvador, said it was important for union members to be concerned with more than just wages " I don’t think people are going to be able to stop the war unless working people realize that wage and social service cuts are linked with military expen­ ditures for Central Am erica,” he said Townspeople were drawn from Th« Portland contingent and banner. (Photo: Marcia Hamley) their homes along the parade route. " I admire them, I think they have a lot o f guts," said Louise Fuqua, o f Alray Drive in Concord. " I ’ m impressed with the amount o f people,” said another resident. “ I ’ m impressed with what they are marching for, but I don’t know whether these demonstrations are worthwhile or not. I'm not sure the power centers pay any attention.” Referring to the weapons facility, another man said, " It 's nice, it's an open space. As far as arms ship­ ments, we never really see it ," he said. At a rally after the march, Ramon Cardona, a representative from the Democratic Revolutionary Front (F D R ) o f El Salvador, warned marchers that “ what we have here are preparations for war, prepara­ tions for U .S. troops to come in .” He outlined 12 warlike actions the U.S. is pursuing in Central America, including backing a C IA - financed covert war against Nica­ ragua, military aid to right-wing regimes in Guatemala and El Salvador, setting up a counterinsur­ gency base in Honduras and using that country as a base for aggres­ sion, and naval maneuvers o ff (he Salvadoran and Nicaraguan coasts. Gus Newport, Berkeley's black mayor, drew enthusiastic approval from the crowd when he reported that the Berkeley C ity Council had just that week adopted the town of San Antonio de los Ranchos, in a rebel-controlled section o f El Salva- dor, as a sister city. " W e are in pur­ suit o f supporting popular move­ ments and governments,” he said, adding that Berkeley will soon be sending money through New El Sal­ vador Today (N E S T ), to the town for establishment o f development cooperatives.* Newport reminded the crowd that 200 black sailors were killed at Port Chicago during W W I I , when an am munition ship exploded. A work stoppage by surviving black sailors and subsequent investigation helped spur integration of the U.S. military, he said. In front o f the gates on M onday, a small but dedicated group of blockaders paced back and forth as they were eyed by a small army o f riot police and Marines on the other side. Regina Mendoza, an 18-year- old Salvadoran woman and spokes­ person for Casa El Salvador, an or­ ganization of Salvadorans in the U .S ., told the blockaders that their actions were " a very important way for North Americans to show their support for the Salvadoran people, and to show their opposition to the policies o f the U.S. government.” W ally Priestley, N .E . Portland representative to the Oregon legisla­ ture, was one o f the Portland dele­ gation acting in a support capacity for those blockading. " W e need to talk about the terrible inhumanity that is taking place that causes us to take these steps — the merciless kill­ ing, the desperation o f the people,” he said. Priestley called attention to the resolution passed by both the Oregon House and Senate arking Congress to stop arms shipments to £1 Salvador. The most recent Port Chicago blockade was the third in 1983, with over 300 arrests so far. M ore protests are likely, said Jim Deady of Northwest Action for Dis­ armament in an interview on K B O O F M radio. “ As long as we’re in Central America there will be dem­ onstrations there," lie said, refemng to the weapons facility. Diane Hess, spokeswoman for the Portland Central America Solidarity Committee, said that those opposed to Reagan administration policies in Central America should get ready to respond quickly as the U.S. increas­ ingly adopts a war posture. "W h a t we need to do now is have a large, visible public response,” she said. The people are going to have to do more than participate in polls. They are going to have to become more active if we're going to turn this thing around.” *The Portland Central America Solidarity Committee IPCASC) along with other chapters and affili­ ates o f the Committee In Solidarity with the People o f E! Salvador (CISPES) throughout Oregon and Washington, will be initiating a similar N ES T project fo r the town o f La Laguna. El Salvador. To help raise funds fo r La Laguna or participate in the National Neigh­ borhood Protest campaign o f CISPES. contact PCASC at P.O Box 6443, Portland OR 9722ft or 235-9388. cook as she likes It. Owner Herbert Thompson looks on. (Photo: Richard J. Brown) City programs deliver fast-food jobs GRASSROOTS NEWS, N. W. — W ithin an atmosphere o f self-confi­ dence, Commissioner Margaret Strachan and Bill and Herbert Thompson held a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Friday to introduce a new self-service fast food restaurant to Portland's inner city. Kw iky’s Self-Service Burgers A Things, located at N .E . Union and Fremont, was not only noted by the Portland Development Commission for the revitalization o f the once- vacant building, but also for its se­ lection o f employees through the C ity ’s Human Resources Bureau and the Training and Employment Division. In a prepared statement the P D C stated, "Nineteen employees were vouchered under the Targeted Jobs TAx Credit program and twenty-six o f the newly hired employees are residents o f the Northeast area.” Financing for this major invest­ ment was made possible through a Small Business Administration loan and private financing was secured through Future Funding, Inc. and equity from the owners. One o f the principle owners, Bill Thompson, said opportunity and availability made this site attractive. " W ith the traffic pattern, we foresee a lot o f opportunity in this area. There was nothing around here for the people in this neighbor­ hood Besides chicken there is no competition for the hamburger fast food concept." Kw iky’s is located at the core of Portland’s black community. Did the demographics o f this area deter him? He replied. " N o , that didn't really affect us. W e don’t feel there is a problem with th at.” The self-service concept evolved from the prior experiences o f the H M AUGUST S l r f n Y â ( o W m Thompson Brothers who own con­ venience stores in Seaside, Scappoose and St. Helens, Oregon. Bill Thompson said he had to educate the staff and the community to the self-service concept. "T h is was a new concept for our help. I l is an educational process for all o f us. I f this works we are looking at doing this elsewhere.” It will be interesting to see how the community responds to K w iky’s Burgers A Things. The site on 3105 N .E . Union has a history o f being abandoned by businesses. Ronald MacDonald withdrew his Big Macs from the area. The Burger Corral stampeded away after only a short stay. M aybe Kwiky's w ill indeed live up to the send-off it received from the City; as a business to prove that the uncharted economic frontier of N .E . Portland is worth settling. 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