Crowned
Jewels
Garbage Pickup
Changes
Photo essay honors
women impacted
by breast cancer
Weekly service
gives way to food
composting i - -<a
See Metro, page 9
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‘City of Roses'
See page 3
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—
Read back issues of the Portland Observer at www.portlandobserver.com
Volume
Wed
Volume XXXXI,
XXXXI. Number
Number 41
41
Wednesday • October 12. 2011
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C o m m itte d to C u ltu ra l D iv e rs ity
community service
Wall Street Back Lash
Occupy
Portland rises
up against
the powerful
by M indy C ooper
T he P ortland O bserver
photo by M indy C ooper /T he P ortland O bserver
Northeast Portland resident Laura Shepard, 41, and her four-year-old daughter Gabrielle, join the Occupy Portland protests,
downtown. The demonstrations, part of a national movement, counter the political power held by the richest Americans.
T housands o f residents gathered at T om
M cCall W aterfront Park, Pioneer C ourthouse
S q u are and o th e r d o w n to w n lan d m ark s
T hursday to unite in an g er against unequal
access to resources, high unem ploym ent
rates, and the w ealth o f the country residing
in the hands o f the few.
As one o f the biggest dem onstrations
since the political protests in the 1960s C ivil
R ights m ovem ent, countless P ortland resi
dents jo in e d forces w ith the recent O ccupy
W all Street m ovem ent in N ew Y ork, w hich
has inspired activists, d em o n strato rs and
individuals throughout the country to battle
the political p o w er held by the richest one
percent o f A m ericans.
‘We are the 99 percent’ echoed the voices
marching through Portland, as individuals united
in an effort to fight corporate greed through
peaceful solidarity.
No one knew the level o f local support
before the rallies began. A lm ost a w eek later,
how ever. O ccupy Portland is still very much
alive, m aking it clear that the voices o f many
citizens have been suppressed for far too long.
W hile the initial fear o f police intervention
lingered for m any w hen a perm it w a sn ’t a t
tained for the m arch, officers did not arrest
anyone for unlaw ful acts, despite the th ou
sands o f individuals w ho filled the streets.
M ike Leloff, a com m ander o f the North
Precinct o f the Portland Police Bureau, was on
the jo b at W aterfront Park as the protest grew.
He said he couldn' t com m ent politically, but he
said, “It’s a good group o f people, and they’ve
got a m essage, and we are going to facilitate
them to deliver that m essage.”
A lth o u g h no d e fin in g o rg a n iz a tio n a l
s tru c tu re e x ists to th e n o n -v io le n t p ro -
continued
on page 15