Occupy Portland protest clashes with marathon

October 7, 2011 11:50 AM

Organizers for the 40 year-old Portland Marathon arrived at the start/finish area this morning to find the area held by the Occupy Portland protest.

The marathon organizers, who point out that Sunday's race will raise over $2 million for charity, expect to reach a compromise, though Occupy Portland indicates that they don't intend to move. Portland mayor Sam Adams is "actively seeking a solution".

posted by chrchr (59 comments total)

Seems like a fence around the park would meet everyone's needs.
posted by smackfu at 11:53 AM on October 7, 2011

I meant to include this coverage from local news as well.
posted by chrchr at 11:55 AM on October 7, 2011

Portland: Our mayor is named after beer.
posted by tommasz at 11:55 AM on October 7, 2011 [23 favorites]

Who the heck is running this town?
posted by hal9k at 11:58 AM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Oh for fuck's sake.
posted by eugenen at 12:00 PM on October 7, 2011

There might just be more at stake than a marathon and $2 million for charity.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 12:02 PM on October 7, 2011 [12 favorites]

In case there's some outrage by folks who choose not to read the articles in question, this seems to be a pretty amicable situation. Protestors support the marathon. Marathon doesn't need to use the park, just the streets around. They've asked the protestors to leave, but the protestors would rather just keep out of the way of the runners and spectators.

So there's not really as much conflict as a first glance might indicate.
posted by entropone at 12:02 PM on October 7, 2011 [36 favorites]

Who the heck is running this town?

Sometimes we wonder too..
posted by jgaiser at 12:03 PM on October 7, 2011

There might just be more at stake than a marathon and $2 million for charity.

Like what?
posted by eugenen at 12:03 PM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

This outcome is achievable only through civil discourse and is rendered impossible by threats or use of force.

Well, all things considered, marathoners are pretty non-threatening. They wear size-30 jeans, after all.
posted by KokuRyu at 12:05 PM on October 7, 2011

If anyone gives a shit about what's really happening here, I would suggest following @PDXMarathon and @OccupyOregon on Twitter. Everything else is fucking histronics.
posted by peep at 12:07 PM on October 7, 2011 [5 favorites]

Perhaps we can all compromise by going out for a beer and putting birds on things.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 12:10 PM on October 7, 2011 [36 favorites]

The social revolution was always a marathon. Man
posted by Abiezer at 12:12 PM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

It could be worse... They could be testing marathoners about the Constitution and the Federalist papers in order to allow access to the water station.
posted by KokuRyu at 12:12 PM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

Nike Check!
posted by hal9k at 12:13 PM on October 7, 2011 [7 favorites]

Sous les pavés la plage
posted by markvalli at 12:18 PM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

This isn't @occupyportland protesters vs runners or @pdxmarathon. No need to pick sides on this one. We will work it out together.

Yeah, it looks like it will be a non issue.

I mean, while other cops where breaking up protests or pepper spraying people, ours were posing with their kids.
posted by mrzarquon at 12:20 PM on October 7, 2011 [12 favorites]

Yeah, I was just reading the local news and came to the conclusion that this isn't going to be much of a problem.
posted by Specklet at 12:20 PM on October 7, 2011

Portland seems like a nice community.
posted by KokuRyu at 12:21 PM on October 7, 2011 [5 favorites]

Is there a class you can take to learn how to write those "communiques"?

I'm thinking of adapting the form and prose for my internal corporate memos.
posted by madajb at 12:21 PM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

Heh. The Occupy Houston folks had to piss off to the park on the bayou to make room at city hall for an art festival.
posted by Horselover Phattie at 12:33 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Ian Welsh:

For Occupy to be successful, on its own terms, will require shutting down Wall Street and probably all of NYC. There must be so many people on the street that it is impossible to arrest them all or to get rid of them without resorting to a lot more than a whiff of grapeshot. The elites must be be faced with a decision tree “negotiate or lose a ton of money and be massively inconvenienced or shoot hundreds of thousands of people and build mass detention camps.” That will require two or three million people occupying New York City.

Remember, modern elites are trained to think in terms of cost-benefit analyses. If the cost to them of not giving in is less than the cost of not giving in, they won’t give in. It took trillions of dollars to bail out Wall Street. They take home billions of dollars in personal bonuses. You must cost them, personally, more than that, for them to want to give in. ...

Don’t bother trying to appeal to shared morality, ethics or fellow feeling. These people were selected because they are functional sociopaths. They do not care about your suffering. Their ideology labels you as worthless eaters and them as the only truly productive people in society. Everything they have is because they earned it, and everything you have is because you sponged off your betters. That is what they believe.

posted by Trurl at 12:34 PM on October 7, 2011 [16 favorites]

Who the heck is running this town?

Per city code, control of the city is passed from one random citizen to another every fifteen minutes. There is a lottery system in place to determine which citizen is in control. After your fifteen minutes, you are exiled to your choice of Beaverton, Gresham or Vancouver, WA. Sam Adams is just the figurehead.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 12:36 PM on October 7, 2011 [12 favorites]

They should have done what the original Portland (the one on the east coast) did in its recent marathon: have the start/finish in a completely separate area from the Occupation folk (yep, we have them, too).
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 12:37 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

That will require two or three million people occupying New York City.

Adding up all the people at all the occupy protests, how many are there?

Perhaps it would be sufficient to get a smaller number of people to occupy a smaller city, like DC.
posted by empath at 12:43 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

My guess is that the race organizers will make the slight course adjustment and be done with it.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:45 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Apparently, occupying the tiny restrooms of local businesses around Wall Street has become a problem.
posted by Horselover Phattie at 12:46 PM on October 7, 2011

fifteen schnitzengruben..., make sure they'll brew some fresh coffee and i'll come with.
posted by rainperimeter at 12:50 PM on October 7, 2011

Apparently, occupying the tiny restrooms of local businesses around Wall Street has become a problem.

Are there no payphones Downtown?
posted by fuq at 12:54 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

This isn't @occupyportland protesters vs runners or @pdxmarathon. No need to pick sides on this one. We will work it out together.

Heh, yeah, looks like this is pretty much a non-story about a non-confrontation:

"@pdxmarathon #occupyportland thank you runners , we love u :)"
posted by dersins at 1:00 PM on October 7, 2011

Report the lovefest controversy.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 1:05 PM on October 7, 2011

.... uhh... isn't "occupy Portland" kinda redundant?
posted by ph00dz at 1:12 PM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

Hey guys! I don't live in Portland or anywhere near the PNW, but I'd still like to register my opinion on your local affairs in an extremely authoritative tone!
posted by El Sabor Asiatico at 1:26 PM on October 7, 2011 [5 favorites]

Who the heck is running this town?

I thought it was Kyle MacLachlan?
posted by P.o.B. at 1:27 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Meanwhile in Houston the Occupiers are ending their occupation of City Hall's square because an art festival sponsored by Capitol One Bank is scheduled for this weekend.
posted by Brittanie at 1:29 PM on October 7, 2011

cops are moving in to freedom plaza as we speak. they were staging outside of the fbi building moments ago. Suspect they are containing, not clearing. Looks like 40-50 officers, 15-18 vehicles.

I see no buses so I think they are just going to contain.
posted by Ironmouth at 1:32 PM on October 7, 2011

How long will it take before the "occupy this and that city" people realize that denouncing corporations and inequality and war and CEO bonuses and bailouts and mortgage foreclosures will not bring about change till such time as those involved have gained political clout. The Tea P:arty, for example, quickly became the driving and seemingly controlling force of the GOP and now get what they want from those that want to be candidates.

Change comes about in our nation only by way of the political structure. Yes. The political structure is in need of change, but that can only be done through the electoral process.
posted by Postroad at 1:38 PM on October 7, 2011 [2 favorites]

cops are moving in to freedom plaza as we speak.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed that sentence.
posted by Trurl at 1:38 PM on October 7, 2011 [4 favorites]

Postroad: The Tea P:arty, for example, quickly became the driving and seemingly controlling force of the GOP and now get what they want from those that want to be candidates.

Since the tea party platform dovetails nicely with the interests of wealth and power for the most part, it's not surprising they get corporate media attention and party sponsorship. The instant they veer from that, you won't see them on Fox anymore.
posted by dr_dank at 1:44 PM on October 7, 2011 [4 favorites]

cops are moving in to freedom plaza as we speak.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed that sentence.

Overhead a snippet of discussion on the briefing, sounded like they were to let the protesters do the protesting. They may be just trying to keep Penn ave. clear for the rush hour, its a big route out of downtown.

Saw a Catholic brother with an iPhone, in sandals.
posted by Ironmouth at 1:46 PM on October 7, 2011

They can't move away from the square in Portland for 5 hours for the marathon for charity? Really?
posted by Ironmouth at 1:49 PM on October 7, 2011

For Occupy to be successful, on its own terms, will require shutting down Wall Street and probably all of NYC.

I don't think that's going to happen. Just not enough people.
posted by Ironmouth at 1:50 PM on October 7, 2011

They can't move away from the square in Portland for 5 hours for the marathon for charity? Really?

No, because that's five hours less they'll have to figure out what their objective and message is supposed to be.
posted by pardonyou? at 1:57 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

The occupy folks in the east coast Portland cleared out for the farmer's market, too. Quite nice of them
posted by mbatch at 2:01 PM on October 7, 2011

The political structure is in need of change, but that can only be done through the electoral process.

I think the crazy lefties (and I use the term with affection) need to get more involved in local politics and not focus so much on sweeping national change. My parents live in rural-ish Oregon, and one thing they've said when we talked about this is that the Tea Party has been putting up candidates in local races and taking positions in the state Republican party. They put themselves in a position to make changes in their hometowns and to decide what direction the party is going and who they're nominating for statewide office--lots of delegate positions for the state central committee are usually unfilled, and it only takes three votes to win if you're running unopposed (I think). We need to do more of that, ourselves.
posted by Vibrissa at 2:09 PM on October 7, 2011 [5 favorites]

Here's some more recent info: Protesters will be allowed to stay in the area, but if they leave it they won't be allowed to return. There will be one bathroom available inside the cordoned-off area.
posted by I've a Horse Outside at 2:09 PM on October 7, 2011

How long will it take before the "occupy this and that city" people realize that denouncing corporations and inequality and war and CEO bonuses and bailouts and mortgage foreclosures will not bring about change till such time as those involved have gained political clout. The Tea P:arty, for example, quickly became the driving and seemingly controlling force of the GOP and now get what they want from those that want to be candidates.

The Tea Party became a national force because of the exposure gained by their frequent adn well-attended rallies and protests. You can argue all day about whether these were astroturf rallies; the point is that these folks came to national prominence due to coverage of their rallies in the media and the internet.

IOW, I think the Occupy movement is doing exactly the right thing right now. I mean, holy crap, there sure are a lot of people pissed off right now! A lot of people who feel like they're getting shafted by corporate America! I think that's terrific!
posted by Mister_A at 2:21 PM on October 7, 2011 [4 favorites]

Since the tea party platform dovetails nicely with the interests of wealth and power for the most part, it's not surprising they get corporate media attention and party sponsorship.

The GOP (and allies) saw that they weren't credible after all the failures in the Bush years, and they saw the Tea Party developing. They successfully coopted the Tea Party and managed to convince people that it was in charge and they weren't. Everything during the Bush years didn't matter, because the Tea Party was different.

Now it turns out there's another large, entrenched political party with some very recent failures, and another populist movement just getting off the ground. The Democrats have a very strong incentive to do to OWS what the GOP did to the Tea Party -- publicize it, coopt it, keep it under control.

It will happen. And it's probably a good thing, because otherwise the movement would run out of energy and fizzle. I just hope the current radical/anarchist leaders of the movement aren't surprised when it does.
posted by miyabo at 2:37 PM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

How long will it take before the "occupy this and that city" people realize that denouncing corporations and inequality and war and CEO bonuses and bailouts and mortgage foreclosures will not bring about change till such time as those involved have gained political clout. The Tea P:arty, for example, quickly became the driving and seemingly controlling force of the GOP and now get what they want from those that want to be candidates.


It's built a remarkable sense of unity and empowerment, in a way that we haven't had since people actually believed in things like "class struggle."

It could go nowhere at all, or it could gain momentum. But it doesn't have to affect immediate political or economic change for it to have impact.
posted by Stagger Lee at 3:04 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

I honestly think there might be a way to get consensus with some tea party groups on some subset of issues, and boy would that scare people.
posted by empath at 3:10 PM on October 7, 2011 [3 favorites]

Portland totally needs to get one of the Widmers to run against Sam Adams in the next election.
posted by hippybear at 3:25 PM on October 7, 2011

How long will it take before the "occupy this and that city" people realize that denouncing corporations and inequality and war and CEO bonuses and bailouts and mortgage foreclosures will not bring about change till such time as those involved have gained political clout.

Yeah, best stay home and watch Netflix until your movement gains political clout.

Look, I've been on the periphery of the various left tendencies for years, and in almost every single case of a major demonstration that I can recall, it was a "cause" -- Boycott South Africa, Free Mumia, No Nukes (you can see how far back I go), Anti-Globalization, et cetera. That both galvanized a certain subset, and turned off another. Eventually there came to be a kind of consensus of disagreement, and your average protest had representatives from all walks amongst it -- true blue Socialists, vegan animal rights, you name it. You could almost shrug it off as a cliché and a joke. These were all tightly-knit, well-organized movements with specific goals, but with virtually no hope of enactment.

I was at the protests in Madison (as well as a couple of local ones here one county over). The population was markedly different. Yeah, some of the veteran protest regulars were there, but the vast majority of the demonstrators was average middle-class settled adults who were shocked and dismayed at being targeted to the point that they had to defend their own interests in this way. They weren't there for some abstract thing they glommed onto as an intellectual hobby keep in mind, no real disrespect intended, they were there because their own livelihoods were at stake, perhaps to their mind for the first time in their lives.

The protests in Wisconsin created an organized political movement that succeeded in bringing more legislators to the polls in recall elections than had ever been done before, and two seats changed hands as a result -- effectively stalling the Republican political agenda in the state (not cold, but from hot to lukewarm). Stunning numbers of stunned people became politically aware, politically connected, educated, determined, and more and more organized -- as a result of these protests, which in many ways were a model for Occupy Wall Street.

I don't know what specific policy changes you can ever normally expect protests to achieve, but what they can do is build a political movement.
posted by dhartung at 3:28 PM on October 7, 2011 [9 favorites]

New York won't be shut down, not a chance. The finance industry stuck with New York after 9/11 because a Herculean effort got everyone whose offices weren't at Ground Zero back in their offices in a week.

Permitting OWS to migrate from a downtown curiosity (remember 90% of the finance jobs are in Midtown) to an actual impediment to doing business, and all those guys jealous of their Dallas office buddies (twice the house at half the property tax, plus no state or city income tax) suddenly get a lot more persuasive.

Bloomberg won't hesitate, and the public employee unions who are flirting with become OWS's muscle will get scarce really fast the minute they start to sense that they're threatening the tax revenue that pays them.
posted by MattD at 3:52 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'd love to see what would happen if all 28.1million unemployed people joined the Occupy* protests around the country, plus people who have jobs but are underemployed, plus everyone who has a day or two off during the week...

THAT would start something that would either have to be put down or would likely roll along to its desired conclusion.
posted by hippybear at 4:17 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

So speaking of the actual marathon, anyone else here running it?
posted by peep at 5:12 PM on October 7, 2011

Portland totally needs to get one of the Widmers to run against Sam Adams in the next election.

Sam's not running. Also, why? There's better beer makers here (if that's what you were going for).
posted by sleepy pete at 5:59 PM on October 7, 2011

Sure, you can stop the marathoners, but what if the Persians actually invade? Huh? What then? You've undermined key...running...elements of our national defense. Who's going to do all the running now? Are you happy, you damn Hippies?
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 7:30 PM on October 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

I tell you what, those marathon runners are never going to get people joining their cause dressed the way they do. Little shorts and tank tops and shitting themselves at the end? Your average American just can't relate to those weirdos, and it makes it tough for them to get their message out. They should wear business suits.
posted by cmonkey at 9:16 PM on October 7, 2011 [8 favorites]

The Tea Party became a national force because of the exposure gained by their frequent adn well-attended rallies and protests. funding from billionaires.
posted by inigo2 at 5:26 AM on October 8, 2011 [2 favorites]