Occupy Portland: Portland Mayor Sam Adams orders camps cleared at 12:01 a.m. Sunday

[Viva_La_Revolution]

Source: Oregonian

Mayor Sam Adams this morning gave the Occupy Portland encampment an eviction notice of 12:01 a.m Sunday to clear the camp. At a press conference at City Hall, Adams, standing with Chief Mike Reese and City Commissioner Nick Fish, cited the rise in crime around the encampments in ordering demonstrators out of the encampments.

"Crime, especially reported assaults, has increased in the area," he said. "Occupy has had a considerable time to share its movement's message with the public but has lost control of the camps it has created."

The two downtown squares will be closed temporarily beginning in the early hours of Sunday morning so officials can clear and restore them. Once the squares reopen to the public, the mayor said the city will enforce all city laws in the parks and on the sidewalks.

"I want to make clear: this action is not an action against the Occupy Portland movement," he said.


Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/11/occupy_portland_portland_mayor.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[unionworks]

1. k&r

They've had free speech for long enough now. :sarcasm:

[SoapBox]

2. So Sam says...

"I want to make clear: this action is not an action against the Occupy Portland movement," he said."

REALLY?!?

Find them another area, Sam.

However, I will say, there is a HUGE group of homeless/panhandling types in downtown, especially near
Pioneer Courthouse Square. So many to the point, that I find it super creepy. I will assume
that those are the types that are hanging around the park blocks and are causing the problems.

Sam? How's about doing SOMETHING about these types?

[zalinda]

3. Because it's easier to place the blame on Occupy. n/t

[a la izquierda]

4. Erm, what?

Did you just blame homeless people for criminal activity, without any evidence? Before I completely lose my temper, I'll see if you answer.

[lbrtbell]

5. Please, get real

Among the homeless, there are a lot of people who are alcoholics, who have mental problems, etc., and they are more prone to becoming involved in crime. Nobody's blaming them for it--they need treatment--but to suggest that no homeless people are connected with criminal activity is naive.

[lunatica]

6. I suppose you have proof of that right?

Can you please post your source of information? Or are you just making things up?

[a la izquierda]

7. Actually, I never suggested that no homeless...

people are ever involved in criminal activity. That would be moronic, as moronic as stating that no white people are criminals or all Republicans are knuckle-dragging idiots. However, the poster to whom I replied suggested that OWS people could not be involved in the criminal activity, but that instead it was more likely to be homeless people in that "creepy" part of town. This, of course, is not a direct quote.
You know, writing something engenders a little responsibility for one's words.

[JDPriestly]

13. Nothing against homeless people, but there are a lot of homeless

people in the Portland Occupy encampment. And many of them are relatively young.

A homeless person who has been provided a decent place to live doesn't look at all like a "homeless person."

The homeless are part of the 99%, and they should not be forgotten or ignored.

[a la izquierda]

14. I think we're in agreement.

I was not annoyed about the comment that there are homeless people at the Occupy Portland camp- that's only reality. I was annoyed at the implication that it was homeless people causing the criminal activity, when it could easily be other elements. Haven't we heard about infiltrations?

[JDPriestly]

18. True.

[blackspade]

8. I call Bullshit.

"Crime, especially reported assaults, has increased in the area," he said. "Occupy has had a considerable time to share its movement's message with the public but has lost control of the camps it has created."

Really? How about some actual statistics?

[No Elephants]

15. Besides, whose responsibility is it to control criminals? I always thought it was government's.

Why punish law-abiding occupiers for the presence of criminals? How about doing YOUR job with respect to criminals, homeless or not, AND law-abiding homeless, Mr. Mayor?

[Liberalynn]

9. He's a disgreace to his historical name sake

[potone]

10. City to close occupy Portland encampment by midnight Saturday

Source: Koin 6 local news

In a statement at city hall, Mayor Sam Adams and Portland Police Bureau Chief Mike Reese set Sunday at 12:01 a.m. as the planned closure time of the downtown Occupy Portland encampment.

Citing a medley of safety concerns and the rising cost to the larger community, Adams said recently “the balance has tipped” in reference to providing a forum for free speech and also a safe area for the rest of the city.

“Occupy has had considerable time to share its movement’s messages with the public but has lost control of the camps it created,” said Adams.

“I can not wait for someone to die in the camp—I can not wait for someone to use the camp as camouflage to inflict bodily harm on others,” added Adams.



Read more: http://www.koinlocal6.com/news/local/story/City-to-close-Occupy-Portland-encampment

[gratuitous]

11. My suggestion for the Occupiers

About 6 p.m. Saturday, start striking the camp. Clean up every scrap of garbage, detail a group of people to run the garbage bags all over downtown to public trash receptacles, and vacate the squares. Leave them as pristine as possible. After about 12 hours, when the cops get bored and leave, come back and re-occupy the squares, this time asserting more control over comings and goings, and eliminating the criminal element using the camp as a hideout. The cops will use the presence of undesireables as a pretext for rousting you out and busting some heads. Take that away from them.

[pam4water]

12. Why are Portland authorities such hard asses. I thought Portland was a progressive city.

[No Elephants]

16. The majority of cities where occupiers have had problems have had Democratic mayors.

[Earth_First]

17. THIS!

The struggle we had in Rochester to maintain our 24-hour presence was a nearly three week ordeal with 50 arrests and nearly round-the-clock legal negotiations with the NYCLU and local attorneys with a DEMOCRATIC Mayor....

[randome]

19. "This is pretty much a homeless camp," one volunteer said.

Even OWS Portland realizes they can't just take over public property with no end game in sight.

For people who don't want a police presence, they sure requested help in a hurry during the two drug overdose events.

If this was an organized protest with marches instead of an encampment to prove...what?...then I would say stick it to the Man.

The police are not by any means saints. And in some cases they are downright criminal. But is this what OWS is all about? Port-a-potties and tents in public spaces?