Occupy Portland
Encyclopedia
Occupy Portland is a protest
and demonstration
that began on October 6, 2011 in downtown
Portland
, Oregon
. It is based on the Occupy Wall Street
movement that began in New York City on September 17, 2011.
Though the tent city
that was the physical base of Occupy Portland and built on October 6, 2011 was dismantled forcefully on November 13, 2011, Occupy Portland itself continues.
Portland's mayor Sam Adams acknowledged Occupy Portland's plans for a peaceful protest, and asked the police to ensure a peaceful and orderly event. Demonstrators met at Tom McCall Waterfront Park
in Ankeny Plaza, and Portland Police estimated the attendance at more than 4,000 before the march began. News reports estimated the crowd had swelled to as many as 10,000 by mid-afternoon as the marchers assembled in Pioneer Courthouse Square
. Later the protesters set up an encampment in the Plaza Blocks
Park near Portland City Hall
. The Plaza Blocks include Lownsdale Square on the north side and Chapman Square to the south. On November 10, 2011, Mayor Sam Adams gave the Occupy Portland protestors a deadline to clear out of the park by 12:01 am on Sunday, November 13th. The order was given in response to rising crime rates and police overtime costs. As of 11:40 pm on November 12th, The Oregonian
was reporting that the crowd had grown to over 2000, and that Portland Police had closed the main street dividing the two parks protesters had occupied.
movement which began in New York City
on September 17, which in turn was inspired by the Arab Spring
and popularized by the anti-commercial activist magazine Adbusters
and the hacktivist group Anonymous
.
, etc. City officials urged protesters to obtain a permit and to share the intended route. Organizers did neither, but did cooperate with police throughout the day of the rally.
Portland mayor Sam Adams released a statement the morning of October 6 acknowledging Occupy Portland's plans for peaceful protest and warning city residents of potential "disruptions". He insisted that city representatives and the Portland Police Bureau
reached out to event organizers to ensure a "peaceful, effective, and orderly event where everyone is safe". The Portland Business Alliance issued a security warning and encouraged downtown businesses to use caution.
." Demonstrators met at Tom McCall Waterfront Park
near the Burnside Bridge
at noon and began marching along Yamhill Street to Pioneer Courthouse Square
starting at 2:30 p.m.
Portland Police estimated the crowd at more than 4,000 people when the march began, increasing to 10,000 by mid-day and filling Pioneer Courthouse Square and its surrounding streets. The size of the crowd forced TriMet
, the public agency that operates mass transit throughout the Portland metropolitan area, to temporarily halt operation of the Green
and Yellow
MAX Light Rail lines along the Portland Transit Mall
. Part of Broadway
street was closed for nearly an hour and a half. No arrests were made. With permission from Mayor Adams, hundreds of demonstrators settled in Lownsdale and Chapman squares to camp overnight.
Protesters were also occupying the one-block section of SW Main Street between Lownsdale and Chapman Squares. Mayor Adams met with the protesters to ask them to clear the street to allow traffic from the Hawthorne Bridge
, which exits onto Main Street, to flow freely. Most, but not all, protesters agreed; on the night of October 12, police cleared the street and made eight arrests, indicating that they would continue to keep the street open.
A protest in the Pearl District began the afternoon of October 29, following a march that ended in Jamison Square
. Mayor Sam Adams had prohibited the expansion of the protest into city parks beyond Chapman and Lownsdale squares; when protesters defied him, 25 of them were arrested. Protestors said that the residents of the Pearl District were members of the wealthy demographic they were protesting.
, they avoided confrontation with police by stressing a willingness to keep the march and rally peaceful and under control. They succeeded and no arrests were made.
On October 7, the protesters entered negotiations with city officials and Portland police to remain in Lownsdale and Chapman squares. At issue was the fact that the city had granted a permit to Portland Marathon
to assemble in Lownsdale Square on October 9. Protesters agreed to consolidate into Chapman Square, and began negotiating with city, police and marathon officials over security requirements. On October 8, protesters reached an agreement with the marathon, city and police, and several hundred protesters marched behind marathon runners on October 9. Portland Marathon officials declared the day a success, and event director Les Smith asserted that "the Occupy Portland people have been a godsend for us."
as well as members of International Longshore and Warehouse Union
, the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, Laborers' International Union of North America
, and of other local labor organizations participated in the march. The Executive Board of Laborer's Local 483 (LIUNA
) released a statement in support of the protest, which said "Laborers' Local 483 unites with Occupy Portland. You are the hope for the future." Mayoral candidate Eileen Brady has also expressed her support for the demonstration, though she echoed Mayor Sam Adams' contention that protesters should abide by city ordinances and not block streets without a permit.
State Representative
Jefferson Smith
is the only one of the three major contenders for Portland mayor, Brady notwithstanding, to go on the record as opposing any attempt to remove the protest camp
from downtown Portland for as long as the protesters remain peaceful. "If things are getting out of hand criminally, we've got to be willing to use force. But we shouldn't be willing to use force merely for the expression of speech," said Smith on October 25.
to clear out and dismantle the park. About 70% of the campers left promptly; though the remaining 30% stayed. In the following hours thousands of Portlanders came to defend the camp, and the police were pushed back twice. Violence was mild; a horse of one of the mounties of the Portland Police stepped on a person's foot, and one policeman was hit by a firework, with non-life threatening injuries, and another with a water bottle
.
Soon after dawn, the police came in and swept away and dismantled most of the tents. Originally the protesters acquiesced, but a group later took the northwest part of Chapman Square until riot police physically took over the area around noon.
Riot police eventually shut down the protest. Dozens of people were arrested. Protesters said police used excessive force against them as they talked among themselves about what they would do once they had left, with one saying. "We were talking about what we were going to do and then they just started hitting people". The BBC and others reported that police threatened to use "chemical agents and impact weapons" if the protesters did not cease with their activities. In response, those who demonstrated were heard to exclaim, "We are a peaceful protest", "I don't see no riot here, take off your riot gear" and "The whole world is watching". Riot police began to dismantle the protest with demonstrators putting up little resistance as many were led off in handcuffs. The scene was streamed live online to an international audience and received global press coverage.
On November 13, 2011, members of Occupy Portland
were forced to leave Lownsdale and Chapman Squares, and their intentional community
was dismantled.
Though the camp was destroyed, the showdown was seen as a victory because the police were pushed back twice and the deadline was not met, and aside from the actions of two people, the event was nonviolent on the part of the protesters and until the crackdown, on the part of the police as well aside from the unleashing of the mounties.
Later that day at noon, while the protesters were participating in a march, the city built a chain-link fence around the parks, preventing the protestors from returning to the camp site. The few protestors who had remained behind were removed by police without incident.
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
and demonstration
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
that began on October 6, 2011 in downtown
Downtown Portland
Downtown Portland, the city center of Portland, Oregon, United States, is located on the west bank of the Willamette River. It is in the northeastern corner of the southwest section of the city and is where most of the city's high-rise buildings are found....
Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. It is based on the Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district...
movement that began in New York City on September 17, 2011.
Though the tent city
Tent City
A tent city is a temporary housing facility made using tents. Informal tent cities may be set up without authorization by homeless people or protesters. As well, state governments or military organizations set up tent cities to house refugees, evacuees, or soldiers...
that was the physical base of Occupy Portland and built on October 6, 2011 was dismantled forcefully on November 13, 2011, Occupy Portland itself continues.
Portland's mayor Sam Adams acknowledged Occupy Portland's plans for a peaceful protest, and asked the police to ensure a peaceful and orderly event. Demonstrators met at Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park is a park located on the west bank of the Willamette River in downtown Portland, Oregon. It is , comprising 16 tax lots owned by the City of Portland....
in Ankeny Plaza, and Portland Police estimated the attendance at more than 4,000 before the march began. News reports estimated the crowd had swelled to as many as 10,000 by mid-afternoon as the marchers assembled in Pioneer Courthouse Square
Pioneer Courthouse Square
Pioneer Courthouse Square, affectionately known as Portland's living room, is a public space occupying a full 40,000 ft² city block in the center of downtown Portland, Oregon, United States...
. Later the protesters set up an encampment in the Plaza Blocks
Plaza Blocks
The Plaza Blocks, two courthouse squares known as Chapman Square and Lownsdale Square, are located in downtown Portland, Oregon. The blocks neighbor Terry Schrunk Plaza and are located near City Hall. The north square is named after Daniel H. Lownsdale , a native Kentuckian who settled in Portland...
Park near Portland City Hall
Portland City Hall (Oregon)
Portland City Hall is the headquarters of city government of Portland, Oregon, United States. The four-story Italian Renaissance-style building houses the offices of the City Council, which consists of the mayor and four commissioners, and several other offices. City Hall is also home to the City...
. The Plaza Blocks include Lownsdale Square on the north side and Chapman Square to the south. On November 10, 2011, Mayor Sam Adams gave the Occupy Portland protestors a deadline to clear out of the park by 12:01 am on Sunday, November 13th. The order was given in response to rising crime rates and police overtime costs. As of 11:40 pm on November 12th, The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
was reporting that the crowd had grown to over 2000, and that Portland Police had closed the main street dividing the two parks protesters had occupied.
Background
Occupy Portland was inspired by the Occupy Wall StreetOccupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district...
movement which began in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on September 17, which in turn was inspired by the Arab Spring
Arab Spring
The Arab Spring , otherwise known as the Arab Awakening, is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began on Saturday, 18 December 2010...
and popularized by the anti-commercial activist magazine Adbusters
AdBusters
The Adbusters Media Foundation is a Canadian-based not-for-profit, anti-consumerist, pro-environment organization founded in 1989 by Kalle Lasn and Bill Schmalz in Vancouver, British Columbia...
and the hacktivist group Anonymous
Anonymous (group)
Anonymous is an international hacking group, spread through the Internet, initiating active civil disobedience, while attempting to maintain anonymity. Originating in 2003 on the imageboard 4chan, the term refers to the concept of many online community users simultaneously existing as an anarchic,...
.
Preparations
Occupy Portland organizers began work on the rally two weeks prior. Before the march began, rally leaders gathered to share contact information for legal assistance should any arrests be made. Leaders wore arm bands designating roles such as medic, peacekeeperPeacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
, etc. City officials urged protesters to obtain a permit and to share the intended route. Organizers did neither, but did cooperate with police throughout the day of the rally.
Portland mayor Sam Adams released a statement the morning of October 6 acknowledging Occupy Portland's plans for peaceful protest and warning city residents of potential "disruptions". He insisted that city representatives and the Portland Police Bureau
Portland Police Bureau
The Portland Police Bureau is the law enforcement agency of the City of Portland, the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. While oversight of Portland's bureaus shifts among the five City Commissioners, the Mayor has historically been assigned to the Police Bureau as the police...
reached out to event organizers to ensure a "peaceful, effective, and orderly event where everyone is safe". The Portland Business Alliance issued a security warning and encouraged downtown businesses to use caution.
Protest
According to the organizers, the protest is based on frustration with "corporate greed and a lack of government accountabilityAccountability
Accountability is a concept in ethics and governance with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as responsibility, answerability, blameworthiness, liability, and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving...
." Demonstrators met at Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park is a park located on the west bank of the Willamette River in downtown Portland, Oregon. It is , comprising 16 tax lots owned by the City of Portland....
near the Burnside Bridge
Burnside Bridge
The Burnside Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon.-Design:Including approaches, the Burnside has a total length of and a center span. While lowered this span is normally above the river. The deck is made of concrete, which contributes to its being one of...
at noon and began marching along Yamhill Street to Pioneer Courthouse Square
Pioneer Courthouse Square
Pioneer Courthouse Square, affectionately known as Portland's living room, is a public space occupying a full 40,000 ft² city block in the center of downtown Portland, Oregon, United States...
starting at 2:30 p.m.
Portland Police estimated the crowd at more than 4,000 people when the march began, increasing to 10,000 by mid-day and filling Pioneer Courthouse Square and its surrounding streets. The size of the crowd forced TriMet
TriMet
TriMet, more formally known as the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, is a public agency that operates mass transit in a region that spans most of the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon...
, the public agency that operates mass transit throughout the Portland metropolitan area, to temporarily halt operation of the Green
MAX Green Line
The MAX Green Line is a light rail route in the MAX Light Rail system in Portland, Oregon, United States, extending to Clackamas, Oregon. Construction began in early 2007, and the line opened on September 12, 2009. The average daily ridership in June 2010 was 19,500 increasing to 23,200 by April...
and Yellow
MAX Yellow Line
The MAX Yellow Line is a 5.8-mile route in the Metropolitan Area Express light rail system in Portland, Oregon. The route, which opened May 1, 2004, runs between Portland State University , in downtown Portland, and the Portland Expo Center...
MAX Light Rail lines along the Portland Transit Mall
Portland Transit Mall
The Portland Transit Mall is a set of public transit corridors through the center of downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. More specifically, it is a pair of one-way streets—one for northbound traffic, the other for southbound—along which two of the three lanes are restricted to...
. Part of Broadway
Broadway (Portland, Oregon)
Broadway is a street in Portland, Oregon that runs from the Southwest Hills into the Rose City Park area of Portland. It is north-south in Downtown Portland, crosses the Willamette over the Broadway Bridge, and is east-west on the east side of the Willamette River. The Portland Memorial Coliseum...
street was closed for nearly an hour and a half. No arrests were made. With permission from Mayor Adams, hundreds of demonstrators settled in Lownsdale and Chapman squares to camp overnight.
Protesters were also occupying the one-block section of SW Main Street between Lownsdale and Chapman Squares. Mayor Adams met with the protesters to ask them to clear the street to allow traffic from the Hawthorne Bridge
Hawthorne Bridge
The Hawthorne Bridge is a truss bridge with a vertical lift that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, joining Hawthorne Boulevard and Madison Street. It is the oldest vertical-lift bridge in operation in the United States and the oldest highway bridge in Portland...
, which exits onto Main Street, to flow freely. Most, but not all, protesters agreed; on the night of October 12, police cleared the street and made eight arrests, indicating that they would continue to keep the street open.
A protest in the Pearl District began the afternoon of October 29, following a march that ended in Jamison Square
Jamison Square
Jamison Square is a city park in the area of downtown Portland, Oregon, known as the Pearl District. It was the first park added to the neighborhood.-Design:...
. Mayor Sam Adams had prohibited the expansion of the protest into city parks beyond Chapman and Lownsdale squares; when protesters defied him, 25 of them were arrested. Protestors said that the residents of the Pearl District were members of the wealthy demographic they were protesting.
Crime
On October 21, Portland Police released crime statistics that "showed an 81 percent spike in crime compared to the two weeks before the protest started ... Police said between Oct. 6 and 20, there were 11 arrests for vandalism and 16 for disorderly conduct."Financial irregularities
The organizers of Occupy Portland have reported $20,000 donated to the group through a PayPal account as having disappeared. The decision of a member of the finance committee, Reid Jackson, to file for incorporation as a non-profit with the state of Oregon has also resulted in death threats at him. Reid has claimed to have done it to 'protect the people' and that 'someone who has infiltrated the group and is trying to capitalize on the money.'Cooperation with city officials
Portland's protesters have sought amicable relations with police, city officials and others in the community. Although the protesters failed to obtain a permit for their October 6 march, or for their subsequent rally in Pioneer Courthouse SquarePioneer Courthouse Square
Pioneer Courthouse Square, affectionately known as Portland's living room, is a public space occupying a full 40,000 ft² city block in the center of downtown Portland, Oregon, United States...
, they avoided confrontation with police by stressing a willingness to keep the march and rally peaceful and under control. They succeeded and no arrests were made.
On October 7, the protesters entered negotiations with city officials and Portland police to remain in Lownsdale and Chapman squares. At issue was the fact that the city had granted a permit to Portland Marathon
Portland Marathon
The Portland Marathon is an annual marathon sporting event held in the city of Portland, Oregon. The 2011 Portland Marathon was held Sunday, October 9, 2011. It was first held in 1972 and has been held every year since. The marathon is generally held in October, with as many as 9,000 runners...
to assemble in Lownsdale Square on October 9. Protesters agreed to consolidate into Chapman Square, and began negotiating with city, police and marathon officials over security requirements. On October 8, protesters reached an agreement with the marathon, city and police, and several hundred protesters marched behind marathon runners on October 9. Portland Marathon officials declared the day a success, and event director Les Smith asserted that "the Occupy Portland people have been a godsend for us."
Supporters
With "hundreds of people" attending the "organizing meetings, many of them younger people", the Occupy Portland protest attracted widespread support from the community, even while the protest was still in its planning stages. Members of Portland's chapter of Veterans for PeaceVeterans for Peace
Veterans For Peace is a United States organization founded in 1985. Made up of male and female US military veterans of World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and other conflicts, as well as peacetime veterans, the group works to promote alternatives to war.-Foundation:The...
as well as members of International Longshore and Warehouse Union
International Longshore and Warehouse Union
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union is a labor union which primarily represents dock workers on the West Coast of the United States, Hawaii and Alaska, and in British Columbia, Canada. It also represents hotel workers in Hawaii, cannery workers in Alaska, warehouse workers throughout...
, the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, Laborers' International Union of North America
Laborers' International Union of North America
The Laborers' International Union of North America is an American and Canadian labor union formed in 1903. As of March 31, 2010, they have about 632,000 members, members, about 80,000 of which are in Canada.The current general president is Terence M...
, and of other local labor organizations participated in the march. The Executive Board of Laborer's Local 483 (LIUNA
Laborers' International Union of North America
The Laborers' International Union of North America is an American and Canadian labor union formed in 1903. As of March 31, 2010, they have about 632,000 members, members, about 80,000 of which are in Canada.The current general president is Terence M...
) released a statement in support of the protest, which said "Laborers' Local 483 unites with Occupy Portland. You are the hope for the future." Mayoral candidate Eileen Brady has also expressed her support for the demonstration, though she echoed Mayor Sam Adams' contention that protesters should abide by city ordinances and not block streets without a permit.
State Representative
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
Jefferson Smith
Jefferson Smith (Oregon politician)
Jefferson Smith is an Oregon Democratic politician and the founder of the Bus Project. In 2008, he was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives representing District 47 in east Portland. He is seeking election as Mayor of Portland in 2012.-Early life and career:Smith was born in Portland in...
is the only one of the three major contenders for Portland mayor, Brady notwithstanding, to go on the record as opposing any attempt to remove the protest camp
Protest camp
Protest camps are physical camps that are set up by activists, to either provide a base for protest, or to delay, obstruct or prevent the focus of their protest by physically blocking it with the camp...
from downtown Portland for as long as the protesters remain peaceful. "If things are getting out of hand criminally, we've got to be willing to use force. But we shouldn't be willing to use force merely for the expression of speech," said Smith on October 25.
Shutdown by riot police
At 12:01 AM, November 13, 2011, mayor Sam Adams gave the order for the Portland Police BureauPortland Police Bureau
The Portland Police Bureau is the law enforcement agency of the City of Portland, the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. While oversight of Portland's bureaus shifts among the five City Commissioners, the Mayor has historically been assigned to the Police Bureau as the police...
to clear out and dismantle the park. About 70% of the campers left promptly; though the remaining 30% stayed. In the following hours thousands of Portlanders came to defend the camp, and the police were pushed back twice. Violence was mild; a horse of one of the mounties of the Portland Police stepped on a person's foot, and one policeman was hit by a firework, with non-life threatening injuries, and another with a water bottle
Water bottle
A water bottle is a container used to hold water for consumption. This allows an individual to transport or carry the bottled water from one place to another. A water bottle is usually made of plastic, glass, or metal, and so most can be recycled. Water bottles can be single use, returnable, or...
.
Soon after dawn, the police came in and swept away and dismantled most of the tents. Originally the protesters acquiesced, but a group later took the northwest part of Chapman Square until riot police physically took over the area around noon.
Riot police eventually shut down the protest. Dozens of people were arrested. Protesters said police used excessive force against them as they talked among themselves about what they would do once they had left, with one saying. "We were talking about what we were going to do and then they just started hitting people". The BBC and others reported that police threatened to use "chemical agents and impact weapons" if the protesters did not cease with their activities. In response, those who demonstrated were heard to exclaim, "We are a peaceful protest", "I don't see no riot here, take off your riot gear" and "The whole world is watching". Riot police began to dismantle the protest with demonstrators putting up little resistance as many were led off in handcuffs. The scene was streamed live online to an international audience and received global press coverage.
On November 13, 2011, members of Occupy Portland
Occupy Portland
Occupy Portland is a protest and demonstration that began on October 6, 2011 in downtown Portland, Oregon. It is based on the Occupy Wall Street movement that began in New York City on September 17, 2011....
were forced to leave Lownsdale and Chapman Squares, and their intentional community
Intentional community
An intentional community is a planned residential community designed to have a much higher degree of teamwork than other communities. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, religious, or spiritual vision and often follow an alternative lifestyle. They...
was dismantled.
Though the camp was destroyed, the showdown was seen as a victory because the police were pushed back twice and the deadline was not met, and aside from the actions of two people, the event was nonviolent on the part of the protesters and until the crackdown, on the part of the police as well aside from the unleashing of the mounties.
Later that day at noon, while the protesters were participating in a march, the city built a chain-link fence around the parks, preventing the protestors from returning to the camp site. The few protestors who had remained behind were removed by police without incident.
Timeline
- On October 31, 2011, filmmaker Michael MooreMichael MooreMichael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
visited Occupy Portland protesters and delivered a speech at Terry Schrunk PlazaTerry Schrunk PlazaTerry Schrunk Plaza is a park located in downtown Portland, Oregon. Located across from City Hall, the park is named after former Portland mayor Terry Schrunk and neighbors the Plaza Blocks consisting of Chapman Square and Lownsdale Square....
. Shrunk Plaza is federally-owned property located next to Chapman and Lownsdale squares, Occupy Portland's main campsite that is currently allowed by the City of Portland. Ten protesters have been arrested for camping on this plot next to the main campsite, due to city orders prohibiting protesters from expanding their campsites to other city parks in Portland.
See also
- Economic inequalityEconomic inequalityEconomic inequality comprises all disparities in the distribution of economic assets and income. The term typically refers to inequality among individuals and groups within a society, but can also refer to inequality among countries. The issue of economic inequality is related to the ideas of...
- Empowered democracyEmpowered democracyEmpowered democracy is an alternative form of social-democratic arrangements developed by philosopher and politician Roberto Mangabeira Unger. Theorized in response to the repressiveness and rigidity of contemporary liberal democratic society, the theory of empowered democracy envisions a more open...
- Grassroots movementGrassrootsA grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
- List of global Occupy protest locations
- LobbyingLobbyingLobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the governmentGovernmentGovernment refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
, most often legislatorLegislatorA legislator is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are usually politicians and are often elected by the people...
s or members of regulatory agencies
- Income inequality in the United StatesIncome inequality in the United StatesIncome inequality in the United States of America refers to the extent to which income is distributed in an uneven manner in the US. Data from the United States Department of Commerce, CBO, and Internal Revenue Service indicate that income inequality among households has been increasing...
- PlutocracyPlutocracyPlutocracy is rule by the wealthy, or power provided by wealth. The combination of both plutocracy and oligarchy is called plutarchy. The word plutocracy is derived from the Ancient Greek root ploutos, meaning wealth and kratos, meaning to rule or to govern.-Usage:The term plutocracy is generally...
rule by the wealthWealthWealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem...
y, or power provided by wealth - Tea Party protests
- Wealth inequality in the United StatesWealth inequality in the United StatesWealth inequality in the United States, also known as the "wealth gap", refers to the unequal distribution of financial assets among residents of the United States. Wealth includes the values of homes, automobiles, businesses, savings, and investments. Those who acquire a great deal of financial...
External links
- Official website
- Peacher, Amanda (7 October 2011). "The Faces Of 'Occupy Portland'." Oregon Public Broadcasting.
- Occupy Portland; The Final Hours Photo Gallery The Oregonian