From the Oregonian.
Time’s up, Occupy Portland
Mayor Sam Adams has styled himself as a sympathizer and B.F.F. of the Occupy Portland protest, which is not just regrettable.
It’s wrong.
Adams should not be Occupy’s best friend; he should be the leader of the city. Now, belatedly, the mayor does seem to be remembering his role. In an open letter to the encampment Monday, Adams gave the protesters some valuable advice:
Wrap it up.
He didn’t mention that the Occupy protests around the country are likely to be remembered for the degree of chaos and disorder they spawn. But at least he did remind the group that some things have already gone very, very wrong — and we’re not just talking about trees damaged in parks.
A policeman here was shoved into a moving bus; protesters in Washington, D.C., were reportedly victims of hit-and-run incidents; and the camp in Vancouver, B.C., has recorded a death, possibly by drug overdose. Also, Portland police said Tuesday, crime is on the rise in three patrol districts near the camp.
A “growing number of arrests and reports of illicit drug and alcohol use, violent behavior and other criminal conduct must be immediately addressed,” the mayor wrote Monday. ” … The way things are operating now is not sustainable.”
There, he said it. And in the context of City Hall’s political tilt toward the protest, maybe that qualifies as blunt. It also telegraphs a wake-up to supporters of the protesters, who have done their own work to enable Occupy. Some supporters have applauded the encampment as if it were a static piece of political theater. Well, it’s not.
Even if there were just one person in charge of the protest/
encampment, which there isn’t, what happens inside is beyond the capacity of anyone to really control. That inherent volatility exposes the city to a grave, uncharted liability. It’s not just that what happens there is taking place on city property, it’s taking place on city property where the city has suspended some of its own regulations.
In tilting in favor of the protesters, City Hall has — quite literally — ceded ground to them. The city now finds itself in the untenable position of negotiating the terms under which Portland can regain its own parks. If we sound indignant about that, it’s because we are — and Portlanders should be.
But the absurdity of the situation is far eclipsed by its dangers. With every minute that ticks by, Occupy threatens to deteriorate in some new way, with the potential to harm campers, police and passers-by.
There is still a chance for the protesters to leave the parks on their own terms and that would be good. But this needs to end, and soon. That is not negotiable.
With this letter, the mayor should relinquish his ill-defined role as the protesters’ ex-officio adviser and do his job — which is supposed to be mayor of all Portlanders.
GREY COAST ANARCHIST NEWS 