Contrasting the grumbles of the city, PSU continues to support the Occupy movement
Now approaching almost a month of occupation, Portland’s protesters are holding strong in the Chapman and Lownsdale Squares. While their presence alone is a testament to the resilient nature of the human race, many citizens and businesses are finding them as resilient as a cold sore.
On the outside, it’s starting to look like a shantytown of yurts crawling with many unkempt people. Handwritten signs, now smeared by rain, are held in the fists of drenched occupiers. But what appears to be a pitiful sight from the streets opens into a surprisingly large community of people still just trying to be heard.
From the safety of the sidewalk across the road, passersby make hushed comments such as, “they’re losing and it’s starting to scare them,” and “these hippies have nothing better to do anyway.”
It’s curious as to why this peaceful act of protest has gotten under many Portlanders’ skins. The occupiers present no immediate threat to the surrounding community. But sometimes it is the simple act of existing that will irk people. Surely letting them borrow two blocks of Portland parkland can’t be too much of an inconvenience.
Mayor Sam Adams continues to catch flack for his lack of motivation to disassemble the camps downtown. He is not alone in his choice, though, as other elected officials across the U.S. have similarly decided to let protesters remain in the hopes of avoiding the potentially chaotic or violent outcomes of a forced disassembly.
“It really seems like the downside aspects of it are relatively minimal,” said Ian DeVore, a senior studying film. “People are complaining that the protesters are ruining the grass of the parks, which is a pretty ridiculous complaint when you think about it. The occupiers are doing the best they can to have a low negative impact on the parks.”
The occupation has practically become a city inside our city. Complete with places to eat, medical assistance, free therapy, an art gallery and a library, Occupy Portland is diligently trying to provide services to its people.
With the population of protesters thinning out weekly, a decent portion of those remaining in the parks are homeless people. Though the initial protest in Pioneer Square was met with much enthusiasm and positive support, as time goes on the mood regarding Occupy has noticeably shifted.
“Maintaining our image as a peaceful and positive group just fighting for our beliefs has become the most difficult thing,” said Zack Petridge, an occupier. “Our setup may not look as ideal as some people would like it to, but let’s face it: we’re living outdoors. Day to day we’re just doing the best we can to keep things civil and get our message across.”
The whole setup is under scrutiny daily for supporting a party-like atmosphere. But under closer examination it seems that the facilitators of the occupation are doing everything they can to promote a positive, drug-free area.
“There’s an aspect of credibility to our claims that we want to be heard, so our image is a big deal,” said Lauren Anderson, an occupier acting as an on-site librarian. “We’re trying to clean up and keep our little city maintained. Calm and peaceful, that’s our message. We really just want to educate ourselves and other people.”
As the days get colder and rainy, it will be interesting to see how long the occupiers will be able to persevere. Enduring the grueling Northwest weather that is to come will be an added battle for the movement in Portland to continue. With no determined end in site, we can only hope that the nature of this occupation doesn’t turn ugly.
“Unfortunately, there’s a lot of disagreement. The last time I stopped by there things felt really hostile,” said psychology sophomore Kelsey Alderman. “I think the movement is great and I’m really glad that it’s going on, but I’m afraid of what it could turn into.”
It appears while much of the city has started to roll its eyes at the whole situation, Portland State students are continuing to find value in the persistence of this occupation.
“I’m impressed by the organization of all of it. There are a lot of constructive minds working towards making it last,” said sophomore Nelle Edge. “There’s so much positive awareness that can come out of this; it’s inspiring.”
On a grand scale, Portland’s occupiers should be proud of how they represent themselves. With only a handful of arrests prior to Oct. 29 (when 27 protesters were arrested), none of which were related to violence, Portland is setting the bar for how this movement should present itself. Setting a deadline for when it should all be over isn’t necessary.
Sometimes it’s not about the outcome; it’s about voicing what we find important.
