Occupy REI!

Heya all, I just took a little detour to check out the "Occupy Portland" protest today, on my way to REI and managed to snap a few pics and wow all I can say it was PACKED I had to wait at least 15 minutes in line to check-out .... oh wait that was at REI! :lol: (REI was swamped, far more people packed in the store than I saw at the protest)

Earlier on, while crossing the bridge to the west side of the river as I headed to REI, I saw 5 - 10 people walking the other way with posters and someone with a giant craft built jelly fish with something about the 99% on a sign walking the other way quietly.

In route to REI, a passing motorist (obviously from out of town, possibly OSU asked me where to find the protest and if it was still going) kinda weird, a protester not able to find the protest.

I picked up a few things at REI, and then headed out to the ghost town that is "Occupy Portland" at 4th & Madison down-town Portland at around 6PM.

It was kind of interesting since they came and "occupied" the same area that today had long before been planned for the Portland Marathon, but since they refused to get a permit from the beginning, these kinds of schedule conflicts are expected. (or by design to get attention :wink: )

Told to leave at 9AM as requested by the police, they instead worked out a deal with the Portland Marathon and shared the space.

The first impression I had when coming to the area, was how extremely quiet it was. More signs than people, most of them laying next to the monument at Chapman Square, where a friendly and maybe a little too interested (desperate) young woman encouraged me to stay and listen as someone was going to speak soon.

It was more of a "closing time" atmosphere at a carnival, with people milling around mostly aimlessly and occasionally a call of "Mic Check" meaning they wanted what ever followed to be repeated by all who heard the message to get it across to someone else in the "crowd".

As I got closer to the tents, there were more people, possibly 100 - 150 (maybe if you count some people inside their tents there could be more, I estimate 50 tents) there was sort of a "Big Top" like tent and a small crowd gathered around, certainly nothing like the original kick-off of thousands that filled the streets and briefly blocked traffic days before.

I never saw anything really mean or hateful in the signs, just outrage expressed in words, nice polite but forceful words, and various people eating food, chatting, and the smell of beer was pervasive.

Here are the pics I took:





These two pictures really captured the tone of the protest.



There was a guy walking around with his Guy Fawks (V for Vendetta) mask:



(not my picture, one taken at the protest days earlier, just an example of the mask)

Trying to be spooky and mysterious I guess, couldn't get a pic of him he was moving around too much.



The ISO (International Socialist Organization) had posters and banners all around the tents, and booths around the square. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Socialist_Organization















Now THIS is the best poster I saw! And I am a proud member of a credit union and have been long before all this.











Not sure what this one is about ... is anyone forced to take a student loan?








The average age of people there were in their 20's, and it could have been a concert for an old punk rock group from the 80's with the people wearing surplus army fatigues and combat boots with anti-corporate slogans/workers unite type messages, but the majority would have been right at home at a Bob Marley concert or just about any college campus, with a bit more street than college feel.

The only people I saw in over the age of about 30 were other people taking pictures, local homeless or typical people you see most days hanging around in downtown Portland.

This poor speaker at the monument was nearly constantly interrupted by a homeless man who was in agreement with him but just couldn't contain himself and not comment on the subject, several people around were gently encouraging him to let the man speak to little success.



(Pretty hard to pic him out, this is the only picture I got other than the short video I'm not sure how to host, will probably put it up on youtube or something when I'm awake tomorrow :wink: )

The speaker followed a typical anti-capitalist speech with a good deal of things I agreed with about banks & businesses getting bail-outs when they shouldn't have mixed in with some pretty radical socialist re-distribution of wealth that I didn't, I tried to capture what little video my cheap digi camera will hold, but not sure how to post it yet. It's only like 10 seconds long anyway.

Again, I agree with a lot of the sentiment, but this was definitely not a wide swath of people I saw, to be fair, part of the agreement between the Marathon workers and the protesters was to keep things separate, and anyone who left the tents couldn't return until after the Marathon events ended, so some probably went home.

Only the die-hards were left behind, looks to be mostly students and normal populations of people who hang out in downtown, not people who have something to do on Monday.

Try finding anything on these protests in the UK, total media blackout...funny that eh?

Hats off to you Americans for showing that protests do not have to turn to violence, something the youth in UK could learn.

Totally support your protest.

Call me mr cynical, but it seems to me that the 99% that really hate banks include a large percentage of folks who are likely to have a large outstanding student loan. :wink: I hate banks too, but spent my lifetime outwitting their moronic polices to suck your money. I did a lot more of taking advantage of them over the last 30 years, than getting screwed by em. Walking around waving signs is not the way to stick it to the bank. Using their money in a way that profits you instead of them is the way.

Don't get me wrong, the stuff the banks and wall st. did to the real estate and oil markets recently is obscene. But if you think it couldn't be worse, you should read Solzhenitsyn. Capitalisim definitely needs to have some rules, and those rules enforced. But an artificial economy run by decree has definitely been proven unworkable for the long run. This time around it is worse than the 80's, which was pretty hugging bad in my part of the country. Not even the trickle trickled down. That was the beginning of the drug money guys owning the soutwest lock stock and barrel as they do to this day. But it still beats the gulag archipelago or the holocaust by a mile.

Waste of time, they should be locating the homes of the CEO's and occupying those, French guillotine style.

There has been no mainstream coverage in the Corporate republic of the Americas that I've seen.

I'm dreaming of Oregon becoming a RED state in 2012. Events like this will probably help my dream come true. :wink: Professional protesters that the only thing they seem able to offer to society is bitchin' about "the man", don't impress me.

Take a good look at the protesters. Are these the people that you want running the country?? These people obviously don't have the first clue about what it takes to make money, run a business, or why the profit motive makes sense.

Maybe the British media isn't covering the protests because they are spending time doing the REAL reporting on the Obama administration and the fallacy of man made global warming that the US media is unwilling to do.

San Francisco's financial district looked roughly identical this weekend. There were hundreds of folks camping in front of the federal reserve building there, even with bands playing, folks making food on giant BBQ's on the sidewalk, even grass-roots makeshift medical stations etc.

Walked through it, seemed quite peaceful.

The bank robs you. :lol: Only if you are an idiot and let them. Bounce checks monthy, or even worse, let them tell you you can afford that house loan. We bought the house ten years ago, the bank told us to get one twice the cost. We said, well,,,,, nope. The house we did buy was one a bank was taking a beating on, foreclosed. Another I take money from the bank, not they rob me. And now in a horrible recession, our house half devalued is still worth twice what we owe. I racked up charge card debt at 4%. Then paid it back in dollars worth 20% less. Took thier money again, but to be honest they borrowed that money I borrowed so cheap we both made out fine.

Oh yeah, those banks, really hugged me. But if you are stooooopid. That's different.

Maybe it can be more different, if more of those protesters get out and vote.

Banks as in sellers of mortgage bonds rated AAA when really they were F as investments.

Spacey said:

Try finding anything on these protests in the UK, total media blackout...funny that eh?

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Here's some UK coverage. Once again, doing a much better job that the US media.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2047664/Occupy-Wall-Street-Children-1-good-time-protests.html

Fiat money is invented from nothing, the banks never had it to loan out in the first place until they made it appear from the press of a button.

dogman said:

The bank robs you. :lol: Only if you are an idiot and let them.

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You let them rob you bro, in a huge way.

The manor they paid for all the bad mortgage's was by just allowing the money to be worth less (making it from nothing).
It was big too.

If you had $100,000 saved for retirement or whatever, you lost ~$22,000usd of it's value (though your number amount didn't change a bit).

If you had a job paying $50,000 a year, guess what? You now work for $39,000 a year value of money, though the number remains the same.

If you worked for $10 an hour, now you work for $7.80 an hour (value, the number is still $10).



What they did, was EXACTLY what he campaigned on not doing. They jacked the entire country from the top-level in a way that helped wall street and the corporate banks, and pissed on everyone else. Anyone else remember all those " Helping Main St. not Wall St" speeches? Well, surprise! They did the exact opposite instead. Who was surprised by it?? Anyone?? That's what I thought.

Just one question, WTF is 'REI'?

KiM

AussieJester said:

Just one question, WTF is 'REI'?

KiM

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Good question! I think it is a camping shop but I could be wrong.

Oh yes, lets roll out the "french" guillotine. Good to see there are some really peaceful wonderful people willing to play "judge, jury and executioner" for those that they deem "the guilty".

Another "peaceful" protester calling for revolution? You coming out as an extremist along with Roseanne Barr? :wink:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...risis-Bring-guillotine.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

'I do say that I am in favour of the return of the guillotine and that is for the worst of the worst of the guilty.

'I first would allow the guilty bankers to pay, you know, the ability to pay back anything over $100 million [of] personal wealth because I believe in a maximum wage of $100 million.

'And if they are unable to live on that amount of that amount then they should, you know, go to the re-education camps and if that doesn't help, then being beheaded.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2044747/Roseanne-Barrs-solution-banking-crisis-Bring-guillotine.html#ixzz1aWV2IF1y

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Just another road to the same evil side of humanity that decides to kill instead of work things out and accept that everyone is a human being with basic rights.

Lets see how many we can decide are the "enemies of the revolution" and start drowning the streets in blood as happened in the French revolution, good to see that hatred and ignorance is still in fashion 200 years later.

We already have protesters outside of CEO's houses, yeah lets all live "V for Vendetta" in real life. I mean it's just like the movies! No one REALLY gets hurt right?

Brad Blanton of Luray, Va. had one of the more extreme messages of the protest, saying it was time to literally start eating the wealthy in order to fix economic inequality.

“They‘re devouring us and now it’s time we start devouring them back,” Blanton said. “I’m advocating cannibalism.”

But actual cannibalism? Apparently so.

“We ought to cut ‘em up and have a little ritual where we call it communion,” Blanton said. “We’re all cannibals, all human beings are cannibals. What we need to do is start eating from the top instead of the bottom.”

And again, just so there was no mistake:

“First we ought to kill them and eat them. I think cannibalism is the answer. Second to that, just regulate the hell out of them, that’d be okay,” Blanton said.

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But this has never happened, right? They are just talking metaphorically.

Families of over-zealous Chinese victims to extreme cannibalistic practices perpetrated on those who didn't support the Chinese Communist party enough know differently.


I'm sure that's been said at all the tea party protests, lets see the evidence please? :wink:

Oh I get it, lets kill the people that we don't like then the magical job fairy will make everyone else rich in their place. Human sacrifice anyone?

Be sure to wear your "Che" tee-shirts, smoke a bowl and be a useful idiot, sign up here!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Che_Guevara

Definitely "grass roots" how else do you get "the people" to come?! Offer free food, cheap pot and smack! (I mean that stuff doesn't grow on trees right? "viva la revolution!") :lol:

Squatters and Drug Addicts Invade Zuccotti Park and 'Occupy Wall Street' Protests

Read more: http://nation.foxnews.com/occupy-wall-street/2011/10/10/squatters-and-drug-addicts-invade-zuccotti-park-and-occupy-wall-street-protests#ixzz1aWXe2FM0

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http://nation.foxnews.com/occupy-wa...zuccotti-park-and-occupy-wall-street-protests

"You bring the grass I'll bring the roots!" :lol: :lol:

AussieJester said:

Just one question, WTF is 'REI'?

KiM

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???? All i get when i google is Real Estate Institue.... Is REI an American thing
like a camping store as JosephC suggeted? i seriously haven' a clue what REI is...

KiM

AussieJester said:

AussieJester said:

Just one question, WTF is 'REI'?

KiM

Click to expand...

???? All i get when i google is Real Estate Institue.... Is REI an American thing
like a camping store as JosephC suggeted? i seriously haven' a clue what REI is...

KiM

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Well that would make more sense than protesting outside a camping shop.

Silly australians
http://www.rei.com/
And it was started here in WA! (WA state )

ahhhh okedokie it is a camping store, BCF is the only store i gotto
for fishing tackle etc...


KiM

Well, it Rhymes, "Occupy R-E-I" and I don't get a chance to Rhyme very often, so I gotta take the moments when I my brain isn't re-calculating the next gearing ratio on my mid-drive when it lets me!

Other than that, I was just surprised at how dramatic the difference is between how things can look on a news show and reality, a small gathering can be made to look like a big to-do and vice versa. The initial "event" had around 15,000 people, and now just the trouble makers and professional protesters (yes they do exist) are left along with a few misguided youth.

I don't mind the fact that they are protesting, hell they can protest against belly lint or Jesus for all I care, but they refuse to even follow the most basic laws (no camping allowed, permits required for a public gathering), are making asses of themselves and hurting their cause, and when 3 people showed up as a counter protest, they got told by the police that if they grow to 5+ that they will be fined for not having a permit!!

They were stealing power from a local electric vehicle plug-in until it was reported on the news and now that has been shut off. Really just silly, but hey, as long as they don't do anything terrible, they can continue to throw trash on the ground and turn the part lawn into mud. In the end, it's our Mayor that is really showing who he is and how weak to let this go on, part of a major reason he will not be re-elected.

I'm just hoping that there will be equal treatment, when the tea party wanted to have a demonstration, some of these same "tolerant" groups shouted and screamed and caused a problem so they couldn't have a normal protest with out the police having to break it up, and it irritates me the ridiculous lie that this is some "mom and pop" grass roots average person on the street protest when it is mainly the same group of folks that every once in a while either get hired or decide to cause a ruckus and "protest".

This was ANYTHING but some spontaneous grass roots that happened to start protesting it is really weird however how they are well organized in the sense of the method and logistics of putting together a protest, while not having a stated goal or unifying message.

Every time anyone here has been asked, the answer has been some form of "we are trying to reach a consensus" in other words, it's more like "Hey! I heard *Insert Group Name here* is going down to Portland to do a "Occupy" protest lets go!" than a true protest in the sense of protesting against a specific group, more like a bland generalization of distrust for financial institutions, wallstreet, and Capitalism, but no real leader or direction.

Plenty of frustration, some anger, but mostly it's become a "hang out" for students, socialist radicals and street people to get some attention and give the finger to the average people just going to work, and they are now spreading out of the park, Chapman Square to block main street and disrupt traffic, because apparently they aren't getting enough attention, so they trying to cry a little louder and hope that "mommy" will notice them. :wink:

StudEbiker said:

Spacey said:

Try finding anything on these protests in the UK, total media blackout...funny that eh?

Click to expand...

Here's some UK coverage. Once again, doing a much better job that the US media.

Protest tourism: These youngsters made the journey from Long Island, where they go to school

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2047664/Occupy-Wall-Street-Children-1-good-time-protests.html#ixzz1aXzpit3s

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2047664/Occupy-Wall-Street-Children-1-good-time-protests.html

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Here are some nice quotes from that article:

Back in New York's financial district, the atmosphere around the protests has become increasingly debauched as more and more youngsters join.

Conspicuously living among the politically active in the makeshift village in Zuccotti Park are now also opportunistic junkies and homeless people - making the most of the freebies on offer.

Some of those camped on the site have been smoking marijuana in plain site, despite the strong police presence in the area.

Protesters said the site smells like a sewer and the free condoms have given visions of what the Woodstock festival was like. In one shocking picture, a man was seen defecating on a police car.

'Most of the kids are trust-fund babies. They don’t need to be here,' Andre, a 40-year-old activist told the New York Post. 'I’ve seen some making out, having sex. It doesn’t look good.'

Ironically, many of the wealthy youngsters are planning a 'Millionaires March' - to confront some of New York's wealthiest tycoons on Tuesday.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2047664/Occupy-Wall-Street-Children-1-good-time-protests.html#ixzz1aXyoXy3F

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Wow, could you be any more stupid? I think this was all already done about 40 years ago ... some people were born too late I guess ... at least do something original, and put some clothes on ... please ... we'd really rather not see that ... no really ... :lol:

But no, I'm sure this is going to make a real impression on the world ... and they are going to be so proud (or at least their parents that protested in the same self-defacing way and the odd professor) and change it for the better!

Peace, Love and Murdered Bankers?!

Sounds like a game of "One of These Things (Is Not Like The Others)" gone wrong ... but no, it's what we are supposed to do right? Not do something positive like help your neighbor who is sleeping in the street by giving them some food, or offering a way off the street, no lets whine and cry about that other kid who has a toy that I WANT and I SHOULD HAVE IT and throw and tantrum about it, while wearing $300 Jeans, and blogging on your lap-top.

Funny how these things are so often done by truly wealthy people who want to claim "I'm here for the little guy" while actually not getting their hands dirty doing anything constructive about it, just pointed at "that other guy" and calling for even his head on a platter because you got a school loan you can't afford, or after "mommy and daddy" spend $200,000 on your education you didn't get the perfect job.

Yes, it's true, my wife's retirement fund took a hit,like everybody elses. But if my ten bucks is now worth seven fifty, it's the oil companies fault more than the banks. There's your obsence profits and the source of recent inflation if you ask me. Don't even try to tell me it cost's them that to produce. Yet there is still a connection, as the bank swindlers tried to cover thier ass making the oil bubble of 2008. You better belive the banks were involved in this springs spin trying to pump up that price.

But most people angry at a bank right now ARE pissed about some chicken shit charge added to thier account. Or underwater on a mortgage because they let a bank convince em a huge house 5 years ago was a great idea. Or lost everything playing the flip the house game at a bad time. They made some shitty decisions too, it's not entirely the banks fault. Dumbass people took out those mortgages in the first place, knowing damn well they couldn't make the payments, but counting on taking out a loan on the equity in two years. Every one of those bad mortgages started with a dumbshit that singned it.

Just like it happened in 1929, when people , the people not the banks, were the ones that went crazy playing the market on margin. It really is the same thing all over again, just a different kind of market was being speculated.

Dogman, look up and research derivatives.

And Ron Paul predicted all of this crap when all of the other politicians were laughing at him with his sound knowledge of Austrian Economics. The pain from this the largest of all fiat money pump up schemes is just beginning! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


END THE FEDERAL RESERVE an elite global corrupt banking cartel that is unconstitutional.

"the fallacy of man made global warming "

Wow, what an ignorant statement.

Here's a starting point for mr. studebiker's re-education:

http://www.merchantsofdoubt.org/

It really doesn't take too much effort to learn the facts, but your mind must have some space free of right-wing dogma.