Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

WA: 12 arrested as Fort Lewis cargo unloaded (Moonbats using children to block trucks )
The News Tribune ^ | November 10, 2007 | Jeremy Pawloski

Posted on 11/11/2007 12:49:07 AM PST by Stoat

At least 12 arrested as protests move to downtown, I-5 entrance


Jeremy Pawloski
The Olympian
 

OLYMPIA -- At least 12 people have been arrested today as protests of military-cargo shipments from the Port of Olympia moved to downtown and the Plum Street entrance to Interstate 5.

About 12:15 p.m., Olympia police arrested at least three people at Fourth Avenue and Plum Street. About 12:20 p.m., protesters gathered at the I-5 entrance in a failed attempt to block convoys. Police arrested at least nine people there.

Protesters on foot blocked traffic at Fourth and Plum about noon by jumping in front of 18-wheelers towing cargo containers containing military equipment bound for Fort Lewis. But Olympia police in riot gear moved in quickly,

spraying pepper spray in the faces of the protesters, pushing them with their batons and dragging them away from the road.

About 10 protesters partially blocked Plum Street at the entrance to Interstate 5 by linking arms through PVC pipes and sitting in the road. Police shot them with pepper spray guns and, when they didn't move, cut the PVC pipes, handcuffed them and dragged them to a police van.

Earlier in the day, Olympia police officers dressed in riot gear used pepper spray and physically removed the 20 or so Olympia Port Militarization Resistance demonstrators who were blocking the entrance to the port about 9:45 a.m.

A larger number of protesters stood by and shouted at the police, decrying what they felt were excessive tactics. A smaller group that included some of the truck drivers who were waiting to move military equipment to Fort Lewis voiced quiet support for the police actions.

By about 10:20 a.m., a large number of trucks had entered the port and about 20 officers lined the road at Franklin and Market streets, making sure the road was clear of protesters.

About 10:30 a.m., several protesters -- including one young woman screaming in pain -- were being treated by paramedics after being pepper-sprayed by police. The line of protesters at the port’s gates, some of whom wore goggles and other protective gear, withstood several sprays and were physically removed by officers who picked them up and threw them away from the road they had blocked.

Saturday’s actions by police come one day after protesters were able to halt to two trucks from removing military equipment that had been unloaded from Iraq.

All week, OlyPMR has been protesting the use of the port by the USNS Brittin, which landed at the port Monday to unload equipment that was used in Iraq by the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team).

On Friday, protesters, including several small children, were able to keep two trucks, including one towing a Stryker vehicle, from leaving the port. Olympia police said the department did not have enough officers available to remove the protesters Friday, and that they were not prepared to physically remove children.

Olympia Port Commission President Paul Telford said Friday night that he understood police did not have the resources to remove the protesters that day but added he was “a little disappointed that we didn’t get some police support.”

Early this morning, protesters were blocking the main entrance to the port, and overnight a barricade had been built at another road providing access to the port on Market and Marine Drive. Protesters said they were there all night.

The barricade, which included the axle of a truck with four wheels attached and plastic garbage cans, was cleared by what appeared to be port workers using a bulldozer about 8:15 a.m. today. Police also cleared protesters from the barricade using pepper spray.

Before today's action by police, truck drivers who were waiting to do their jobs said they didn’t feel police were doing theirs. Overnight, truck driver Mike Cutberth said protesters stole equipment from his truck that he had used to secure cargo containers.

“The police response (stinks),” Cutberth said of Saturday’s incation by police.

“We’re a tax-producing business,” said truck driver Tory Liljeblad. “Why don’t we get protection?”

Nathan Forrest added that “I can’t make a living” with the protesters blocking port access.

“We’re truck drivers; we can’t get in and work,” Mike Smith said.

After the trucks rolled into the port this morning, it appeared that OlyPMR’s resistance would continue; police scanners were reporting various actions in the area of the port and on Fourth Avenue after 11 a.m.

For more information, check back at this site and see Page A1 in Sunday's Olympian.

 


 
Tony Overman/The Olympian
A protester seeks help after Olympia Police officers pepper sprayed a group of protesters at the Port of Olympia, Saturday morning. (Tony Overman/The Olympian)

 



TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; US: Washington; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: humanshield; moonbats; olympia; olypmr; washington; washingtonstate
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-56 next last
Many thanks to FReeper Chardonnay for posting a link to this story in the FR Washington State Forum.

The original story (similar text, different photos) is posted in The Olympian, which is blocked by FR due to a copyright complaint.

From the Tribune article:

On Friday, protesters, including several small children, were able to keep two trucks, including one towing a Stryker vehicle, from leaving the port. Olympia police said the department did not have enough officers available to remove the protesters Friday, and that they were not prepared to physically remove children.

**********************************************

Please also see this related FR thread:

Anti-war demonstrators protest military ship unloading in Olympia

1 posted on 11/11/2007 12:49:10 AM PST by Stoat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: chardonnay

Ping :-)


2 posted on 11/11/2007 12:49:49 AM PST by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All
Billy: Hey Joey, what did you do on Friday?

Joey:  Oh, just the usual stuff.  My mom took me and my sister down to the Port and put us in the road to block trucks, and we all screamed and yelled and threw stuff at the police.  And when we wouldn't move, they pepper-sprayed us all and it made me sick for the rest of the day.  They dragged my mom off to jail while she was kicking and screaming  It was fun!

3 posted on 11/11/2007 12:51:07 AM PST by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Stoat

I don’t feel sorry in the least for the girl in pain from pepper spray or any of these protesters. I think if children were there then child services should have come in asap. If you want to protest then be ready for pepper spray & arrest. IMHO you never take a child to a protest.


4 posted on 11/11/2007 12:56:04 AM PST by pandoraou812 ( Its NOT for the good of the children! Its BS along with bending over for Muslim's demands)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Stoat
Anyone that purposely takes a child to a protest that has physical action planned should have child services respond, IMHO.

I’ve taken my kids to peaceful demonstrations to support the troops, where we held signs and flags as people drove by in cars. If there was any possibility of any counter-protesters or confrontation present, that would have been irresponsible. Kids have no business in that.

5 posted on 11/11/2007 12:59:37 AM PST by I still care ("Remember... for it is the doom of men that they forget" - Merlin, from Excalibur)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: pandoraou812
I don’t feel sorry in the least for the girl in pain from pepper spray or any of these protesters. I think if children were there then child services should have come in asap. If you want to protest then be ready for pepper spray & arrest. IMHO you never take a child to a protest.

You're absolutely right of course.  The police were being so careful as a result of the presence of children, their perceived inaction upset some people.  I couldn't be helped when protesters bring kids into a potentially hazardous situation.

Those kids should be placed in permanent foster care, IMO.  That's utterly reckless for parents to take their kids into a situation like that.

6 posted on 11/11/2007 1:00:08 AM PST by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Stoat

Young people in Olympia are the worst kind of leftists. Evergreen College is their little leftist home


7 posted on 11/11/2007 1:01:32 AM PST by Professional
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Professional

Isn’t that the one with the geoduck mascot?

Not surprised they turn out kids that are sort of out of the norm...


8 posted on 11/11/2007 1:02:46 AM PST by I still care ("Remember... for it is the doom of men that they forget" - Merlin, from Excalibur)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Stoat
I am careful about where I take & took my older children. I took 8 yr old Sassy to a wingfest this year. It was hot & frankly a mistake to take her. Too much beer was drank by the people around us. I try not to place a child where there is a possibility of trouble. Those are not thinking parents & if anything I think they used the children & placed them in a harmful way. The cops should have done more & I feel for the truckers. Time is money for those guys.
9 posted on 11/11/2007 1:06:38 AM PST by pandoraou812 ( Its NOT for the good of the children! Its BS along with bending over for Muslim's demands)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Stoat

Oh man, I wish I could have seen this! I would have set up a lawn chair with a bowl of popcorn and some binoculars!


10 posted on 11/11/2007 1:10:44 AM PST by burzum (None shall see me, though my battlecry may give me away -Minsc)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Stoat
But Olympia police in riot gear moved in quickly, spraying pepper spray in the faces of the protesters, pushing them with their batons and dragging them away from the road.

Traitors should be shot not maced.

11 posted on 11/11/2007 1:18:57 AM PST by Doctor Raoul (Columbia = Ayatollah U.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: I still care
Anyone that purposely takes a child to a protest that has physical action planned should have child services respond, IMHO.

Agreed, and the kids should be introduced to a new mom and dad.

I’ve taken my kids to peaceful demonstrations to support the troops, where we held signs and flags as people drove by in cars. If there was any possibility of any counter-protesters or confrontation present, that would have been irresponsible. Kids have no business in that

I think that in most cases, Troop-support actions are probably among the safest places you could possibly bring your kids....and an educational one.  They'll have an opportunity to meet military people and interact with them in a positive way.

And if any of the moonbats start getting out of line, you'll quickly have about fifty highly-focused pro_Troops people between them and your kids   :-)

12 posted on 11/11/2007 1:18:58 AM PST by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Doctor Raoul

I’ve been thinking of more humane method of liberal crowd dispersal than pepper spray. For some reason, machetes come to mind.


13 posted on 11/11/2007 1:27:13 AM PST by Cvengr (Every believer is a grenade. Arrogance is the grenade pin. Pull the pin and fragment your life.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Professional
Young people in Olympia are the worst kind of leftists. Evergreen College is their little leftist home

Yes, there are swarms of them there. 

14 posted on 11/11/2007 1:36:11 AM PST by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Stoat
About 10 protesters partially blocked Plum Street at the entrance to Interstate 5 by linking arms through PVC pipes and sitting in the road. Police shot them with pepper spray guns and, when they didn't move, cut the PVC pipes, handcuffed them and dragged them to a police van.

Now, THAT'S entertainment! ;)

15 posted on 11/11/2007 1:38:52 AM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle ("Ron Paul and his flaming antiwar spam monkeys can Kiss my Ass!!" -- Jim Robinson, 09/30/07)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: burzum
Oh man, I wish I could have seen this! I would have set up a lawn chair with a bowl of popcorn and some binoculars!

And a stylish bullhorn to applaud the officers when they spray, subdue and drag away those scruffy commies   :-)

It would be like a sports event....when the police drag away a protester, a point for the home team has been scored and the crowd goes wild   :-)

16 posted on 11/11/2007 1:39:44 AM PST by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
About 10 protesters partially blocked Plum Street at the entrance to Interstate 5 by linking arms through PVC pipes and sitting in the road. Police shot them with pepper spray guns and, when they didn't move, cut the PVC pipes, handcuffed them and dragged them to a police van.

Now, THAT'S entertainment! ;)

I wonder if any pro-Troops people have put footage of that up on YouTube yet?  It would be the sort of thing that you'd want to bookmark and watch again and again  :-)

17 posted on 11/11/2007 1:42:09 AM PST by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Doctor Raoul; Cvengr; All
But Olympia police in riot gear moved in quickly, spraying pepper spray in the faces of the protesters, pushing them with their batons and dragging them away from the road.

Traitors should be shot not maced.

You won't get any arguments from me  :-)

Although this approach is far more lenient than what I would prefer, we've been having an interesting discussion in the FR Washington Forum  on the use of water cannons on rioters.

I understand that they are quite effective, and make the rioter quite disinterested in rioting.

Jino Motors - Tailor-Made Special Purpose Vehicles, Chassis and Upper Structures

 

 

They even make ones that fly!

 


18 posted on 11/11/2007 1:53:39 AM PST by Stoat (Rice / Coulter 2008: Smart Ladies for a Strong America)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Stoat
Click here http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2007/11/368293.shtml>http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2007/11/368293.shtml to read their account.

From that site, the organizers are:

Contacts:

Andrew Yankey
Cell: 360-349-1089

Anna-Marie Murano
Cell: 360-878-1401

Phan Nguyen
360-352-4172

19 posted on 11/11/2007 2:43:38 AM PST by Doctor Raoul (Columbia = Ayatollah U.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Stoat

bookmark


20 posted on 11/11/2007 2:43:47 AM PST by GOP Poet
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-56 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson