All I knew beforehand was that OccupyPortland was beginning at noon in Waterfront Park, and that I was determined to participate. I expected maybe a few hundred protesters, and wasn't sure how well things would be organized - or how strong the showing of police.
Approaching the corner of SW Naito and Ankeny, these fears were quickly relieved. I found myself among thousands, streaming toward a central gathering point. As we crowded together to listen, organizers spent at least an hour explaining basic etiquitte, legal rights, agreements reached with law enforcement, and general guidelines to further the nonviolent message of this peaceful demonstration.
As I took in the expansive size of the crowd, I found myself equally amazed at a special quality that often goes unrecognized in society today: The ability of large groups of people to self-regulate, facilitate communication, and assist one another on-the-fly, in furtherance of common goals. For example, due to legal restrictions on the use of public-address systems, all information from organizers had to be delivered via a hand-held megaphone (aka "bullhorn").
As you might imagine, such a unit can hardly reach a swelling crowd that eventually approached six thousand. I at first feared that thousands of frustrated attendees would lose interest, stop paying attention, or even disrupt the discussion. Instead, we developed a system of "call and response", so that those who could hear the bullhorn would repeat information, all together as a group, for the benefit of those beyond reach. So it went something like this: Bullhorn: "We would like to let you know..." - Crowd: " ...WE WOULD LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW" - Bullhorn: "That we are going to march..." - Crowd: "...THAT WE ARE GOING TO MARCH..." ... and so on.
It takes twice as long, but hey, everyone's on the same page. Problem solved.
As for the march itself: Amazing! I've participated in a fair number of public demonstrations, and in my opinion Thursday's march was one of the best organized, safest, LOUDEST, and most energetic protests yet! Major credit to the organizers, city officials, and Portland Police for working together to facilitate such an event. Internal monitoring and conflict resolution is key to resolving issues before the police do - way to go organizers!
I gotta say, there is a certain satisfaction to marching down the middle of Broadway in Downtown, shouting in unison with six thousand other people:
"Who's Street? Our Street!" and "They Got Bailed Out, We Got Sold Out!"
The youth energy was present en force. I spoke with several local students who participated in a massive walkout to join the movement. Fear of no jobs and inability to pay debts were main concerns.
It wasn't just young people, however. I struck up conversations with several Boomer-age folks, with concerns ranging from anger over Wall Street bailouts to lack of opportunities for their kids to a growing sense of frustration over the collusion between government and corporate interests that exclude regular Americans from the democratic process.
Onlooker responses were mixed. Many were supportive, offering cheers and waves from cars stuck in traffic backups we helped create. Some stared, seeming perplexed, smartphones up and apparently recording the action. And a few laughed, from behind glass in their plush office suites at the First Republic Bank... see the picture below.
After a brief rally in Pioneer Square, the march continued several more blocks until reaching the destination of occupation, a series of two parks adjacent to the main county courthouse and in the heart of the financial district.
There is something powerful about standing tall in a public forum and coming to realize that there are thousands of other people marching shoulder-to shoulder who have the same frustrations, who yearn for real solutions, and who feel disenfranchised from the decision-making processes of our country. It's a new feeling for many, maybe newly remembered for others - and it's called Solidarity.
It may be early, but I came away from Thursday's march with something I haven't had much of recently: Hope.
There's a lot of work to do, no doubt. But with the Movement growing and presently occupying a square block in the heart of downtown... I do believe this is just the beginning.
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