Monday, July 28, 2008

Stealing from the Poor in Portland Oregon 7/27/08

http://www. kptv. com/news/17005878/detail. html#

-Burglars smashed through a reinforced window and stole food from a Portland food bank Friday.

Investigators said the thieves broke into the Generous Ventures Food Bank and, in addition to food, made off with fire extinguishers and a rolodex that included names and phone numbers of employees.They also left behind shattered glass, broken venetian blinds and opened cooler doors.

Edna Ford, who started the food bank 22 years ago, said the stolen food was intended for elderly and homeless people."We help a lot of seniors, and I think it's just awful that they would attack places like this," she said.It's not the first time thieves have struck at the food bank. A year ago, a refrigerated truck was stolen.

Ford said the latest crime is the last straw, and she wants security cameras placed at the food bank."It's getting really old," Ford said. "(I'm) getting very tired of it."The food bank is left with the costs of replacing the stolen food and repairing the damaged building.Generous Ventures is asking for donations to replace the food, repair the building and to install security cameras.

Anyone with information on who may be responsible for the theft is asked to call police.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Thursday, July 17, 2008

POOR PEOPLE POWER July 9 2008

The protest for human respect for the poor and homelss took their message to the streets
I have two Google videos of this afternoon action
Both videos are about an hour long


Video one starts in the park along Burnside in downtown Portland Oregon

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5728239920381017008




Video two starts when the march is just about to the police station and ends with a group - citizens / fourm in the parkblocks at PSU campus


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6044005549247939546


There is one YouTube outake that show the only arrest ... a token j walk ticket & blocking traffic is the topic in the Youtube outake

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZF09DwJkzQ

Monday, July 07, 2008

Portland Coalition Against Poverty July 9 2008 Invite

Wednesday, July 9th 5 PM North Park Blocks Portland Coalition Against Poverty

On Tuesday June 24th, following the regular meal service under the Burnside Bridge, Portland Police awakened and dispersed over 50 people from above and beneath the Bridge. On Wednesday June 25th, the police and Clean and Safe awakened and dispersed 16-20 people from the East side of the Morrison Bridge and 10-14 people from the East side of the Hawthorne Bridge.

The people were removed with no alternative sleeping locations given. Alan Pyrah, who was sleeping on the Burnside bridge at the time of the sweep, asked an officer where he was expected to go. The unnamed officer replied, "Go across the river." Pyrah went to sleep under the Morrison Bridge, and was disturbed again the following evening. These aggressive acts on the part of the Portland Police highlight the continued contempt of the Portland Police bureau for the houseless and impoverished.

The police awakened the sleeping citizens using foghorns and boots, and gave them two minutes to collect their possessions. Clean and Safe, the security branch of the Portland Business Alliance, had brought large dumpsters with them, and all possessions not collected within the two minute limit were thrown into the dumpsters. A Portland Police officer stood by with a timer.

This method of dispersal is a break from standard Portland Police policy: Ordinarily, possessions are seized and taken to a central storage facility, where they can be claimed the next day.

Additionally, city policy requires the police to give 24 hour posted notice before enforcing the no-camping law. These dispersals are in accordance with the regular pattern of ticketing and harassment during the summer festival season. Interviews conducted at several nightly feeds immediately following the raids confirmed the worst suspicions of houseless advocates.
Larry Reynolds, a disabled veteran who sleeps outdoors, said, "They're targeting homeless people...taking people's gear and throwing it away. They're not posting notices or inviting social service agencies [as specified under the no-camping law] as they do it."

Two weeks before the Waterfront Blues Festival, the city has begun to increase pressure on people sleeping outdoors. It began with verbal warnings, and has been followed by ticketing and dispersal on a nightly or bi-nightly basis. This police aggression is intended to insure that attendees of the Blues Festival will not be confronted by the City's issues of poverty. Cheyenne, a houseless person affected by the dispersals, said, "It's the rich and the middle class stealing [sleep] from the poor."

In response to the targeting of poor and houseless people in the community, a demonstration is planned for Wednesday, July 9th. It will start in the North Park Blocks at 5pm. "Hands Off the Poor," a demonstration organized by the Portland Coalition Against Poverty demands an immediate end to police harassment and arrest of poor and houseless people in the community.