Tension in Olympia as war protests escalate [Olympia Port Militarization Resistance]

Seattle Times ^ | November 15, 2007 | Andrew Garber and Ralph Thomas

[Former Military Chick]

OLYMPIA — This normally laid-back town is on edge after a week of raucous war protests that have resulted in dozens of arrests, broken windows and police firing pepper-spray projectiles to control restive crowds.

More than 40 people were arrested Tuesday night after anti-war protesters tried to block shipments of military gear at Olympia's port for an Army Stryker Brigade recently returned from Iraq.

Continued protests seem likely.

Fort Lewis spokesman Joe Piek said the Army expects to finish moving equipment from the port in the next day or so.

The protest group watches for military shipments at local ports and monitors military announcements about ships that are arriving. Since the Stryker shipment arrived in Olympia, the group has had members keeping watch at the port. When they see military equipment leaving, they use a phone tree to rally protesters to the port's gates.

"I've been holding my breath all week that no one is seriously injured or killed in all this," Olympia Mayor Mark Foutch said.

As the state's capital, Olympia sees a fair number of organized protests, but they rarely turn violent.

The protesters call themselves the Olympia Port Militarization Resistance. A press release put out by the group said it formed in May 2006. Members have tried to block military shipments in Olympia, Tacoma and even Aberdeen.

- - -

The purpose of the protests is to demilitarize the port, Yankey said. "The message is that we want to completely end the militarization of our port," he said. "We don't want our community to be a conduit and enable the illegal and immoral war in Iraq."

[Former Military Chick]

Photo's say it all. Actually, I get that folks cover their face to avoid pepper spray but I also think they don't want their family to know who they are?

I am all for peaceful protests, but when you allow fellow protestors to break the law you lose all credibility. Not that this group is credible. I wonder if there will be counter protests??-FMC

TONY OVERMAN/AP
Olympia police make one of about 50 arrests at the Port on Tuesday.

STEVEN M. HERPPICH/AP
Protesters are hit with pepper spray Tuesday while trying to block Stryker vehicles moving from the Port of Olympia.

TONY OVERMAN/AP
Anti-war protesters wait to be arrested as they block the exit from the Port of Olympia on Tuesday. They were protesting shipments of military cargo to Fort Lewis.

[doodad]

"I've been holding my breath all week that no one is seriously injured or killed in all this," Olympia Mayor Mark Foutch said.

Sir, I am afraid that your involvement goes a little deeper than that and will require a bit more effort on your part than hand wringing. Get them out of the way.

[Romneyfor President2008]

Time to expand Gitmo.

[jdsteel]

prosecute to the fullest extent of the law!!!!

[Eye of Unk]

[M Kehoe]

More than 40 people were arrested Tuesday night after anti-war protesters tried to block shipments of military gear at Olympia's port for an Army Stryker Brigade recently returned from Iraq.

I don't know why, but the only word I can think of right now is, "bayonet."

5.56mm

[Red in Blue PA]

Sad to say that that cartoon is dead on.

[mort56]

I am confused. This only proves the militant left is nuts. These people are protesting equipment returning from Iraq. Isn't that what these leftist traitors want? Isn't what their toadies in the Congress have been angling to produce? If you are against the war wouldn't make more sense to protest equipment going to the war zone?

[Max in Utah]

12-gauge Ouchie ball.

[PGalt]

Thanks for posting. Interesting.

“The protesters call themselves the Olympia Port Militarization Resistance.”

Any identifiable individual or named representative?

Here’s one (Phan Nguyen)...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Q3hsDZHg71g

[AIC]

What these protesters want is for the port to be closed to any and all military shipping.

[MarMema]

These are mostly local greeners and they aren’t known for brain power.

[goldstategop]

The moonbats have shown how much they support the troops. By blocking them from coming home.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[They'reGone2000]

Questionable source, I know, but I believe this quote to be accurate (and indicative of what we're up against in Olytopia):

"What we've chosen to do is look at this as a community and decide we aren't comfortable with the use of our port for an illegal war," said T. J. Johnson,, an Olympia City Council member who was part of the demonstrations. "We're not going to end the war from here in Olympia, but if as a community we can shut down a port, maybe other communities in the country can follow our example."

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Greeners from Evergreen State College or University. Whacked out brainwashed lefties.

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

“if as a community we can shut down a port,”

With trash cans? There was a video of the Stryker trucks driving past them like tinkertoys. Still, these protestors are thugs, pure and simple.

[svcw]

When I was in high school, if we were not where we supposed to be, people shot at us with rock salt. Salt in the backside is, well to say the least really painful but not deadly.
In the mid sixties some of the law enforcement people sprayed the protesters with a foam which left a red tint to the skin which took months to come off, worked well.