Tag: City Hall

Portland Anti-Eviction Movement Taking Names, Gaining Ground

Story and photos by Pete Shaw Fifty supporters of the eviction resistance movement gathered outside City Hall on November 16 to demand the City of Portland and Multnomah County declare a moratorium on evictions and the use of city police to help the sheriff enforce evictions. “We are bringing the fight to City Hall,” said…

Portland Police Stepping into Eviction Role with Both Feet

Story and photos by Pete Shaw Just after her husband had driven away to take their granddaughter to school on November 6, Heather Sirotak found herself confronted by 40 officers, some brandishing guns. Prior to entering the house with the aid of what she described as a battering ram, Sirotak said she heard one  “bellowing”…

U.S. Department of Justice Finds Portland Police Guilty of Using Excessive Force Against People With Mental Illness

Chief Reese Deletes “I disagree with the Department of Justice’s findings” From His Online Statement   Story by Pete Shaw At a crowded press conference on the 14th floor of the Portland Justice Center on Thursday, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced its findings of an investigation, launched on June 8, 2011.  The…

Citizen Support Cracks Bureaucratic Inhumanity Against Homeowner

Story and photos by Pete Shaw The notice on the door of Room 3000 at 1900 SW 4th Avenue —  home of Portland’s Bureau of Development Services (BDS) — listed the various administrative hearings that would be taking place on September 6, 2012.  I was present because I expected a 9 a.m. hearing between the…

Citizens Demand Their Government Stand Up To Coal

Story and photos by Pete Shaw A boisterous crowd of over 100 people descended on the Northwest Headquarters of the Army Corps of Engineers on August 28 to demand an environmental and public health impact study for all four possible export coal terminal sites, as well as planned routes for the trains and barges that…

Community Continues to Speak Out Against Coal Trains

Story and photos by Pete Shaw The Lombard Overpass of the railroad cut that bisects St. John’s – from the Willamette River to the Columbia Slough – was the site of an August 18 demonstration, with over 75 activists protesting and educating people about the proposed transportation of coal through Oregon and Washington. With faces…

Sleep Activist Wins in Court

  by Andrea Townsend Sleep Activist, “Kernel” Moses Wrosen was found not guilty on two charges Thursday, stemming from his March 2 arrest outside City Hall. Wrosen was sleeping on a wooden platform on the sidewalk in demonstration against the city’s camping ban, when police woke him up and ordered him to move the platform.…

Housing Justice Activist Cameron Whitten Ends Hunger Strike

Story and video by Mungen Cakes.  Photos by Paul. Citing concessions from and ongoing negotiations with the City of Portland, Cameron Whitten ended his hunger strike today with an event he called “The Big Eat”. He gave a speech in front of city hall at 10 am culminating in a ceremonial bite from a custom…