Category: Pete Shaw

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…

A Competitive Race to the Lowest Wages

Story and photos by Pete Shaw “Protecting a competitive race to the lowest wages is crucial,” said Tom Chamberlain, President of the Oregon AFL-CIO. After a confused pause, Chamberlain restated himself, replacing “protecting” with “preventing.” It was a slightly awkward moment at this strange gathering billed as a “Listening Session on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)”.…

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…

Wells Fargo Makes Bank On The Big House

Story by Pete Shaw A swelling prison population is money in the bank for Wells Fargo, one of the top shareholders in Geo, the second largest prison company in the country. In their continued campaign to urge the company to divest from the for-profit prison industry — particularly Geo Group and Correction Corporation of America…

Metro Seasonal Employees Inhabit Unprotected Wilderness

Story and Photos by Pete Shaw Jeff Locke spent years in the Metro parks system and was by most standards an excellent worker. He was a volunteer roving naturalist at Oxbow Park for five seasons,  restored and maintained natural areas in Metro’s Open Space Program for two, and went on to Blue Lake Park for…

Unity in Community Land Liberation Following Arrest

Story and Photo By Pete Shaw Nearly 75 members of Portland’s Rapid Response Network (RRN) assembled outside Alicia Jackson’s home at noon today, within ten minutes of receiving a text message calling for their assistance. “The cops were acting fools in the front and backyard,” said Lobo, co-founder of the Blazing Arrow Organization (BAO). “We…