Category: Sections

A Contemplation on the Building Blocks of a Successful Movement

By Gina Ronning The Portland Action Lab is currently embarking on what is sure to be a difficult conversation exploring group purpose, structure, and other aspects of self-evaluation. This dialogue is a crucial component for any group in assessing success and goal achievement. How meaningful this discussion will be is entirely dependent upon the level…

Protestors March Against Austerity, Get Pepper Sprayed By Police

Yesterday, a coalition of labor, education, anti-war, and community organizations took to the streets to protest against national, state, and local austerity measures that seek to put the burden of the financial crisis on the working class with budget cuts. During the march, the police indiscriminately pepper sprayed the front of the protest when it…

Supporters Rally to Defend Homeowner Against Unjust Eviction

Story and photos by Pete Shaw “Five months later I am still in here, but now I’m not just fighting the developers and lenders. Now we have to face the city who is threatening to take my home.” Alicia Jackson spoke those words from her porch this morning, seven hours after the eviction notice delivered…

Grand Jury Resistors In Jail For Contempt Of Court

Story and photo by Pete Shaw “To live outside the law you must be honest.”  –Bob Dylan I am not sure why I am thinking of these words right now. I am trying to come up with some coherent thoughts, some wisdom about Leah-Lynn Plante, the courageous young woman cited for contempt of court on…

Workers Rally for Paid Sick Days Now!

By Pete Shaw In this campaign season, as candidates and a compliant corporate media again do everything possible to avoid real policy issues, it is guaranteed that, in lieu of substantive discussion, every stump speech will trumpet assurances that we are the greatest nation since Sliced Breadistan. So here’s a quick question: what is the…

Occupy Portland and Portland Action Lab Issue Call to Action Against Austerity on November 3rd

“Our dreams don’t fit in their ballot boxes” On November 3rd Occupy Portland and the Portland Action Lab invites all people to mobilize, march, and take direct action against austerity. Corporations control our governments, hoard wealth, privatize our community resources, and burden us with enormous debt — this is AUSTERITY and we say Enough is…

The Job Crisis, the “Unemployable,” and the Fiscal Cliff

By Shamus Cooke With the November elections right around the corner, the millions of unemployed and underemployed have little reason to care. Aside from some sparse rhetoric, neither Democrats nor Republicans have offered a solution to job creation. Most politicians seem purposefully myopic about the jobs crisis, as if a healthy dose of denial might…