August 20, 2003
(Updated) Portland Police Bureau Outlines Plans For Bush Visit To Little Beirut
Note: This post has been updated. Any and all updates appear at the end of the original post.
Chief Kroeker, Asst. Chief Foxworth, and Cmdr. Sizer
Photo by Timothy Bobosky
This afternoon at a brief news conference, the Portland Police Bureau announced their plans for tomorrow's visit by President Bush and the accompanying protests.
Saying they have a plan that is a "good one," Portland Police Chief Mark Kroeker said that there had been "a lot of extensive planning over the past few days."
Assistant Chief Foxworth listed four objectives for the Bureau's plans: To insure the safety and security of the President and those attending the fund-raising event; to insure all citizens, regardless of views, who wish to demonstrate can peacefully and lawfully assemble; to protect the life and property of citizens not directly involved in the event (such as the residents of the surrounding neighborhoods); and to continue to respond to routine calls to service citywide.
According to Foxworth, the entire command staff reviewed the last Presidential visit, recent demonstrations, and Operation Safe City and included lessons learned from all of these in the plans for tomorrow. In addition, Commander Rosie Sizer has been conducting outreach to groups planning protest activities, but Foxworth described these efforts as having "mixed results."
As of this afternoon's news conference, according to Foxworth, no permits have been requested and issued, and marchers must therefore remain on the sidewalks and obey all traffic laws.
N. Willamette from N. Portsmouth to N. Olin
Courtesy Portland Maps
In addition to all of this, a "demonstration zone" is being set up along North Willamette Boulevard, from North Portsmouth to (if the report on Portland Indymedia is correct, since I didn't catch the other street at the news conference) North Olin. If this is the the case, that's the entire stretch of North Willamette along the edge of the University of Portland campus. This designated "demonstration area" includes North Willamette itself, and is not restricted to the sidewalks.
That said, Foxworth indicated (as if there were any doubt) that there will be a "considerable and significant police presence."
Commander Sizer said that (despite the "mixed results" of her outreach efforts and the lack of permits) participants in the Columbia Park rally and march have will be providing two police liasons, with whom there will be visual contact as well as an exchange of contact information such as pager and cell phone numbers. She also said that the Bureau is talking with pro-Bush counter-protesters about their plans.
Reacting to last year's pepper-spraying of a representative of the local news media, one reporter asked if the media should simply get out of the way if there are problems or are there procedures and policies in place to protect news media covering the event. The response (my notes don't seem to say who this was): "If there is a dispersal order, news media should leave the area."
An editorial sidenote to the local media: Get over it. If you were covering, say, a war, you wouldn't be able to ask the combatants to stop what they are doing or keep their bullets clear of you, since you're just there reporting on the events. If you're going to cover a protest which might or might not become problematic, you're just going to have to accept the risks.
One woman in attendence at the news conference asked if there is a policy in place to protect parents and children. According to the police officials, these concerns came up during the planning discussion, and the plan include "trying to insure" that if they make the determination that they do need to move the crowd, a dispersal notice will be given that will be heard by everyone (criticism last year included the lack of a clear warning given in a manner that everyone present could hear it), and people will be given "adequate time" to leave the area.
For other local coverage of the Bureau's plans, see KATU, KGW, KPTV, and OPB.
Meanwhile, the protest text message service is being resurrected for tomorrow's event. See the website for details on how to subscribe.
Lastly, assume that this is a bizarre trick to get the local hipster crowd to accidentally attend the protest.
Update
For what it's worth, it should be noted that this event's "demonstration zone," unlike what have been termed "free speech zones" in other parts of the country, is not blocks (or miles) away from where the President will be. Right at the corner of Willamette and Portsmouth, just inside the border of the University of Portland, is the Chiles Center, location for tomorrow's fund-raiser. In the photograph above, it's that red/orange dome on the left-hand side. It's highly unlikely that Bush will be able to simply ignore the existence of the protest, as has been the case elsewhere during protests which were kept far from view.
Update
Some confusion as to whether or not the Willamette Boulevard demonstration zone includes the street itself. That did appear to be the indication when a reporter asked about it yesterday. But a recent report on KPTV this morning just suggested that Willamette is sidewalk-only.
Update
There may or may not be audio updates here over the course of the event, if I think to do it along the way today.
Update
According to an article in today's Oregonian (which, of course, managed to not get posted online), it is indeed, as originally indicated at yesterday's news conference) only a 3-3 1/2 block stretch of North Willamette which has been designated a demonstration area -- which would dispute the report that it stretches from North Portsmouth to North Olin.