Home > Portland Police Foolishly Harass #occupyportland Protestors On Facebook

Portland Police Foolishly Harass #occupyportland Protestors On Facebook

by Timbre Wolf - Open-Publishing - Monday 31 October 2011
3 comments

I got an email from a friend who is actively participating in #occupy Tulsa. She wanted me to sign a petition to "authorities" that says, "Allow members of the Occupy Tulsa movement to peacefully assemble and protest without insurance, permits, and curfews."

Arresting peaceful protestors who are exercising their constitutional right for a redress of grievances is illegal. Funny thing: the constitution makes no mention of restrictions, such as which public space can be used nor does it mention any requirements for fees, permits, insurance or time limits.

We don’t HAVE to get permission kids. We already have the right to petition our government and our "representatives" for a redress of grievances as well as a right to peaceably assemble. 

As far as the arrests, of anyone participating in the #occupy movement, they are illegal. Portland (OR) police have foolishly gone one step further (the arrests alone are already unconstitutional) by additionally publicly harassing those arrested by posting protestor’s pictures and personal information on FaceBook. 

A friend of mine received a sizeable settlement check for being dragged illegally from the WTO protest in Seattle. I cannot believe the stupidity of the Portland police. 

We cannot tolerate this for "that which we tolerate, we deserve."

This deserves an email/call Portland campaign. But even more so a rash of attorney representation and a class action lawsuit.

For all practical purposes Portland’s protestors just won the lotto, albeit the lottery ticket price was high. 

Forum posts

  • It must be an awfully long way to Seattle? Otherwise Portland police would surely understand the implications of their actions...

  • {{}}Thank you, dear Timbre Wolf, for reminding us that we still have rights at all.

    We are so used to asking for permisson and obeying whatever is dished out, that we often forget we have the right to speak up, speak out, and occupy public places.

    • You’re welcome my friend! The arrests have been increasingly getting on my nerves. What in the world are the police and the mayors thinking? What was the old American revolutionary appeal to the colonies? "Join or die" #occupywallstreet has revived that I should think. It’s high time Americans got enthused about their role in the democratic process . . . And made no apologies for it.