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Deputies guard port from anti-war crowd
Protesters, police face off after ship arrives for Iraq cargo
By Katherine Tam
The Olympian
OLYMPIA Law enforcement officials armed with pepper spray and dressed in riot gear guarded the gate at the Port of Olympia Monday night, where about 150 activists gathered to protest a military ship that arrived to take equipment to Iraq.
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Protestors chanted Out of Olympia, Out of Iraq as they rocked the chain-link gate so hard that it looked like it might give way. At least three people tried to use wooden boards to pry the gate open.
Thurston County Sheriffs deputies used a loudspeaker to warn the group to back off repeatedly before they deployed pepper spray at least four times in a one-hour period around 9:30 p.m. Dozens of people at the port plaza crouched over, dousing each others eyes with bottles of water and offering slices of onion to ease burning in the throat.
It burned. I couldnt open my eyes for 20 minutes, said Rachel Graham, as she rubbed cold watermelon on her face. My face is burning. I dunked my face in water and in Puget Sound.
There were no arrests as of 11:30 p.m., said Capt. Brad Watkins of the Sheriffs Office.
Paramedics were dispatched to the port to treat some of the protesters.
As word spread that deputies dressed in riot gear were coming, several protesters tried to block an entrance into the port plaza with a row of dumpsters and recycling bins. The deputies moved the items aside and took positions in front of the gate.
The confrontation calmed down after a half-hour standoff, and by 11:30 p.m., most of the protesters and police had dispersed. About 20 protesters remained for a quiet vigil. Port officials reinforced the gate by putting a 50-ton piece of equipment up against it.
Watkins said deputies used the pepper spray after repeated warnings to back away.
The majority were very peaceful, nonviolent, just exercising their constitutional rights, he said. There was a group that was trying to damage port property. We asked them several times to stop, we warned them that if they did not stop, we would deploy pepper spray.
Activists had been waiting for the military ship since they learned more than a week ago that equipment bound for Iraq would be loaded at the port. Military vehicles and containers are being sent to the war prior to the yearlong deployment of the 3rd Stryker Brigade from Fort Lewis next month.
Convoys of Stryker vehicles and other equipment were routed through downtown last week, where protesters tried to stop them from reaching the port. Police made 16 arrests for interference over three days last week.
The military ship pulled into the port at about 7:30 p.m. Monday. U.S. Coast Guard vessels with large guns secured the waterway. Activists lined the port plaza and the floating boat dock that juts into Budd Inlet, waving signs that read No Iraq War and U.S. Troops are worth more than $3.25 a gallon. One protester shouted Get out of our waters from a bullhorn.
A number of activists said they had rearranged their work schedules or skipped school last week to protest the use of the port for military shipments. Caleb Hollatz missed three days of class at The Evergreen State College and said he probably would lose credits. Nikki Miller, who also missed class at Evergreen, said she wasnt sure what would happen.
My personal life is nonexistent right now, but its all worth it, Miller said. I oppose the war because its illegal. We oppose the militarization of our port to send weapons to Iraq. We dont want our community to be complicit in crimes against humanity.
Several acknowledged there was little they could do to halt the shipments now that the cargo was at the port and the military ship was here, but they said they were here to make it known that the activity isnt welcome.
I think Olympia can be an example for other community, said Sandy Mayes of Olympia. If multiple communities begin to emulate these kinds of actions, it might gum up the gears a little bit.
The message were trying to send is the Olympia community disagrees with this and were being ignored. Were trying to say this is not right, said Hollatz, who held a sign reading You Are Entering the Peace Port of Olympia; No Weapons Please.
Public sentiment was not unanimous. Several people who were strolling along Percival Landing and came upon the demonstration said they disagreed. A family of six stopped to applaud and wave at the ship.
We should support our troops, said Valerie Smith, whose friend is in Iraq. They do remarkable things. Theyre in Iraq and they come to the U.S. and see this sort of stuff, what does that tell them?
Kathianne said:It burned. I couldnt open my eyes for 20 minutes, said Rachel Graham, as she rubbed cold watermelon on her face. My face is burning. I dunked my face in water and in Puget Sound.
musicman said:Anyone remember the running gag on Hee Haw?
Idiot patient:"Doc - it hurts when I do this!"
Doc, hitting idiot patient with rubber chicken; "Then, don't DO that!"
Or real bullets.:firing:Mr. P said:Pepper spray!
They shoulda hit em with rubber bullets. Like they did this idiot outside the port of Oakland in 2003.
Nahhh, that happened once and didn't go over so well..Rubber is very effective.tim_duncan2000 said:Or real bullets.:firing:
