PORTLAND - Thousands of anti-war protesters marched through downtown streets Sunday, part of a national day of protest against U.S. involvement in Iraq.
Sunday is the fourth anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. During that time, according to public opinion polls, American citizens' sentiment has turned against the war.
That anti-war sentiment has always been strong in Portland, where sizeable anti-war rallies date back to the days leading up to the U.S. invasion.
Though the march was largely peaceful, there were sporadic outbreaks of trouble. At about 4:30 pm, protesters clashed with police near the downtown Nordstrom store, at SW Park and Yamhill. Several protesters taunted and threatened police, some of whom responded with pepper spray. More officers rushed to the scene to quell the outbreak.
The marching started about 2:30 p.m. Sunday, and people were still joining it an hour later. Organizers worked with police and Portland city planners in an effort to avoid violent clashes. The march's leaders appointed at least 40 people to serve as self-enforcing "peacekeepers". They wore yellow shirts and worked with police, many of whom rode bicycles. Because officers on horseback have often inflamed protesters in past marches, the horseback officers tried to stay back a block or two from the march route, held in reserve to be used only as needed. Somewhat closer to the marching route, other officers rode bicycles - a symbol seen as less offensive by some of the more militant protesters. But both horseback and bicycle-riding officers quickly moved into the skirmish scenes when marchers got into shoving matches with police.
There were "Peace Camp" activities in the south park blocks from before the start of the march until after its conclusion. They included a series of anti-war speakers. Among them was Raed Jerrar, an Iraqi who lives in the United States. He called the United States an "occupying force" that should get out of his native country.
Estimates of the number of marchers varied widely, with most guessing the crowd at up to 10,000 people.
(Taken from KOIN News 6)
(For more pictures I took at the peace rally, head over to my photo album.)
4 comments:
Amazing how Portland looks like most other places! Even the cat with the baloon looks famiar! Nice. Greetings from Richmond upon Thames.
It's important to document this!!
I don't get this. In those I saw an upside down flag with black spray paint. or other flags with bumbper stickers on them. What is it with the defacing? People say this war is another vietnam; a war that was devistating for soldiers to come home from. Simply because of stuff like this.
Appreciation and Gratitude, that's how you support our troops.
Ah, I wish anonymous had left his/her name. The march was amazing simply because that was the strongest message of all. Support the troops. I have friends/family who have been/are there/are going who deserve nothing but respect.
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