Occupy Portland plans re-occupation for Saturday

In peaceful solidarity with #OccupyWallStreet, Occupy Portland plans a re-occupation of a yet to be named Portland park to begin Saturday afternoon.

This time Occupy Portland has promised to limit their occupation to only two weeks.

However, city officials are not happy with the new plans. In a statement made Friday, Portland Mayor Sam Adams said the Occupy movement has brought important issues to light, but went on to claim that the city cannot afford another occupation.

Occupy Portland spokesman Jordan Ledoux says he expects 200 to 300 people to join the re-occupation with their tents and sleeping bags.

On Friday, Occupy Portland supporters delivered a letter to Mayor Sam Adams and other key city officials stating their intention to occupy a public park yet to be named. The new occupation is scheduled to last two weeks.

The following is an excerpt from that letter:

 

On December 3rd, Occupy Portland will once again occupy a public space. We have decided to do this after carefully considering many of the concerns expressed about our previous encampment, the sustainability of the space and the occupation, the environmental impact of our stay, the security concerns some have voiced, and the disruptions that may be caused to those around the park.

 

We do this in solidarity with Occupy movements around this country and this planet because we have the right to peacefully assemble on public property and because we have grievances with a variety of injustices in our society that have not been redressed. The proposal of this occupation is simple:

 

We will only occupy this park for two weeks;

 

We will clean up, for as long as it is necessary, to remove all litter, rake and till the ground, and replant any of the park’s plant life that requires such action under the direction of the Parks Commissioner and Portland Parks & Recreation...

 

Occupy Portland would like to create a space that works for all, and learning from the experiences of our first camp, we hope to see in what ways the City believes these things can best be accomplished. While we are hoping to address concerns the City may have, we categorically reject the idea that the dissolution of our encampment is an answer to any of these issues, and implore both the City of Portland and the Portland Police to be forthright, honest and measured in their interactions and expression with the public.

 

The ideas which the City is concerned about are solvable, and we hope to see our public officials engage in actions which attempt to solve them instead of simply shoving them aside.

 

Signed,

 

Occupy Portland