Spokane7
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November 1, 2011 in City
Occupy Spokane weighs future
Round-the-clock protest has typified movement
At the intersection of Riverside Avenue and Monroe Street, Randolph Robinson pickets for Occupy Spokane on Monday.
(Full-size photo)
Sometimes there are only one or two people carrying signs and waving at cars passing by the little triangle of city property on a corner of Riverside Avenue and Monroe Street.
But the month-old Occupy Spokane movement persists and its members insist not even inclement weather will make them give up their ground.
“We may have to shovel it,” said Steve Anderson, a 25-year-old facilitator for the leaderless movement inspired by the 6-week-old Occupy Wall Street demonstration in lower Manhattan against greed and economic injustice.
“By no means is winter going to freeze us out of this movement,” Anderson said.
The Spokane demonstration may continue, but whether it will remain an around-the-clock effort could be determined at 6 p.m. Wednesday, when participants gather in a general assembly at the Community Building, 35 W. Main Ave., to determine where the movement goes from here, said the Rev. Jim CastroLang, 55, pastor of the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Colville.
“I hope we will still occupy this space, but we may have to be more organized,” said CastroLang, who demonstrated Monday afternoon at the triangle.
Unlike other Occupy Wall Street spinoffs across the nation, Spokane’s has been remarkably free of confrontation with law enforcement.
“The police have been respectful,” said Terry Hill, 57, who spent Monday morning demonstrating.
Not since Spokane police enforced the city’s anti-camping ordinance on Sept. 30, when tents were taken down, has there been any overt police presence at the demonstration.
Though city officials had issues with a nearby makeshift kitchen that kept participants supplied with coffee and sandwiches, Anderson said it was Occupy Spokane that decided to close it.
Hill said the kitchen was closed “for security reasons” after an Occupy Spokane participant was threatened with violence by a nonparticipant.
Meanwhile, Saturday marches by Occupy Spokane participants and their supporters continue to attract far more people than can be found during the week on the triangle. Crowd estimates for the marches vary from a couple hundred people to 1,000.
A recent United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection Poll found solid support for the Occupy Wall Street protests. Among adults, 59 percent either completely agree or mostly agree with the demonstrators, while 31 percent mostly disagree or completely disagree.
Hill, a retired Spokane Transit Authority worker, rebuffed what he called media attempts to portray demonstrators as radicals or ne’er-do-wells.
Like others of his generation, Hill said, he has had a good career and fears the next generation will not have the same opportunity.
“I’m worried about what’s going to happen when I’m not here,” he said. “The good manufacturing, living-wage jobs – where are they now?”
Rights panel poorly understood 
ChefGus/ John Olsen on November 01 at 5:51 a.m.
I spoke last night at the “open forum” at city council at the end.. and part of my three minutes was to deeply thank the SPD Command staff and Chief and the city for taking the gentle stance toward our protesters. The demographics nation wide are really interesting.. and it is not the “great unwashed” I am told that 50 percent are employed folks, another 20 percent are employed unhappily part time or multiple jobs, ten percent are old guysn gals like me that are retired… so they are solid real citizens… and not unlike the Viet Nam protests… they are driven by faith that the system that guarantees our right of assembly and free speech will work. There is and has been a Martin Luther King peaceful resistance… and while in other cities including san francisco and austin and portland there has been unwarented police brutality…. Spokane has and will remain peaceful
The “crazy guy” who got agressive the other day is known to me as new to Spokane, likely Schizoid, and dining at House of Charity and sleeping there regularly ….. and should have been hauled off to Providence for an assessment… he cornered me at my bus stop on the way home from cooking one morning and told me “his story” about “those people”… that were protesting…
Thank you again to the Command staff for mostly “ignoring” our protests because that works best for everyone… John Olsen Volunteer Chef at House of Charity..
DickAdams on November 01 at 8:59 a.m.
I`m wondering if it were not for the ballot issue between mayor Verner and David Condon if things would have been handled differently? The SP department might not have acted the same way? Lets face it, the CEO of Spokane is more concerned about being reelected and doesn`t want to make waves. Its so obvious.
liberal_in_right_wing_land on November 01 at 11:13 a.m.
So, Dick, you are wanting to Spokane Police to arrest people for not doing anything illegal? You want the Police here to start pepper spraying and beating these protesters like other places in the country?
I guess you have never heard of the constitution……you know that little document you tea baggers love to talk about, but know nothing about, that says they can protest.
another_perspective on November 01 at 11:26 a.m.
The fire department should provide some cold midnight showers for the “unwashed”.
Since they are “leaderless” and dont have a real agenda, I suggest just ignore them and they will go away. This is the other side of the Teabagger movement which attracted every loose fringe loony tunes. Maybe they can invite Matt Shea and Baumgartner back into the fold? I would hold off on John Ahern, but he could be an adjunct member with Penny Lancaster.
Lewis on November 01 at 5:12 p.m.
i am actually surprised our fine police havent went down an used all the riot gear collecting dust in the safety building, or maybe they are waiting for the Otto verdict.
if karl is found innocent then i think we will see a blood bath down there.
ChefGus/ John Olsen on November 02 at 5:39 a.m.
There is to be a gathering of citizens on the day of the verdict at Zip Trip… either way the verdict goes.. john