Incident in the square
Last Wednesday night I walked down to Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland and happened upon a tense situation in progress. A small group of street kids were surrounded by police officers who were questioning them. One particular young man was being accosted rather severely by the cops. Of course, the exchange was not congenial on either side (both parties seemed to be shouting back and forth at each other). In the midst of the conversation, the young man stood up and put the cigarette he was smoking out in the planter behind him. No less than three cops proceeded to jump on him, grab his arms and slap handcuffs on him in the blink of an eye. They had big grins on their faces as they remarked, "Now you're going to jail for offensive littering."
After they had the kid in cuffs, one of the cops kicked the kid's legs out from under him, causing him to fall to the ground. Then they dragged him off and stuffed him into the patrol car. One of the officers came back and had a lovely conversation with the remaining kids. Essentially, he told them that they do not deserve to live in America and need to leave.
It turns out the officers were accusing the young man they arrested of violating an exclusion order from Pioneer Courthouse Square, which they claimed was given to him on February 22nd. This is interesting, because I have met this young man before and I'm not sure he's even been in town that long. Plus, street kids who get excluded from parks tend to not hang around in them in broad daylight.
The action of the police was nothing more than intimidation and a flexing of power. The cops at the scene obviously hold a great deal of disdain for street kids. I'm not saying that the kid was innocent -- he did break the law by littering. But does that necessitate being kicked to the ground? Interestingly, the young man was out of jail and back on the street within about an hour. The whole incident took place just for the purpose of causing him inconvenience.
Some of you may think that I'm some kind of rabble-rouser, trying to spread some kind of anti-cop anarchist message here. The truth is, I have had no experience with the Portland Police before this date and really held no opinion one way or another. But this incident makes my blood boil. How can this be considered justice? Is this what we are paying the police to do? How, in any way, does this provide for the safety of the community?
I could get into analysis but I'll just leave it at this. This is where your tax dollars are going, citizens of Portland. Perhaps you (I guess I should say we since I'll be a Portland citizen in a few weeks) need to take greater steps to hold our officials accountable.
After they had the kid in cuffs, one of the cops kicked the kid's legs out from under him, causing him to fall to the ground. Then they dragged him off and stuffed him into the patrol car. One of the officers came back and had a lovely conversation with the remaining kids. Essentially, he told them that they do not deserve to live in America and need to leave.
It turns out the officers were accusing the young man they arrested of violating an exclusion order from Pioneer Courthouse Square, which they claimed was given to him on February 22nd. This is interesting, because I have met this young man before and I'm not sure he's even been in town that long. Plus, street kids who get excluded from parks tend to not hang around in them in broad daylight.
The action of the police was nothing more than intimidation and a flexing of power. The cops at the scene obviously hold a great deal of disdain for street kids. I'm not saying that the kid was innocent -- he did break the law by littering. But does that necessitate being kicked to the ground? Interestingly, the young man was out of jail and back on the street within about an hour. The whole incident took place just for the purpose of causing him inconvenience.
Some of you may think that I'm some kind of rabble-rouser, trying to spread some kind of anti-cop anarchist message here. The truth is, I have had no experience with the Portland Police before this date and really held no opinion one way or another. But this incident makes my blood boil. How can this be considered justice? Is this what we are paying the police to do? How, in any way, does this provide for the safety of the community?
I could get into analysis but I'll just leave it at this. This is where your tax dollars are going, citizens of Portland. Perhaps you (I guess I should say we since I'll be a Portland citizen in a few weeks) need to take greater steps to hold our officials accountable.