Our neighbors to the north

gistfile1.txt

In light of the recent (mis)handling of the Occupy protestors in the Bay Area,
I'd like to share a short anecdote from my parents in Portland, OR -- a story that, sadly,
you're pretty unlikely to hear on the media. Today (11/13/2011), the Occupy protestors
(or most of them, anyway) complied with a request to leave the park, and moved to a
street corner on 4th. After some time, the police were instructed to clear the intersection.

It was a familiar scene, easy to conjure: A line of policemen in full gear, face to face with
a line of protestors, tense, in the middle of the road. A policeman on a loudspeaker announced
that the intersection was going to be opened and that anyone who remained would be arrested.
And then the policemen moved. Backwards. The police line stepped backwards out of the road.
And, after a moment, the protestors also moved, backwards, out of the road.

The protest is not over -- it has since moved on to Pioneer Square -- but it illustrates
how simple it can be to meet civil disobedience with dignity and respect. And much to their
credit, the Portland protestors held up their end. We could learn a thing or two.

Josh