O Little Town

Christmas is over in Bellingham.  Today, residents reported the chilly sight of a typically community-oriented police department in full militaristic riot gear marching in full formation with "Left! Right!" boot shouts down a central town avenue - a display of power intended (a) to send shivers of fear down the spines of resident observers, and (b) to show the small band of campers with Occupy Bellingham that the 1% meant business and they were being das booted out of Maritime Heritage Park. (Adjacent photo courtesy of Occupy Bellingham: At Occupy Bellingham Encampment 12/23/2011.)

Mayor Dan Pike, recently defeated in his bid for reelection by Kelli Linville, a former state representative who marched with Occupy Bellingham,  "declared war" on Occupy Bellingham in yet  another mayoral about-face throwing them out following what he described as business and resident complaints, along with damage to the park itself. 

The inquiring mind of the press does not press what damage, if any, the group committed according to the mayor.  (Readers are expected to simply accept what the mayor asserts.)  Indeed, visiting activists complained on twitter that Occupy Bellingham ran its encampment "like a ship" - in a mild word play that inferred they were too strict with residents in their effort to show repressive city officials how committed they were to a peaceful and orderly presence in the park.  The group named its camp the SS Noisy Waters - after Whatcom (as in Whatcom County and the park's Whatcom Creek) - and from a Nooksack term meaning "noisy waters."

The city of Bellingham has numerous parks - with the park chosen by activists also used by homeless residents who sleep on the lawn without tents and head over to a nearby soup kitchen and shelter run by a religious charity organization, and near the train tracks that run through town.

Local demonstrations often wind up in that park since it is closest to City Hall and the old town center.  The park itself, however, is secluded from immediate relationship to many businesses seemingly blocks away.  Whatcom Creek runs through a portion of the property where residents enjoy fishing rights relative to an active salmon hatchery.  The old historic building above the park on a hill formerly housed public art exhibitions. (We know where this is heading.)

The park is otherwise not used much.  Indeed, some residents complained to one another that Occupy should have used a park more residents frequent;  i.e. the location was too remote to enjoy community attention to the movement.  On a busy weekend, Bellinghamsters are out and about at Zuanich Point, Boulevard Park, or Bloedel Donevan.  But Maritime Heritage seemingly belongs to the poor and disenfranchised of the City - its relatively isolated logistics also enabling the status quo to keep the city's poorer, more marginal population away from businesses and out of sight.  This seemed, to some, the same objective from the outset - and by the City - for Occupy.

So the Mayor's argument runs thin.

Pike was backed in his announcement by the new head of the Parks Department, James King, appointed after Pike reportedly forced the former Parks and Recreation Director Paul Leuthold to resign for his role in .. a questionable contracting incident.  I guess the City has a lot of these, and under Pike too.  For example, at today's eviction, activists on livestream discussed the city's use of "volunteers" in removing occupants' belongings.  Gee did they advertise this as an opportunity for community service? 

 Courtesy of KGMI

Occupy Bellingham at Eviction:  You Can't Evict An Idea

Kelli Linville's presence at an Occupy demonstration during her Mayoral campaign (see Occupy Bellingham livestream transcripts) was greeted by some activists with the usual scorn Occupy regards most attempts by political candidates to ingratiate themselves with voters or possibly "coopt" a popular movement with no identifiable leader.  Now it remains to be seen if Dan Pike is "cleaning up" for her too, or her administration will make an example of her opinions in more ways than a walk down the street viewable on Occupy Bellingham's livestream.  Let's predict she will live up to expectation - i.e. the central complaint of Occupy nationwide - as to who or what most American politicians really belong to.

Dan Pike initially asserted that the group could stay as long as they were peaceful and "didn't confront" -- an oxymoronic concept insofar as the Occupy Movement is concerned since the First Amendment is about peaceful expression, but nevertheless, "confrontation," by virtue of the fact that it is, indeed, free expression.

The Bellingham movement has remained, for the most part,  subdued compared to major Occupy encampments - seemingly to some, as a result of this agreement with Mr. Pike in order to remain in the park.  More recently, however, the group reported a date in the Puget Sound area with Occupy Seattle and Occupy Tacoma in order to protest at one of the Walmarts about 100 miles south on Black Friday.  In addition, a dozen Occupy Bellingham activists  were recently arrested acting locally "confrontational" when protesters chained themselves together with bicycle locks and peacefully lay down on the train track running through the city.  Protesters expressed solidarity with the Oakland port shut-down, opposition to corporate greed, opposition to coal running through the area, and something about the nearby Cherry Point Refinery.  Two BNSF coal trains were stopped by the protest for 3 hours.  (Adjacent photo courtesy of The Bellingham Herald:  Occupy Bellingham Protesters Chain Themselves Together On Train Tracks.)


The Bellingham Herald reports 4 protesters arrested in today's eviction with Occupy Bellingham activists meeting with legal advisers:

Bellingham Occupy member Jim Robitaille described the day as sad, lonesome and depressing. But even if the encampment is removed, he said it won't put an end to the Occupy movement in the city.

"The problem we all camped here for is still a problem. The system is still broken," he said Wednesday morning. "We've only scratched the surface so far, but we're not giving up."

The movement's next step has yet to be determined, he said.

"This is forcing us to reorganize, rethink and plan for the next objective and the next direct action," he said. "The mayor, the city and the police department have not seen the last of us. We're here for the long run."

Occupy Bellingham's Livestream showed demonstrators marching to City Hall following the eviction and holding a General Assembly in the lobby about possible next steps.  The Occupy Bellingham website is reporting arraignment hearings tomorrow morning for Bellingham activists who were arrested.  Supporters are invited.  Go to the "public viewing room" via the main entrance to the Courthouse Rotunda on Grand Ave.