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About 1000 people took to the streets of Portland today to protest the war and occpation of Afghanistan and Iraq. The march wound through downtown, stopping briefly at the Oregonian to upbraid them for their slanted coverage of the occupation and U.S. Policy in general. After brief remarks by Laurie King, of Portland Jobs With Justice, the crowd marched north on 6th Avenue. The mood was festive, yet not flippant. Though a solomon occasion, the anniversary of a preemptive strike for reasons later proved to be mistaken, if not deliberately fabricated, the crowd celebrated their sense of community with witty signs, music and even laughter. Tightly packed and over two blocks long, the stream of peace moved through the city, stopping at the offices of the Oregonian, where Laurie King questioned the veracity of their coverage, especially the typical Corporate media habit of counting Israeli dead, but not Palestinian. Capitalism, War, and KFC: Report back on the first four and a half minutes I left the march early today. Truth be told, I wasn't really in the mood for a march. I haven't been for at least two years now, when I finally realized all those marches weren't making any difference. I go anyway, usually, for the same reason everyone else does: I can't figure out what else to do. But I did not stay today. I left when the donation buckets came out. It was just so damn disheartening. No, this isn't a rant about "damn liberals," I'm not gunning for anyone. I saw the same well-meaning people there that I always see at these things, carrying the same signs and flags and dwindling hope that they are always carrying. I'm in no position to be looking down on any of them. At least they're still trying. I saw the same shiny faces surrounded by the same threatening mob of the same bored riot cops, and the same utter lack of concern about the ineffectiveness of it all.  [ VIDEO FILE: PORTLAND M19 MARCH ]
 PHOTOS: [ "photos from todays march" by navy dad | "M19 *Intense* Demonstration PHOTOGRAPHY" by Matthew Graybeal | "M19 *mild* protest PHOTOS" by Brian Thomas ]
pdx indymedia streaming web radio provided coverage of the events of the day in Portland and around the world, and discussions of the issues behind the ongoing war in Iraq. Callers from the street gave updates from Portland, Milwaukee and Baltimore.
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