Protests spread beyond port into downtown Olympia

By Jeremy Pawloski and Diane Huber | The Olympian • Published November 11, 2007

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OLYMPIA – Chaos erupted Saturday in multiple areas of Olympia as protests of military-cargo shipments moved from the Port of Olympia to downtown and an Interstate 5 entrance. At least 12 people were arrested, and protesters vowed to continue their resistance.

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Late Saturday, a train entered the port, port spokeswoman Patti Grant said. She would not confirm whether it would be used to haul military equipment.

Olympia police arrested at least three protesters at Fourth Avenue and Plum Street just after noon. Protesters on foot blocked traffic by jumping in front of 18-wheelers towing cargo containers that carried military equipment bound for Fort Lewis. Protesters also tried to build a blockade in the road from garbage cans and plastic newspaper boxes.

Olympia police in riot gear moved in quickly, spraying pepper spray in the faces of protesters, pushing them with batons and dragging them away from the road to make way for the cargo shipments. Shortly thereafter, about 10 protesters partially blocked Plum Street near Union Avenue in an attempt to keep the shipments from reaching Interstate 5. They linked arms through PVC pipes and sat in the road, but several convoys drove around them. Police shot the line of protesters with pepper spray pellets from a paint-ball gun. When they refused to move, officers sawed through the PVC pipes, handcuffed the protesters and dragged them to a police vehicle.

Police arrested nine people there on suspicion of violating the city's pedestrian interference ordinance, Olympia Police Cmdr. Tor Bjornstad said. All were released Saturday afternoon from the Olympia City Jail, and no one was cited, Olympia Sgt. Ken Carlson said. During the half-hour confrontation at the I-5 entrance, traffic backed up in both directions, with a single lane occasionally open.

Supporters also chanted "Whose Port? Our Port!" and other phrases and provided water to people who had been hit with pepper spray.