The Olympian

Protesters, police rest

By Christian Hill | The Olympian • Published November 15, 2007

OLYMPIA – After a week of unrest, the scene in and around the Port of Olympia was quiet Wednesday as police and demonstrators criticized the other side's conduct during the previous night's protest, which led to 43 arrests.

• Photos: Port of Olympia Protest Nov. 13, 2007
Reader network: Community weighs in on port protests

Police used these nonlethal weapons during Tuesday night's protests at the Port of Olympia:

"Stinger balls" that explode and disperse rubber pellets were used at Fourth Avenue and Plum Street, Olympia Police Chief Gary Michel said. "They were used to where we needed to clear the intersection of Fourth and Plum rapidly," he said. "All along Marine Drive, people were throwing rocks at the convoys and police."

Pepper guns were used to shoot pepper balls at protesters who would not leave the area, Olympia Police Sgt. Jim Partin said. The pepper balls contained pepper spray, and the pepper guns used to shoot them are similar to paintball guns, Partin said.

Pepper spray also was sprayed at protesters. Pepper spray contains a chemical that is a derivative of hot cayenne peppers. It causes temporary blindness and inflames the breathing tubes, cutting off all but life-support breathing, according to www.peppersprayinc.com, which sells pepper spray.

Beanbag rounds shot from shotguns were fired at protesters Tuesday night, Partin said.

Batons were used to push people back. Asked about officers swinging batons at protesters, he said, "I'd be interested in looking at that." Michel added that whether baton-swinging is appropriate depends on the circumstances. "I can certainly imagine times when it would be appropriate," he said.
Those arrested

The Olympia Police Department on Wednesday released the names of the 58 people who have been arrested during the recent protests at the Port of Olympia. They are:

Nov. 8

•Shyam Khanna,
19, address unknown

Evan A. Rohar, 21, Tacoma

Johnathan Steiner, 20, Olympia

Saturday

•Elizabeth W. Amory,
23, Olympia

Christopher Grande, 18, Olympia

Kathleen K. Hutchison, 23, Olympia

Joji W. Kohjima, 20, Seattle

Kyle M. Liedowitc, 18, Olympia

Joseph J. Mills, 24, Olympia

Davi Y. Rios, 21, Olympia

Gabrielle K. Sloane, 24, Olympia

James M. Steele, 18, Olympia

Peter E. Vachon, 18, Olympia

Sunday

•Joshua A. Eliott,
26, Olympia

Luke E. Noble, 23, Olympia

Tuesday

•Amanda N. Askea,
22, Olympia

Amory E. Ballantine, 23, Olympia

Rachel A. Beckman, 18, Olympia

Alexa Borken, 18, address unknown

Erin E. Brigy, 18, Olympia

Holly A. Carter, 26, Rochester

Kimberly Y. Chaplin, 35, Olympia

Emily P. Cox, 23, Olympia

Jaime M. Crawford, 18, Olympia

Sierra C. Daley, 20, Olympia

Jennifer N. Delp, 25, Olympia

Janis A. Duddles, 56, Olympia

Rachel L. Erickson, 19, Othello

Elizabeth Q. Evans, 19, Olympia

Michelle L. Fleming, 20, Olympia

Anna C. Gherard, 19, Olympia

Samuel F. Green, 20, Olympia

Valery E. Hagel, 21, Olympia

William W. Hamilton, 60, Olympia

Gabriel A. Hoffman, 20, Olympia

Patricia G. Imani, 45, Olympia

Madison S. Johnson, 20, Olympia

Cristen Love, 26, Olympia

Nicole M. Miller, 25, Rochester

Daisy J. Montague, 24, Olympia

Jarrett D. Olsen, 18, Olympia

Michella C. Onnis, 18, Olympia

Vita T. O'Shea, 25, Olympia

Julianne E. Panagacose, 19, Olympia

Emily A. Pieper, 21, Olympia

Molly R. Porter, 23, Olympia

Robin Rice, 18, Bellevue

Jennifer N. Richards, 18, Olympia

Andrea M. Robbins, 20, Olympia

Fabiola Romero, 23, Olympia

Kate C. Schiffman, 20, Olympia

Gabrielle K. Sloane, 24, Olympia

Stephanie N. Snyder, 24, Olympia

Allison Van Nostran, 18, Olympia

Katherine M. Waldeck, 20, Olympia

Sarah L. Warren, 20, Olympia

Robert F. Whitlock, 29, Olympia

Shizuno M. Wynkoop, 26, Olympia

No equipment moved out of the port Wednesday, and a handful of people stood outside the port's main gate late Wednesday night.

Dick Machlan, the Olympia Police Department's administrative services manager, told reporters earlier in the day that protesters had been overly aggressive.

A small group of protesters threw rocks and rolled trash bins or threw debris onto roads Tuesday night to stop the convoys of Stryker vehicles, accompanied by patrol cars, after the convoys left the port through a secondary exit.

Windows at U.S. Bank's downtown branch were broken, and rocks thrown by a small group of protesters hit one officer in the knee and broke windows on a patrol car, Olympia police Lt. Jim Costa said Tuesday night.

Earlier Tuesday, port maintenance workers had found concrete on the railroad leading out of the property and removed it. Railcars carrying military equipment and vehicles moved from the port to Fort Lewis on Wednesday morning.

"We're monitoring for any other possible incidents," said Patti Grant, port spokeswoman.

Olympia police are accustomed to dealing with protests, but this group "moved it to a different realm," Machlan said.

"Some people are there to make a point about the war," he added. "But once the point has been made, they need to move on."

No one who was arrested was thought to have damaged property, Machlan said.

Protesters said it was police who escalated the situation, shifting from individually arresting protesters who blocked the port's main access road to using batons and pepper spray and dragging people to disrupt a nonviolent demonstration. Thirty-eight women and five men were arrested.

"Most of the people here are peaceful and would have submitted to being arrested without resisting," said Robert Whitlock, 29, one of the protesters who were arrested. He was at a vigil Wednesday evening at Percival Landing that drew more than 70 people.

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