Olympia city manager sees nine good cases from November protests

By Matt Batcheldor | The Olympian • Published May 01, 2008

OLYMPIA – City Manager Steve Hall said Wednesday that the city has nine good cases against people arrested during protests of military shipments at the Port of Olympia five months ago.

He said that it is his goal for city prosecutors to decide within two weeks whether to charge any of the 66 protesters who were arrested.

Kalo Wilcox, a city prosecutor, said the department is "looking at evidence and making decisions about who, if, when to charge."

Hall said the city is reviewing photographs and video evidence before making any charging decisions.

From Nov. 5 to 17, protesters attempted to stop military cargo coming back from the war in Iraq from being transported out of the port back to Fort Lewis.

Protesters threw debris in the road and formed blockades to stop cargo.

Hall said 66 arrests were made of 61 individuals, with five arrested twice.

He said the city has an especially good case against nine people who linked arms with PVC pipe, partly blockading Plum Street near Union Avenue in an attempt to keep military gear from entering Interstate 5.

"We know who they are," Hall said. "It's clear what they did. The other cases are, I guess, not as obvious."

Forty-two people were arrested for blocking the entrance to the main gate of the port, Hall said.

Attorney Larry Hildes, who said he might represent the port protesters, said that taking five months to determine whether to charge the protesters "seems strikingly long."

"I have to think they were waiting to see who was filing civil claims," Hildes said.

Four people, all but one of whom were arrested during the protests, filed brutality claims against Olympia police in January and are seeking $13 million in damages.

Hall said there are 15 complaints of excessive use of force by police.

"I think it would be a mistake for them" to charge the protesters, Hildes continued. "If they're trying to protect themselves against civil liability, it's not going to do that."

If people are charged, Hildes vowed a "long, drawn-out fight" and said "nobody will plead."

Hildes previously represented those charged in military protests at the ports of Tacoma and Grays Harbor.

The Olympia protests cost the city $112,168 in police overtime and equipment and damage to a police car. The port reimbursed Olympia for $70,000 in expenses, and the city, in turn, reimbursed Tumwater $7,243 for overtime for assisting.