Thursday, August 21, 2003
( 2:17 PM )
It's All Over But the Forest Fires
The pResident has left the city and is heading for central Oregon, where a friendlier, more Republican population will welcome him. He is scheduled to speak about his new "Healthy Forest" initiative, which proposes to give a huge boost to logging and get rid of requirements to clear brush and dried wood from forests, rather than chopping down all the old growth. As if Nature had to protest itself, forest fires lit up right before his arrival in the exact area he had formerly been scheduled to speak... though, as I mentioned earlier, there is some question about the fact that they appear to have been purposely started. The reception here in Portland was loud on the outside and rich on the inside. It's now up to you, Seattle to carry on.
I may have spoken too soon...P reports by phone that the people gathered in the public park after the protest were trying to leave when the cops announced that at 2:00 pm, the park was closed and they weren't moving fast enough so the pepper spray came out. Well, it's a shame to get dressed up in riot gear and then not get a riot...might as well use the pepper spray anyway!