Protest-plan update: Port’s reaction; Occupy’s timetable

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Added the latest from Occupy at 10:48 am, after the port news release; also added 1:11 pm, photo tweeted by WSB partner Seattle Times’ Mike Lindblom from Westlake)
As first previewed here last week, the Occupy movement’s “West Coast Port Shutdown” actions today include planned rallies/protests in Seattle, close to the lower West Seattle Bridge. The Port of Seattle has just sent a statement saying it’s “working closely” with authorities to “ensure that port facilities remain open”:

As you may have heard, the Occupy Seattle movement is planning a protest at Port of Seattle seaport facilities later today. The action is a part of a coordinated effort at ports along the West Coast.

Nearly 22,000 men and women work in jobs created by the cargo that moves across the port’s docks. Just one day’s wages for those jobs total $1.9 million – dollars that can’t be earned if they can’t go to work.

Money is tight for many of us, particularly at this time of year, and those who work the port’s docks must be able to do their jobs.

That’s why the Port of Seattle Police Department and other staff members are working closely with officials from the City of Seattle, the Seattle Police Department, the US Coast Guard, and US Customs and Border Protection to ensure that port facilities remain open and can operate safely and efficiently.

The right to protest peacefully is bedrock to our society, and the port shares the goal of the Occupy movement to increase the number of good jobs available to Americans across the country. Port of Seattle Police and security officials are committed to keeping cargo terminals open while allowing those participating in the protest to voice their opinions.

We will provide updates as to the status of our facilities throughout the afternoon here.

ADDED 10:48 AM: Occupy confirms the same times announced last week, in an news release just e-mailed:

The rally will commence at Westlake Park at 1:00 PM. From Westlake, carpools will be available to take Occupiers to terminal 18, the SSA terminal that is majority owned by Goldman Sachs.

There will be two rallies near the port at 3 PM and 6 PM at the Spokane Street fishing area, just to the east of the Spokane St. Bridge, near the intersection of SW Spokane St & SW Manning St, under the West Seattle Bridge.

ADDED 1:11 PM: Mike Lindblom from the Seattle Times (WSB partner) tweeted a photo from Westlake, saying about 200 have gathered for the start of today’s afternoon of rallies.

sam-c December 12, 2011 (9:28 am)

from the report on kuow at 9, it sounds like they are walking from Westlake at 1 pm, with rallies on the waterfront near the low bridge at 3pm and 6pm… with the game as mentioned already, sounds like it could impact traffic too.

JD December 12, 2011 (10:09 am)

One of the companies to be affected by this is sending all workers (including hourly) home at 2:30 this afternoon. So much for not alienating the 99%

Eddie December 12, 2011 (10:22 am)

Occupy = Clueless 0.00001%

WSB December 12, 2011 (10:52 am)

Sam-C – that’s the same timetable we reported in the story last week, linked in this one. Also reconfirmed by Occupy news release sent this morning, just added above. Thanks. No way to tell if it’s going to be 10 people or 100, but since there’s a significant port-area-employee contingent in WSB-land, as well as other commuters who drive through the area near the fishing pier, we intend to keep people updated – TR

Dave December 12, 2011 (11:19 am)

Occupy JAIL!

JS December 12, 2011 (11:57 am)

If they block traffic or prevent the Port from doing business they should be thrown in jail. Period. If they want to protest, they can stand on the side of the road and wave their signs. Block the roads and they can spend the night in a nice warm jail watching the Seahawks game!

Dave December 12, 2011 (1:12 pm)

Sad, they are out there for you yet you will continue to dismiss them. Enjoy your continued economic downward spiral, maybe you’ll wake up someday.

JS December 12, 2011 (1:35 pm)

They’re not out there for me Dave. Or for you. I think they represent their own 1% of the population. I am part of the remaining 98%.

buddy December 12, 2011 (1:45 pm)

Occupy’s heart is in the right place, but their brains need a little work. How about doing something productive, like getting people to switch from big banks to credit unions, or organizing boycotts of companies that you disagree with. I don’t see how camping or disrupting working-class people is going to help.

LM December 12, 2011 (1:50 pm)

‘Carrix Stake

Goldman Sachs Infrastructure Partners bought a 49 percent stake in Carrix Inc., a Seattle-based transportation company, in 2007. Carrix owns SSA Marine, which has more than 125 operations worldwide, including in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Mexico, Chile and New Zealand.

“GSIP is primarily made up of pension plans of workers in the United States and Australia, and those groups hire money managers to manage their pension funds,” said Bob Watters, senior vice president at Seattle-based SSA Marine.

“I think they haven’t done their research,” Watters said of the demonstrators in a Dec. 8 telephone interview. “If they had, they would understand that we are a union operation, we support union workers, family-wage projects and make investments to increase those job opportunities.”’

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-12-12/goldman-sachs-target-of-occupy-protests-at-west-coast-ports.html

coffee December 12, 2011 (2:00 pm)

Agreed, I do not see how stopping daily business, or the cases of damage to property is trying to demonstrate a postive public response. I don’t mind protesters, but when it stops or slows economy, then I have issues. What about all the small businesses that rely on the port workers or the goods coming into the ports? There are lots of small businesses that earn their living from those salaries of port workers.

Dave December 12, 2011 (2:25 pm)

Sorry JS but unless you are rich they are out there for you, whether you like it or not. The point is not whether you like protesters or not, they have a right to protest and if they block roads etc. then they can be peacefully arrested. Not beaten, pepper sprayed or shot. Sadly a large number of people in this country prefer fascism so they can feel “safe” and laugh at the “hippies”. Keep carrying water for the 1%, let me know how it works out for ya!

Just Saying December 12, 2011 (2:38 pm)

Maybe they should try to block the driveways of executives and keep them from getting to work instead of blocking people that need a paycheck. That would make a lot more sense to me. Their rallying against a problem with no solution is getting old. No one is going to solve it for them, they need to have a concrete solution instead of random acts of civil disobediance. All they are doing now is pissing off people who just want to go about their day.

MP December 12, 2011 (3:11 pm)

Occupy yourself out of Seattle! Come on Mcwimp, grow some balls and take control of your city! Blocking the port is so ridiculous….. So many small independent businesses rely on this port. Truck drivers who have families to feed and can’t get in and out of the port lose money… How does this help anyone?

Wendell December 12, 2011 (3:17 pm)

Great. Not only do I have to deal with flea-bitten Anarchists in gas masks, but Alison Grande will probably show up doing her Jim Foreman impersonation. +1 on the 98%.

Neighbor December 12, 2011 (3:33 pm)

Wow, I see that Koch has managed it’s misinformation campaign against the OWS movement with great success. I guess if you can convince Americans that protesting for accountability and equality is somehow anti-American you could say the millions spent in the smear campaign are a good investment.
For those of you that think that OWS isn’t offering solutions you haven’t done your due diligence.

Put Glass-Steagall back in place.
Public financing of political campaigns
Jail the bankers who collapsed our country.
Eliminate personhood for corporations.

These are the most basic of solutions that OWS wants.
Why would any American who has any political astuteness be against any of these?

Max December 12, 2011 (3:48 pm)

What? So occupy wants to take away $1.9 million from some one who actually works for a living and give that money to them instead. What a waste! And what a waste of taxpayer money to keep the peace.
Dudes…if you don’t like corporate greed, or whatever, vote out of office the bumbs who continue to allow the laws that allow the greed to continue. (like fannie may and freddie mac and solyndra…) Don’t attack the individuals, they are just trying to put food on the table.

datamuse December 12, 2011 (4:12 pm)

As I understand it, Max, one of the basic principles of Occupy is that voting the bastards out won’t work because the entire system is corrupt.
.
Whether you agree with that or not, it’s not nearly as incoherent a position as it’s been made to sound.

waterworld December 12, 2011 (4:45 pm)

I might not have chosen this particular place to stage a protest, but I agree wholeheartedly with the notion that no “positive” change is going to come by way of people standing on sidewalks waving signs, or voting, or organizing boycotts here and there. The successful movements that leap to my mind have almost all been ones that involved getting in the way of people’s normal daily lives, demonstrating in the streets, and convincing people to stage massive general strikes to disrupt the economy that the most powerful rely upon to make themselves richer and keep the rest of us hamsters on our wheels.

datamuse December 12, 2011 (6:32 pm)

Just for instance, this would appear to be an example of what they’re so mad about.

newnative December 12, 2011 (6:59 pm)

Occupy Apathy!

Wake Up December 12, 2011 (8:25 pm)

World trade is the big problem, and for that reason it makes sense to protest at the ports. Without world trade it would be much harder for fascism to take control and monopolize resources and wealth. Small businesses that rely on local economy will be untouched by any port protest.

Dave is right “Sadly a large number of people in this country prefer fascism so they can feel “safe” and laugh at the “hippies”.” To all of you who sit at your desk all day, step outside your literal box of a dwelling and consider yourself lucky to have a desk. Then check out what world trade has done to third world countries (as a result of mostly American run corporations). Consider the part you play in supporting the AmeriCorp system. We elect corporate heads to run our country and still consider ourselves a democracy. Get real, we live in a corporate oligarchy and we won’t see change until the system changes.

Next time people who care about the future of America and the world at large, slow your menial drive to work, take the extra time to consider how the luxuries in your life are only are only available to you at the cost of someone else’s life in a country you don’t see on the nightly news.

Sorry, comment time is over.