May Day Portland 2007: Not All a Bunch of Clowns Smoking Dope, But...
-Patrick S Lasswell
...there was a bunch of clowns smoking dope. This year's march in Portland was less than half the size of last year's and the political content was again focused on immigration reform. Detracting from the focus were the traditional Black Bloc folks looking for a fight, international socialists, and the clowns.
This video is essentially the entire march. If there were 5,000 people at any time, I did not see them.
Some people do not know the significance of the clowns, and probably never will. In Egypt people are getting arrested for blogging facts. In Russia, Chess Master Gary Kasparov went to jail for organizing a protest against the government. In Portland the Black Bloc wears poofy skirts and writes their lawyer's phone number on their arm.
Last year I almost got into an altercation with a member of the Black Bloc who was taunting the police while another one was flipping me the bird. Two trips to Iraq later, I am less easily offended.
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Comments
This kind of silliness is a lot less irritating after Kirkuk, isn't it? If only Iraq had our problems, it would be a lovely country.
Posted by: Michael J. Totten | May 2, 2007 01:20 AM
I have a lot more pictures, but the silliness theme just leapt out at me.
After meeting Mam Rostam, the Black Bloc just seems so tame.
Posted by: Patrick S Lasswell | May 2, 2007 01:25 AM
You don't know why the clowns showed up for Mayday?
I don't remember any dope being smoked, we are and have been a political operation here in Portland for over 10 years.
It's not just silly, when the riot copss start swinging bats and rubber bullets, think of what a rodeo clown does.
We document, replay, make fun of and take prisoners.
Don't apreciate all the drug refrences, it's not true and it paints an incorrect picture.
Posted by: Dingo the Clown | July 16, 2007 10:13 AM
Dingo the Clown,
Honestly, I saw and took pictures of people in clown makeup smoking dope after the march. I smelled the hemp and reported on it.
If you do not appreciate being portrayed smoking dope in public, get your membership to stop smoking dope in public. But the picture of the guy in clown makeup with the spliff is not a photoshop. It may not be a complete picture, but it happened and I captured the image.
I appreciate the presence of clowns in the middle of the protest. It takes the edge off the event and makes the humorless true believers and troublemakers look stupid. I did not see you there last year, and I looked.
Posted by: Patrick S Lasswell | July 23, 2007 02:34 PM
In retrospect- Give yourself a pat on the back for being better than the rest of us. Keep takin' orders. It's easier that way anyhow.
Posted by: Workforf | July 16, 2008 12:54 PM