![From left, Josh Tucker and Tina Robinson speak with Anchorage Police officer Anthony Henry before marching towards the Port of Anchorage during Occupy Anchorage's "Port Pork Action" project in Anchorage, Alaska on Monday, Dec. 12, 2011. The protesters joined other West Coast anti-Wall Street protesters in taking a stand against problems at ports. (AP Photo/Loren Holmes) Loren Holmes](http://jun-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/superphoto/10747634.jpg "From left, Josh Tucker and Tina Robinson speak with Anchorage Police officer Anthony Henry before marching towards the Port of Anchorage during Occupy Anchorage's "Port Pork Action" project in Anchorage, Alaska on Monday, Dec. 12, 2011. The protesters joined other West Coast anti-Wall Street protesters in taking a stand against problems at ports. (AP Photo/Loren Holmes) Loren Holmes")
ANCHORAGE — Occupy Anchorage protesters showed solidarity with West Coast counterparts Monday by focusing on port issues, but they took a different tack in Alaska’s largest city.
Rather than try to shut down the port, protesters assembled to highlight what they said was mismanagement at the Port of Anchorage, which handles most goods consumed by Alaskans, and its proposed expansion.
“We’re not trying to shut down the port. We’re trying to make a statement and put it out there,” said organizer Brian MacMillan.
The estimate of Port of Anchorage expansion has swollen to more than $1 billion, up from a 2002 estimate of $147 million, MacMillan said. Work done with the nearly $280 million spent so far, MacMillan said, may have to be redone.
He said port director Bill Sheffield, a former Alaska governor, should resign. MacMillan read a proposed resignation letter for Sheffield that noted port expansion’s faulty design for structural components, environmental concerns and safety issues that resulted in the death of a bulldozer operator this year.
MacMillan led 16 protesters from Town Square in downtown Anchorage to the former depot of the Alaska Railroad, which now houses the offices of ICRC Solutions, the company hired by the city-owned port to oversee expansion.
Port spokeswoman Lindsey Whitt said in a prepared statement that port officials respect the right of demonstrators to express themselves. She said the port is unique in the nature of its services and the extent to which the state depends on twice-weekly shipments entering the port, providing 90 percent of the merchandise goods for 95 percent of Alaska’s populated area.
“The issues that have spurred demonstrations in other ports along the West Coast are not applicable to our services or our operations,” she said. “At this time we have not had interruptions of our cargo service operations to the state.”
MacMillan said protesters had no intention of shutting down the port — and couldn’t anyway, since the port is only open two days a week, and Monday was not one of those days. The port, he said, is too vital to close because there’s no rail or practical road option available.
“We rely on the Port of Anchorage for everything up here,” he said. Port expansion should be managed by a more transparent, competent and experienced group, he said.
After MacMillan’s remarks, protesters Tina Robinson and Josh Tucker led some participants to a bridge over Ship Creek near the port entrance. They said the amount of food passing through the port shows Alaska’s vulnerability. Robinson said Alaska needs more local agriculture and suggested more Alaskans start growing more of their own food.
“Gardens on the Park Strip!” she yelled, referring to the downtown park that intersects downtown Anchorage.
Comments (19)
Add commentI had to work
Darn, wanted to go but my RICH employer made work for my money!
Occupiers
I admire the occupiers who bravely call attention to the things which need attention.
And if there is no other message they provide, it is this: That many, many people are unhappy with the status quo. The natives are restless. Government isn't working. We want it to work better.
And if enough masses join forces, that message is loud. And with social networking, that message is spread exponentially in ways like never before.
And those 1% who are comfy with power may experience a little discomfort. Just like at the Boston Tea Party in 1775.
"When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When people fear the government, there is tyranny." - Thomas Jefferson (attributed).
"History repeats itself; first as tragedy, second as farce." - Marx
God bless the peaceful occupiers who protect our Constitution by exercising and testing the freedom of the people peaceably to assemble for a redress of grievances!
To funny:
Sense when do you believe in God? Laughed at that one Jo. Peaceful protesters? These groups in Anc. are not the norm. Look at all those flea baggers down south. How many now have been killed, raped and pummeled? How much property has been destroyed? Also, how much money has these cites paid out due to clean up? If these flea baggers really wanted to do something productive they should gather in front of the WH. All they are doing is hurting the working guy and making fools of them selves.
@Milspec.: why don't you tell
@Milspec.: why don't you tell us how many have been killed, raped, and pummeled? Since you seem to have such a strong opinion on this subject, I'm sure you've done your research to ensure that opinion is correct.
PP:
I just made a bet with myself that you would be the first to comment on my post. You are so predictable. Here is a site I’m sure you won’t agree with, but no matter what you think there are 232 news articles you can’t deny.
http://www.habledash.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14...
Tea Party: Arrests: 0 Injuries: 0 Deaths: 0
OWS: Arrests: 4,200+, Injuries: 100+ Deaths: 8
I believe there were a few arrests at a TP rally but it was unrelated to the protest. I read about a couple selling heroin that were arrested but nothing like OWS. Not even close.
I got the info off of Wikipedia. I know it is not hugely reliable but I have noticed they are very liberal leaning and one would think they might put info on there if there was any.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Party_protests
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupy_movement
Going bad
Read the news PP. In Portland a group showed up...in a stolen car, driver had a suspended license, another had an arrest warrant, one had a gun with several mags and no permit, the other was carrying a sharpened sword. Yes, fine brave souls these protesters. Shut down the Port because we import too much food?? Yeah, my garden is growing real well right now.
Yeah, Milspec., you linked to
Yeah, Milspec., you linked to an opinion column. In case you didn't realize, opinion and fact are not always (and are often not) the same.
If you have data to back up your argument, post it. If you don't know what data is, don't form opinions.
And justlivin: thank you. This just goes to show how big OWS is in comparison to the Tea Party thing. Unfortunately, when you have tens of thousands of people protesting in public areas for weeks on end, bad things are bound to happen. Going by Milspec's vague comments, you'd think there were hundreds of deaths. But there have been 8 so far. Arrests don't really figure into the equation, though. The Tea Partiers didn't engage in civil disobedience (other than bringing guns where they shouldn't have--odd that there was no outrage over that). The port protests were definitely misplaced, though. Port workers are not part of the 1%.
Read man:
"Going by Milspec's vague comments, you'd think there were hundreds of deaths. But there have been 8 so far." So I guess 8 deaths are acceptable! “The Tea Partiers didn't engage in civil disobedience (other than bringing guns where they shouldn't have--odd that there was no outrage over that).” Where they shouldn’t have? Check again PP, that is your opinion. In each instance where someone had a firearm they were completely in there right. No one was arrested for doing so. As far as my last post, why not read some of the news articles. They range from deaths, public urination, rape, public exposure to the underage the list goes on. My God PP read man I know you can.
8 deaths is not that many.
8 deaths is not that many. Tragic, sure, but I don't hear you advocating for tougher traffic laws, and far more people die in traffic accidents than in protests (or most other major events).
I challenge you to find any instance in history where tens of thousands of people gathered in close quarters for extended periods of time has NOT resulted in violence and conflict. Even Woodstock, filled with HIPPIES, had problems.
Anyways, one bad egg doesn't mean the whole carton is rotten.
No, but a bunch of those eggs
No, but a bunch of those eggs could use a shower and a tooth brush.
Makes No Difference
What a silly conversation...who is more violent...the tea party or the occupy movement.
The truth is simple. The economic system in this country is broken for most. It is completely ridiculous how much energy we spend to import foods we can grow in our backyards. We have lost our sense of reality when the corporate machine becomes more important than real people.
I support the occupy movement and I am not a dirty hippy bent on violence. I dont urinate in public and even though I am unemployed (not of my choice I assure you) I pay my bills and desperately search for a job.
I resent the broad characterization of the occupiers as the lowest form of life while violent Tea Partiers (remember all those fist fights at the Town Hall Meetings?) forget they are largely responsible for the abomination that became the new National Health Care Debacle. You all danced so famously on the strings of the Medical Profession and Insurance interests while screaming 'Don't mess with my Medicare'!!!
good points pp and mama t
I agree with PP's assessment that the Portland port protests were misplaced. And I certainly agree with Mama T's observation that it's "completely ridiculous how much energy we spend to import foods we can grow in our own backyards. We have lost our sense of reality when the corporate machine becomes more important than real people." You hit the nail on the head on that one. A good majority of rural Americans used to work the land and produce something of value that could be bought and sold locally. More household incomes, more people doing something of value and with integrity, more self worth. Now American agriculture is dominated by big agribusiness whose genuine concerns about Americans seem to be absent from the conversation. We now have a corporate consolidation of privately owned/worked land, a fraction of the amount of people working the land, and a system that imports food that can and should be grown at home.
To reiterate what Mama T mentioned:
"If there is a pervasive criticism of global capitalism that is shared by all the actors in the movement, it is this observation: goods seem to have become more important, and treated better, than people. What would a world look like if that emphasis were reversed?" -Paul Hawken
I think the point of the question about who has more arrests...
is that PP wanted to show that OWS is good because they got arrested? Or that the TP is bad because they didn't? PP (my opinion) was going for the gotcha and it didn't work out.
Misplaced energy
The protesters are doing nothing constructive. They are only hurting local workers and businesses. Has any movement happened on Wall Street during this "occupation?" No, its business as usual, Dow and Nasdaq unfazed. I lost a job and a lot of money during the financial meltdown, but I see futility in stopping people from working their jobs.
@Millspec
I've always believed in God. I just don't think he/she/it/them belong in our laws, our schools or on our money.
Also, I like to think of the occupiers not as dirty hippies as reported by the Fox TV blondes, but rather, I think of the occupiers as "job creators."
See, the litter they create creates jobs for sanitation workers. They also keep manufacturers of police batons and pepper spray in business. And all the jobs they create adds to economy.
The Port...
Cost goes from $147 million to $1 billion of public money and none of you 'conservatives' bats an eye. Just start bashing the OWS protesters, who happen to actually be protesting government waste and incompetence.
I would note the irony, but you all would be confused by my reference to metallurgy.