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One-Hundred Peacekeepers Wanted For the Jan 18th rally and march

oh great...
Take Action for Peace and Justice
Stop the War at Home and Abroad

Needed: 100 extremely calm people, 18 or older,
willing to cheerfully help things along at this fully
permitted, safe for non-citizens, family event, on
Sunday, January 18th, beginning at 12:30 p.m.

We expect ten thousand or more to attend the rally,
march, and street dance, and we have secured the
full permission and cooperation of all relevant
officials and departments of the City of Portland.

Peacekeepers will not be expected to enforce laws
or to act as representatives of law enforcement.
Peacekeepers are needed to use their calm powers
of persuasion, politeness, and friendly discussion, to
help ensure that the march remains peaceful, and
that no one is unwillingly put at risk.

Peacekeepers must attend a one-hour training
session at one of the following times:

11 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 18th,
11 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 11th,
or 6 to 7 p.m., on Monday, Jan. 13th.

Correction please! 11.Jan.2003 07:31

P.L. Griffitts

Please be clear ... You say "Sunday January 18"
but Sunday is the 19th. I assume you mean
Saturday, January 18th, yes?

You could've asked the black bloc 11.Jan.2003 09:07

self defense for victory

Because lets face it, nothing makes a march safer than a few hundred militants prepared to defend themselves and others (like the IMF/World Bank protests in DC where the black bloc chased the cops away from people doing sit ins). I highly recommend that diversity-of-tactics types join this group.

Well, my big fear is that too much emphasis will be placed on keeping the crowd under control and that this "peacekeeper" squad will basically be just another set of cops. Perhaps if there were more of an emphasis on sharing information and helping people with different tactics mutually co-exist, and not so much on "persuasion". The use of that word is worrisome to me and others, I'm sure - judging from how it's played out in the streets in the past, "persuasion" tends to involve physical intervention when the verbal approach fails, which tends to lead to violence, usually provoked by the person who was "trying to keep things peaceful".

"make sure that no one is unwillingly put at risk" raises an interesting questions about the nature of privelege in this situation, namely: To what degree are folks who have more of a choice in the matter than say, the citizens of Iraq, willing to put themselves at risk to save Iraqis from being put into a situation of great risk against their will? Of course people should feel relatively safe, especially folks for whom this may be one of their first marches, but I still think it's an important question to raise.

ps how many more times do we have to march around in a circle before we decide that it's time to start physically disrupting and dismantling the war machine? : )

Correction 11.Jan.2003 09:30

Renee/PPRC pprc@portlandpeacefulresponse.org

It should say Saturday, January 18.

PO Box 431, Portland, OR 97207

We will leave you behind 11.Jan.2003 10:34


if you step out of line.

complete lack of solidarity 11.Jan.2003 17:28

GRINGO STARS gringo_stars@attbi.com

"leave you behind if you step out of line"

WOW! Such an incredible lack of solidarity.
The cops in your head have already won.

If people get arrested, it's their own damn fault eh?
I mean; cops would NEVER arrest anyone out of human spite, would they? Nahhhh! Cops are just and good and great. <---(sarcasm)

The actions of unarmed protestors can hardly put any peaceful protestors at risk. The actions of armed cops CAN. so I hope the "peacekeepers" direct most of theit attention towards keeping the cops peaceful. Or is the concept of "peacekeeper" implying that if cops bust heads, it's all the fault of protestors who somehow force cops into indiscriminately using their force?

Stick together. We know that the war is wrong and that it is our RIGHT to protest it however we see fit. We MUST stick together or it doesn't work. Don't let the cop-mentality divide us.

Why make fools of yourselves in public? 11.Jan.2003 18:45

Bush Admirer

I'm just curious but what's the point of making fools of yourselves in public?

Demonstrations like this one never impact public opinion.

Oh sure, it might make the nightly news. And Fred might look over at Martha and say, "Hey Martha, look at the weirdos on TV." That's about it.

The number of people who will adopt your views because of your demonstration is easy to figure -- the number 'zero' always stands out.

It's a complete waste of your time. But then, if you aren't employed, you live with your parents, and you spend your time whining and complaining, then it's easy to understand that your time isn't worth anything -- so why not piss it away on protest demonstrations.

time and values 11.Jan.2003 20:55


BA: What makes you think the goal of protest is to affect public opinion? The design of the constitution of this country was to protect the freedoms needed to display one's disagreement with the actions and policies of one's government. What makes you think there is any other reason for people to protest? I don't know a single person who believes that protesting changes people's opinions. You should really try to understand that, because it's important to understand the level of dissatisfaction that rising in this country. I don't expect that you'll ever fully understand becaue it is so completely outside your worldview but you might want to make an effort. Not all of us are trying to convert others to our worldview like you are, and I think you need to understand that.

It is up to an individual to decide what is or is not a waste of their time. Time is ultimately the only thing we are given in life so what we choose to do with it makes an important statement about who we are. It would be a waste of *your* time to protest but it's not a waste of time for hundreds of thousands of other people in this country who don't have a life as comfortable as yours.

As for making a fool of oneself, I still find that you do that everytime you make gross generalizations about the people who post or read this site. I can't speak for the readers of this site any more than you can because there have been no surveys to determine their demographics. But for the bulk of people contributing to this site, they are all employed, not living with their parents, and spend their time doing things they enjoy, which at times includes contributing to this site and perhaps protesting (and perhaps not).

In my opinion the people who truly do not value their time are those who work 40 hours a week at a job they hate. I don't think you fit into that category but neither do I, and neither do many of the other contributers on this site. To value one's time is to make the most out of it however one sees fit. Just because you don't see the value of protesting (although I agree, protesting in an effort to change people's opinions is ineffectual) doesn't mean that it is not of value to someone else.

Please 12.Jan.2003 05:02



You have got to be fucking kidding. I was there and all I saw was you white, upper crust college kids being locked up by the hundreds. It was the funniest thing I had seen in a long time. Hundreds of leftists whining and crying at being arrested. And believe me, the "black bloc bad asses" didn't do shit for the rest of the weekend. Why? They were locked up or pissing their pants every time they saw a DC copper.

I don't like cops either, but I don't tell bullshit lies about the facts of the matter.

Peace Police Rock 12.Jan.2003 10:44

Green Hornet

I love the peace cops.
I really think their neat.
I love it when they let the pigs
smash my face off the street.

Forealtho, how fucked up is your view of the world for you to wanna be a "peace" cop? People trying to be leader or peace pigs or authoritarian are doomed tacticaly, And your stalling out our real revolutionary thrust. The main point, I just don't think the "peace" police people see, is this: War anywhere is war everywhere. The frontline is right through your house. Let go of the illussion of where the theater of war really is. Everyday we high and mighty ourselves with our snooty "peace" lie is a day we helped the state wage its war(s). In short, if you where thinking about being a "peace" cop,DON'T. In fact, if you plan to stiffle peoples rage and anger and militance don't go at all, But if you can embrace the 'diversity of tactics' motto,then by all means, come help everyone rise up.

-'Tis better to die on your feet than live on your knees!

-No Justice No peace!!!

do it our way or... 12.Jan.2003 14:55

not a sheep

the idea of "peace keepers" makes me want to spit.

we all know these are peace police, clear and simple.

do it our way or we'll hand you over to the real police. that's what you're about and it sucks sooooo bad.

present day portland anti-war peaceniks are the most exclusive stogy #%@^&*# around. i don't want to participate in your yuppie movement.

better not lay a hand on me. lots of us out here aren't interested in your safe bland events. we're not sheep.

Back to the solidarity 13.Jan.2003 18:40


Going back to a couple earlier comments, no matter what each individual's personal tactics, I think we all need to stick together. Many people aren't comfortable directly confronting police (cops really are pretty damn scary) and I accept that. On the other hand, i think its downright shitty to say that if you get nabbed, we're going to leave you behind. The US Marines at least have enough gumption to bring everyone home, and i'd like to think that we could form a more coheasive, loving and caring community than a bunch of men who's sole purpose is to kill.

To each their own, but at least be caring enough to help your fellow human in a time of need.

peace of cake 06.Mar.2007 09:45


going back to the peace rally
i think its great
i really hope this opens peoples eyes alittle bit more and they realize
war, hate, violence
its not worth it
its not what we live for
we can learn to hate but we feel to love greater