The morning of the marathon essentially started at 2am. The peacekeeping team made an announcement that anyone left in the occupation after 4am would be locked within the fence for the next 12 hours. Hundreds of people were there. Not everyone was ready to listen. Most of them didn't know about the marathon, or the agreements of the general assembly and weren't exactly thrilled that anyone was telling them what to do.
The fences were already up.We were camped out at the only exit point on the corner of SW 4th & Salmon. There was a team of young dudes standing guard at the entrance. Several near fights broke out. Every time I could here the volume rise and the safety team getting ready to lose their cool, I'd come out of my tent and play the "damsel in distress" card.
"Guys, guys. Thank you so much for being here, but I'm really trying to sleep... right over there." I'd gesture over to my tent not too far away. They we're always bigger than me. Always scarier than me. "I understand that you may not think this is fair or whatever, but its what needs to happen so that this whole thing doesn't get shut down." Blah. Blah. Blah. It worked every time.
I was supposed to meet the volunteer coordinator for the Portland Marathon at 4am at the gates. I didn't get to sleep until about 15 minutes before that.
OK. OK. I slept. I did it. I fell asleep and my phone died. I'm sorry. Occupying is tiring.Forgive me.
I woke up with the rest of the camp and climbed up a tree next to my tent. From my vantage point I could see runners finish the marathon, get wrapped in an emergency blanket and get snacks from volunteers as they walk to get their victory photo taken.
Little kids gave us candy. People were nice, some were supportive. I saw people I knew. Familiar faces. Eventually, the volunteer coordinators spotted me, and I shimmied down from the tree to meet him. He gave me a volunteer shirt, and he told me how I could help coordinate volunteers.
Basically, moment after the end of the marathon, there would be a march coming down the exact same street that the Marathon was finishing in. They would need help taking down all the fences, cleaning the road, and getting the trucks out of there fast enough to accommodate a thousand people to walking through the middle of it.
I told him I could help with that.
Until then, I played gatekeeper. Mediator. I worked with the security team, the marathon organizers and the police to keep the peace. I escorted people outside of the fence. Basically, I helped make sure that the Occupation didn't interfere with the Marathon. Everyone was really nice. Super Supportive. "Whose Streets? Our Streets!"
Phase two. I needed help to break down the Marathon by recruiting huge groups of volunteers to cut down fences & clean up the streets. We got Occupants in Portland Marathon volunteer shirts, gave them trash bags & gloves, scissors and knives. Everything went down seamlessly. The march came through. The fences came down without a hitch. Earlier than expected even.
It was really a win-win for everyone. All the Marathon's volunteers got to go home early with their runners, and the Occupation cleaned up. The Portland Marathon organizers raved about us! Everyone benefited. Two parts of the community shaking hands. Not a bad story to tell the local news really.
All in all, about 40 Occupiers that I helped coordinate volunteered at the Portland Marathon. It was quite a task. Everyone's a piece of the puzzle. Solidarity.
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