Occupy Eugene: 1 year later
EUGENE, Ore. -- One year has passed since the Occupy Eugene movement staked ground in Eugene.
In 2011, protesters joined the Occupy Wall Street movement and set up camp in the downtown park blocks.
After several moves around town - including Alton Baker Park and the University of Oregon quad - they made their home at Washington Jefferson Park.
The Occupy camp soon turned into a hub for many of Eugene's homeless.
"What sets us apart from a number of occupations nationally is our focus on homeless issues... There's a lot of homeless in Eugene," said John Monroe back in October 2011.
The City Council granted two exceptions to the ban on camping in city parks, but that all changed in late December after a man at the camp was beaten and died of his injuries. Since then, the tents and people have cleared out.
"I think at the beginning, when we had the big camp and ya'll were following everything we did. It was more of a spectacle," said Occupy Eugene member Plato.
Plato said the camping was simply their introduction to the community.
"We've become less of a spectacle and more of a working organization that is making slow, steady progress on the issues that concern us," said Plato.
That includes their free medical tent every Sunday, and bank protests around town.
I didn't hear mention of one single item they had accomplished to this date....did I miss something? :/
It was a spectacle.. one that they created themselves by stupid drum circles, standing on the street corners to stop traffic,begging and harassing people, not to mention the American flag hanging upside down and lying half in the mud. I avoided the area after three bums began knocking on my windows and trying to open my car doors when I was waiting for the light to turn green and refused to acknowledge them. There is no progress made by this scene. The homeless keep coming up in droves for free handouts from other states and we inherited Portland occupiers when Portland finally had enough. If that is the scene they wanted, they got it until after the many assaults that took place nightly, someone finally died from their injuries. Yup, that was a safe place and great progress on what concerns them.
The only thing these people accomplished was trashing up Eugene parks.
The rains have returned to Eugene; time to 'Occupy' California or Arizona.