The announcement today of anarchist activity by the Occupy Portland “PDX BIKESWARM” reminded me of today’s importance to Occupy History. The “swarm” claims this day as their birth. That’s almost true. More on that later.
It is the day that Mayor Sam Adams staged the police showdown with Occupiers and then, when Zero Hour came, sat back, ate a ham sandwich and watched from a nearby office building.
“Pinky,” the mentally ill man who spins around and around in a circle on Portland streets, came for the show and the place became a surreal drama played out in the streets in a Mardi Gras atmosphere. The only thing missing were beads.
Thousands of onlookers came for the spectacle. They were not disappointed in Sam’s show.
Unionistas rode their charges hard in hopes that the onlookers would fall for the act.
Then, at around midnight, a series of bicyclists rode around the blocks and that’s when the anarchist bike riders believe their Bike Swarm was born. I remember wondering as I looked at my texts from Occupy Portland, huh, I wonder what a bike swarm is? It’s nothing more than the critical mass idiots.
In case you hadn’t noticed, Occupy Portland/Seattle/Oakland/DC/NYC is a recycled movement made up of the same people from the far left.
I don’t miss them. At all.
See posts here, here and here.