Olympia port protests continue through weekend
Five days of anti-military protests at the Port of Olympia have led to the arrest of more than 15 people and racked up tens of thousands of dollars in security costs to the city.
About 150 protestors, calling for an end to the use of the port as a U.S. military egress facility, began their efforts on Tuesday with a march through the town of Olympia.
The first clashes with police took place on Wednesday as protesters began jumping in front of military combat vehicles leaving the port, and two people were eventually detained. Although there were no clashes on Thursday, Olympia police officials reported that the cost of the extra police manpower to protect the facility had climbed to $10,000 since Tuesday.
On Friday, more than 40 protestors blocked vehicles coming out of the port, but police made no arrests.
Early Saturday morning, protestors constructed a barricade in front of the port's main gate using garbage cans and automobile parts. Port workers cleared the barricade without incident several hours later, but just past noon police arrest three people for blocking vehicles. A few minutes later, protestors blocked a highway entrance near the port and 12 more protestors were arrested by police. On Sunday, three more protestors were arrested.
Most of the protestors are affiliated with the Olympia Port Militarization Resistance, which is opposed to the war in Iraq and wants to see an end to the use of Olympia as a embarkation and disembarkation point for the military.
A round of protests in May 2006 led to the arrest of 40 people and required more than 210 hours of police work. A Port of Tacoma protest by the same group in March of this year saw 37 people arrested and wound up costing the city close to $700,000 in extra police services.
Olympia port protests continue through weekend
