The Olympian (Olympia, WA) and the News Tribune (Tacoma, WA) provided the first extensive accounts in mainstream media of violence in the Port of Tacoma in the early morning hours of Sat., Mar. 10.[1]  --  But the accounts relied on Tacoma Police Department spokesperson Gretchen Ellis and are contradicted on at least three important points by videography and eyewitness accounts.  --  The Olympian also reported on the antiwar demonstration in downtown Tacoma on Friday afternoon.[2]  --  The News Tribune of Tacoma published an account late Saturday afternoon.[3]  --  Both the Olympian and the News Tribune relied on a police spokesperson who, it would appear, witnessed none of the events.  --  Neither paper had a reporter on the scene, identified those arrested, or interviewed eyewitnesses.  --  The Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer have published nothing as of 6:00 p.m. Saturday....

1.

Breaking news

THREE PROTESTERS ARRESTED AT PORT OF TACOMA

Olympian (Olympia, WA)
March 10, 2007

http://www.theolympian.com/377/story/69708.html

Three protesters were arrested late Friday and early Saturday at the Port of Tacoma during a a campaign to try to stop the shipment of Strykers and other military vehicles to Iraq.

Police used pepper spray and gas to control protesters, said Tacoma police spokeswoman Gretchen Ellis.

Two protesters were arrested at 2:30 a.m. today when a group threw wooden road barriers onto the street and sat in the roadway at Milwaukee Way and Lincoln Avenue, Ellis said. One was arrested on charges of obstructing police and another was arrested on charges of third-degree assault of a police officer, she said. The group refused a police warning to leave and was then sprayed with a gas, Ellis said. [NOTE: This account would appear to be contradicted by a videos posted by Joe La Sac in which police can seen using tear gas on unsuspecting protesters who had received no warning: (1) (www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfhUaUuG1sM) (2) (www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hIIuJK_Uh8).  It was only after police aggression that fleeing protesters tossed a few pieces of wood into the street. --M.J.]

A male protester was arrested at 9:30 p.m. Friday on charges of obstructing police when he took his backpack into a protest area, she said. For security reasons, police prohibited backpacks from the area but did not search protesters. [NOTE: I witnessed this incident, () which took place at 11:30 p.m.; Tacoma resident Tom McCarthy was driven away by police at 11:37 p.m. and was released by police a few hours later after he posted bail. --M.J.]

Police used pepper spray around 11:30 p.m. Friday when protesters began climbing a fence to get on private property. [I also witnessed this incident, which happened about 1:00 a.m. on Sat. I saw no one "climbing a fence," but did see the fence being shaken a few minutes earlier. --M.J.]

Nearly 200 protesters gathered Friday night at the port. By 2:30 a.m. Saturday, the crowd had dwindled to about 35.

To view video of the protest this morning, go to www.youtube.com and type "Tacoma protest" in the search field. For more information, including an interview with an Olympia protest participant, see Sunday's Olympian.

2.

POTENTIAL ARREST NO DETERRENT FOR DOZENS IN TACOMA
By Jeremy Pawloski

Olympian (Olympia, WA)
March 10, 2007

http://www.theolympian.com/101/story/69666.html

TACOMA -- Some Olympia residents among a group of about 50 war protesters in Tacoma on Friday said they are not afraid to get arrested during this weekend's port protests.

"I'm planning on getting arrested," said Chris Stegman, 55, of Olympia, who identified himself as a founder of the local Green Party in Olympia. "It's a good cause."

Stegman and others were gathered at the federal courthouse on Pacific Avenue in Tacoma. They conceded that this weekend's protests, which are aimed at getting the military to stop using the Port of Tacoma for military shipments, might not stop Army cargo from being sent to Iraq. But the protests are important, he said, so people "know globally that there's resistance going on."

Stegman compared the war protesters in Tacoma to the pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square in China in 1989.

"We've got the same thing going on here: a dictatorial regime," he said.

Another Olympia protester in Tacoma on Friday, Ray Kavick, said he, too, is not afraid of getting arrested for the cause.

"I'm certainly not asking for it," said Kavick, 22. "But if I get into a position where I have to, I will."

Kavick and a friend were unfurling a large banner emblazoned with "REVOLT" in large, black lettering over a footbridge above the highway behind the courthouse at rush hour Friday when police ordered them to take it down.

Kavick said he would be ashamed of himself if he didn't do something to protest the war. He, too, said it is important to protest "to show the rest of the world that we're not all for this, and we want to actively resist and we want the government gone."

The protesters who gathered outside the federal courthouse held signs reading "Bring Troops Home Now," held papier-mâché puppets and chanted anti-President Bush and anti-Dick Cheney slogans. Protesters included Olympia City Councilman TJ Johnson and New York civil-rights attorney Lynne Stewart, who has been convicted of providing material support to terrorists, making false statements and conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, according to stories on CNN's Web site.

Stewart said she is out on bail pending an appeal of her 28-month sentence.

"Public dollars can't be used to finance war crimes," Stewart said in Tacoma on Friday. "That's what we see the war in Iraq as, war crimes."

One man, Gabriel Eckard, protested the protesters Friday, shouting over them. At one point, Eckard got into a scuffle with some of the protesters, and a Tacoma police officer on a bicycle intervened.

About eight Tacoma bicycle police officers watched the protest, and several squad cars also were standing by. Tacoma Police Detective Gretchen Ellis, who was acting as a police spokeswoman Friday night, said that this weekend's protests likely will generate a substantial amount of extra work for the department.

Ellis added that the city is looking into whether the federal government, military, or Port of Tacoma can reimburse the costs to the city police department as it provides security during the port protests. The situation is similar to Olympia's, as city officials here are considering charging the Port of Olympia for police services during military-shipment protests last May.

Phan Nguyen, a computer consultant from Olympia, said he opposes President Bush's plan to boost the troop level in Iraq and said local soldiers belonging to the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division have not received the desert training they need because of the rush to send them to Iraq.

"I don't believe we should be sending more troops to Iraq right now," said Nguyen, 32. "It has to end now. We have to do what we can; we can't just sit down and let it happen."

--Jeremy Pawloski covers public safety for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5465 or jpawloski@theolympian.com.

3.

News

THREE ARRESTS MADE OVERNIGHT AT PORT

News Tribune (Tacoma, WA)
March 10, 2007

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/updates/story/6409262p-5714431c.html

Three protesters were arrested late Friday and early today at the Port of Tacoma during a campaign to try to stop the shipment of Strykers and other military vehicles to Iraq.

Police used pepper spray and gas to control protesters, said Tacoma police spokeswoman Gretchen Ellis.

Two protesters were arrested at 2:30 a.m. today when a group threw wooden road barriers onto the street and sat in the roadway at Milwaukee Way and Lincoln Avenue, Ellis said. One was arrested for obstructing police and another was arrested for third-degree assault of a police officer, she said. The group refused a police warning to leave and was then sprayed with a gas, Ellis said. [NOTE: This account would appear to be contradicted by a videos posted by Joe La Sac in which police can seen using tear gas on unsuspecting protesters who had received no warning: (1) (www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfhUaUuG1sM) (2) (www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hIIuJK_Uh8).  It was only after police aggression that fleeing protesters tossed a few pieces of wood into the street. --M.J.]

A male protester was arrested at 9:30 p.m. Friday for obstructing police when he took his backpack into a protest area, she said. For security reasons, police prohibited backpacks from the area but did not search protesters. [NOTE: I witnessed this incident, which took place at 11:30 p.m.; Tacoma resident Tom McCarthy was driven away by police at 11:37 p.m. and was released by police a few hours later after he posted bail. --M.J.]

Police used pepper spray around 11:30 p.m. Friday when protesters began climbing a fence to get on private property. [NOTE: I witnessed this incident, which took place at 1:00 a.m. on Sat. I saw no one "climbing a fence," but did see the fence being shaken a few minutes earlier --M.J.]

Nearly 200 protesters gathered Friday night at the port. By 2:30 a.m. Saturday, the crowd had dwindled to about 35.

Law enforcement officers from Tacoma police, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington State Patrol, the U.S. Coast Guard, and a South King County team of officers were on hand.

Protesters have been at the port each night since last Saturday. Earlier this week, four people were arrested.

Friday afternoon, about 50 protesters gathered outside the federal courthouse on Pacific Avenue. One man shouted over the protesters and got into a brief scuffle with some of them before Tacoma police intervened. About eight bicycle patrol officers watched the protest, with several squad cars also standing by.

Demonstrators included Olympia City Councilman T.J. Johnson, and New York civil rights attorney Lynne Stewart, who has been convicted of providing material support to terrorists and conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government, according to stories on CNN’s Web site.

--Steve Maynard and Stacey Mulick of The News Tribune and Jeremy Pawloski of the *Olympian* contributed to this report.