United for Peace of Pierce County, WA - We nonviolently oppose the reliance on unilateral military actions rather than cooperative diplomacy.

In another sign that the Olympia Port Militarization Resistance movement has re-energized the peace movement, "About 300 to 400 students from South Puget Sound Community College, Olympia, and Capital high schools" responding to a call to walk out of school and rally against the Iraq war were "flanking both sides of Capitol Way near the Capitol Campus" in Olympia, WA, early this afternoon, the Olympian reported.[1] -- Late Friday morning the paper reported that "all ground shipments to Fort Lewis" had left the report, but also that "railcars loaded with more [military] equipment remain at the port. It is unclear when those will be shipped out."[2] -- Earlier in the day the Olympian reported on Thursday's events, which saw five additional arrests and further use of pepper spray by police against non-violent demonstrators, which is prima facie an unjustifiably abusive response to peaceful protest.[3] -- The paper also reported that police used "string balls" on protesters. -- A recent paper published by the Stanford University Physics Dept. entitled "String Balls at the LHC and Beyond" explains that "In string theory, black holes have a minimum mass below which they transition into highly excited long and jagged strings — 'string balls.'" -- Peace activists learned this week that the Olympia Police Dept. has advanced weapons, but surely they're not that advanced. -- These weapons were earlier reported as "stinger balls." -- We're not really sure what they are, but we'll bet they were paid for by War on Terror money from some Dept. of Homeland Security program....

Update: 1:20 p.m. -- About 300 to 400 students from South Puget Sound Community College, Olympia, and Capital high schools are flanking both sides of Capitol Way near the Capitol Campus, waving signs and cheering. They have reportedly spilled into the streets and have narrowed both directions of Capitol Way down to one lane each way.

Students from elementary school to college in Olympia have walked out of school to rally today against the Iraq War.

About a dozen students from Lincoln Elementary walked out of school around 10 a.m. for about a half hour. About 50 students had planned to participate, but only the dozen had parent permission slips.

About 100 South Puget Sound Community College students left campus and walked to the Capitol Campus in Olympia, arriving around noon.

Olympia High School students planned to leave at noon and walk from the Masonic Cemetery to the Bank of America in downtown Olympia. They then plan to go to the Capitol Campus for a "die in" protest, and then present a petition at lawmaker Brian Baird's office.

Students from The Evergreen State College also plan to protest at the Bank of America at around 1 p.m. over its dealings with the environment. They then plan to walk to the Capitol Campus and demonstrate there at 2 p.m. against the war.

Some of the gatherings reportedly have spilled into streets, causing some delays for traffic, at least along Deschutes Parkway.

One final truck shipment left the Port of Olympia this morning sometime after 8:30 without police escorts, as they were not needed.

Officers were at the scene, but no demonstrations took place, and the movement of the cargo went smoothly, Olympia police Lt. Bill Wilson said.

The tractor trailer's departure marks the end of Olympia police's role in the movement of military cargo from the port to Fort Lewis following the return of the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division last month, he said.

Police officials had said Thursday afternoon that all ground shipments to Fort Lewis had already left the port.

Railcars loaded with more equipment remain at the port. It is unclear when those will be shipped out, Wilson said.

OLYMPIA -- Five protesters were arrested Thursday at the Port of Olympia as the final truck shipments of military equipment passed through the port's gates, police said.

Railcars loaded with equipment remained at the port. Dick Machlan, a spokesman for Olympia Police Department, said he didn't know when they would be shipped out.

"At this point, we're hoping that our part of this whole thing is over with," he said. "We're going to be watching it closely, but we're kind of assuming at this point that we're pretty much done."

Police arrested the protesters about 3:15 p.m. after they blocked the road leading out of the port for a second time Thursday as tractor-trailers carrying military equipment were preparing to leave. Police used pepper-spray pellet guns and batons held crosswise to force protesters off the road. One protester who remained on the road was sprayed with pepper spray and dragged through a rain puddle. He was taken to someone's home to recuperate, and fellow protesters said he appeared to be OK.

Fewer than two dozen protesters demonstrated outside the port gates for most of the day. Sandy Mayes, a member of Olympia Port Militarization Resistance, said Thursday's turnout was lower because many protesters had to return to work and classes.

Those arrested were taken to the Olympia City Jail and booked on suspicion of violating the city's pedestrian-interference ordinance.

Sixty-three people have been arrested since the protests at the port began Nov. 6, the day after the USNS Brittin docked to unload military vehicles and equipment that the 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, used during a 15-month deployment to Iraq. The brigade's soldiers returned home last month.

OlyPMR organized the protests to stop the equipment and vehicles from returning to Fort Lewis. The group doesn't want the equipment to be used again in Iraq, where its members say the United States has engaged in an illegal and immoral war.

The protests have been raucous at times. On Tuesday night, for example, a small group of protesters threw rocks at military vehicles and police cars. Some protesters rolled trash bins or threw debris on the road to stop the vehicles.

Police used batons and pepper spray to remove the protesters. In one case, they deployed "string balls," softball-sized devices that explode in a shower of hard rubber pellets, as protesters threw rocks and attempted to block the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Plum Street.

Protesters have said they've been brutalized by officers, but police say the level of force has been appropriate given the protesters' tactics.

Phil Chinn, 20, a student at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, said protesters have done as much as they could considering they're facing police armed with batons and pepper spray.

Police Chief Gary Michel said Wednesday it would take a week to calculate the costs of his department's presence at the port.

Port Commissioner Bill McGregor said it could take a couple of weeks to calculate how much money the port will receive from the shipments because rates vary depending on whether equipment was shipped by rail or by truck.

McGregor said he couldn't speak for the two other commissioners, but he continues to support the port accepting military shipments.

--Christian Hill covers the city of Lacey and military for the Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5427 or chill@theolympian.com.