WA: indymedia on Oly port protesters

At least one A&C reader (thanks, Sancho!) was happy for the update from the local paper on the Port of Olympia protesters, who are now looking at a November 13th trial date in Thurston County district court.

(13 of the "Olympia 22." One of the flags is in black and red, the colors of anarchy and communism (and / or the FSLN); the other appears to be of the Palestinian Authority. One sign on the house reads, "Israel Out of Lebanon and Gaza." Being peaceful and nonviolent people, perhaps they're just blocking the other sign on the house which reads, "Hizbullah rockets out of Israel.")

There are other perspectives of course beside The Olympian's, or mine for that matter. One of the cool aspects of Olympia life is the numerosity of independent media for a city so small, bracing for a southern Idaho transplant. Local indymedia deliver a point of view much closer to the protesters' own, mostly saying "hooray for our side."

From Olyblog: Prosecution of Port Protesters

The prosecutor should drop charges or she's gonna lose big because she was almost laughed out of court yesterday!

From Works in Progress: Port and County Prosecutor team up to perpetrate political farce and attempted extortion

Again, it just illustrates that the prosecution is left to clean up the mess that sloppy [political] policing gives them. We should remember that the Prosecution is willingly complicit in that farce -- they could simply drop the charges...

The article suggests that if only the protesters had been successful, they might have saved the life of Fort Lewis SGT Gabriel DeRoo. It's heartwarming that their motives were pure - surely the DeRoo family feels their condolences.

Or it's obscene to suggest so, take your pick. Comrades: yes, I'm against the war, and I would defend you in court with all my cleverness and skill if I were appointed to represent you. However, you would not want me on your jury.

Oh, and p.s.: lines like this -

Most of the protesters are represented by an attorney or public defender...

- always piss me off.