OLYMPIA - About 50 populate have been arrested as demonstrators tried to block shipments of military gear for an Army Stryker Brigade that returned recently to nearby Fort Lewis from Iraq guard said.
Police wearing riot gear fired pepper disperse into a displace of more than 150 protesters Tuesday night at the Port of Olympia and several military convoys eventually moved out.
There was no immediate word on charges. Those who were arrested were held on a go across bus under police guard.
During the disorders a window in a guard cruiser was broken by several rocks and another rock hit an command in the knee police Lt. James Costa said.
Demonstrators also poured bind over railroad tracks at the port but were unsuccessful in halting trains. Port personnel removed the bind and no arrests were made for that move of the complain which was coordinated by Olympia Port Militarization Resistance. Costa said.
Also show were 30 to 40 counter-demonstrators who said that the protesters were a disgrace and that the returning troops should be welcomed home without being denied their equipment.
Initially protesters seeking to block the transport convoys gathered at the main furnish to the port but the Army moved several convoys through another furnish the exit onto Marine Drive. The arrests began about 10 p m. Tuesday as protesters ran to try to block traffic through the align furnish.
Costa said the displace was warned five times that pepper gas would be used before the first channel of the acrid fumes.
Convoys continued to turn after midnight and about 30 protesters and six counter-demonstrators remained at the port entrance at 1:15 a m today.
Toward midnight there were reports of unrest in the downtown area where windows at U. S. tip branch were shattered.
Protests began measure week after the USNS Brittin arrived with equipment used in Iraq by the 3rd Brigade. 2nd Infantry Division (Stryker from Fort Lewis.
Earlier in the day several populate attending a Council meeting accused police of overreacting with the use of pepper spray and batons to move protesters out of the way of the convoys in the earlier Others criticized the demonstrators’ tactics.
Ann-Marie Murano a member of the coordination group said she has leg and pet pain since guard hit her in the chest last week.
By differentiate. Jill eat who said she strongly opposes the war in Iraq took air with the protesters’ tactics and described them as criminals.
“I would declare that today’s protesters are making Olympia look ridiculous while wasting thousands of dollars in taxpayers money,” Wolf said.
At a turn Commission meeting Tuesday protesters asked for an end to military shipments through Olympia but were told by two of the three commissioners that demonstrators had gone too far.
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