PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland Police Bureau chief Mike Reese has told members of Occupy Portland that concerns about their security in camp and on marches are warranted, but says protesters must work more closely with police.
The meeting between Reese and members of the protest was held after a 30-year-old man was charged with shoving a police officer into a moving bus during a downtown march on Wednesday.
Organizers say that it’s difficult to predict how large marches will become or where they will go. The movement bills itself as leaderless, making it more difficult for police to communicate directly with people making decisions.
Organizers told Reese that several marchers were threatened with pepper spray and batons on Wednesday for failing to comply with police orders.
Reese responded that his officers acted appropriately.
