Books Not Bombs

In Ashland Oregon, over 1000 Middle School, High School and University students took to the streets in a series of marches through town. At noon, over 400 students left Southern Oregon University and marched through campus to Siskiyou (pronounced "SIS-Q") Boulevard proceeding down the north bound lane. They were met at the Ashland High School by over 600 high school students forming a musical, joyous and jubilant protest. Teachers, Faculty and community members joined in solidarity as the crowd occupied one lane of the main street through town, stopping traffic along the way. The first march ended at the Plaza in the heart of the downtown business district. Theater protestors performed "The Arrest of George Bush" to the delight of the crowd. The occupation of the Plaza ended when the gamelan band took up instruments and returned to the street leading approximately 500 students back through town to the National Guard Armory. Gathering under the American Flag in the front parking lot, as police forces took positions on three sides of the protestors. Ashland Police Department stood guarding the front door of the Armory as Jackson County riot police unloaded from their vehicle and took up position along the sidewalk. To the front of the protestors, neighboring Douglas County riot police in body armory, equipped with tear gas and a dog, and with drawn clubs, stood in a tense line. The riot police approached the gathering of students and formed a horizontal line. The crowd began chanting "We Are Peace" and after a tense 5 minutes, the riot police broke formation and returned to their truck which soon drove away.

The day was marked by a large multi-agency police presence as a result of an anonymous flyer calling for anarchists to come to town and make mayhem. The presence included riot police from 2 jurisdictions, county sheriff personnel, municipal police and aerial surveillance from an unmarked white airplane.

One Criminology student was arrested while jaywalking and charged with Disorderly Conduct and two students were thrown to the ground in a random act of police violence. The pair were approached from behind by three officers and a scuffle broke out as the police shoved the students down and into a car without provocation. A crowd formed around the officers and calmed them down.

The overall mood of the day was of outrage and defiance. Oregon schools are being closed, tuition is rising and teachers are being laid off while military budgets are increased and bombs are being dropped. The student movement defines the national terms of debate, "Books Not Bombs".