Ship leaves Olympia amid protesters' finale
'Die-in' marks vessel's departure from port
By SCOTT GUTIERREZ
The Olympian
01 June 06
http://159.54.227.3/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060601/NEWS/606010343

OLYMPIA - A final night of anti-war protests ended Wednesday with scores
of bodies strewn along the shore and fenceline at the Port Plaza.

Many had their eyes closed, but none were hurt. The "die-in" was staged
by activists to represent casualties of the Iraq war. They aimed their
message at the crew aboard the U.S. Naval Ship Pomeroy, which docked
Monday, and the police officers and U.S. Coast Guard personnel guarding it.

The cargo ship cast off about 8 p.m. Wednesday after two days as a
target of anti-war activists. Wednesday's gathering drew about 80 people
in a cold drizzle. They held signs and shouted slogans. A few shouted
inflammatory comments at police, although nowhere near the level seen
during previous nights.

The protest culminated with activists flopping onto the plaza's cold,
wet concrete and the adjoining beach's large rocks and lying still in
silence for about 15 minutes. They were resurrected by the sound of the
ship's loud horn, signaling its departure. They stood, cheered and
applauded, yelling: "Stop that ship."

"I was thinking about the people, my comrades and my friends. I don't
want my friends dying in Iraq," said Olive Johnson, 22, of Olympia.
Johnson, who's taking a break from school at South Puget Sound Community
College, said she has friends and family members serving in Iraq.

Those who staged the protest argue that the war is illegal and immoral
and that a publicly funded entity such as the Port of Olympia should not
be facilitating military shipments without public approval. Wednesday's
crowd drew students, twenty-somethings and middle-aged adults.

The shipments are a source of income for the port. As of March, 38
percent of the port's income since the war has come from military
shipments. While there were moments of shouting and fence-rattling,
Wednesday's three-hour protest was quieter and more subdued than a clash
between protesters and sheriff's deputies 24 hours earlier at the port's
main entry gate. Police arrested 22 people during the confrontation and
used pepper spray to disband the crowd, which had torn down the gate.

Last week, police made 16 arrests as activists attempted to block
traffic and prevent convoys of Army Stryker vehicles from reaching the
port. Police on Wednesday left more distance between themselves and
protesters, staying about 40 feet behind the fence.

Wednesday's demonstration wound to an end with people huddled in a tight
circle observing a moment of silence.

"A moment of silence is a different way of having a peaceful message,"
said Caitlin Esworthy, 23, of Olympia, a student at The Evergreen State
College.

She said the past week's protests have been stressful, traumatic and
empowering for many people.

Larry Mosqueda, a professor at Evergreen, said to the crowd: "We're not
going to stop the Iraq war this week, but we are going to have an impact."

*Voices from the protest*

*Ben Farr, 19, originally from Idaho but now lives in Olympia*

He saw the protest as a chance to send a message to the world about what
he sees as the immorality of the Iraq war.

"I'm against militarization in general," he said. "When I see these
military vehicles coming through a town that I care about a lot, it
offends me. It disgusts me."

*Linda Jansen, 58, who came from Seattle after seeing news of Olympia's
protests in the media*

She held a "No Iraq War" sign over her head.

"Standing up to the war machine is something we haven't seen a lot of,"
said Jansen, who works as an assistant at a law firm. "People here are
doing a lot of it. I think it's something that will give others the
courage to do it."

*Jon Hendricks of Olympia, who described himself as an average 20-year-old*

He said it was important to him to get the message out that he and
others don't want soldiers to fight and die for an immoral war.

"We don't want them to waste their lives. We don't want to waste the
lives of Iraqis. They're dying over geopolitical positioning in the
world. How can you console a mother with that?" he asked.

Hendricks said he votes during elections, but "sometimes voting can only
go so far."

/Scott Gutierrez covers courts, crime and law enforcement for The
Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5465 or by e-mail at
sgutierrez@theolympian.com.

Business Editor Jim Szymanski contributed to this report./