Councilman defends port protest appearance
By Christian Hill
The Olympian
03 June 06
http://159.54.227.3/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060603/NEWS/606030335

OLYMPIA - Councilman TJ Johnson's presence at this week's protests
against an Iraq-bound military shipment has drawn both scorn and praise.

Johnson observed protests at the Port of Olympia that occurred as
military convoys arrived and the U.S. Naval Ship Pomeroy docked to
transport the equipment overseas.

He described himself as a "reluctant participant" on Tuesday night - the
most contentious of the protests - when he faced off with authorities
after witnessing an altercation between a state trooper and a woman at
the scene.

Johnson was not cited or arrested during the protests. He said he
supported the protesters' rights to express themselves but not the
property damage some afflicted. One e-mail to Johnson at City Hall
called his behavior "disgusting" and another said he should be removed
from office. Others have expressed support for his actions.

Johnson said he expects to hear both points of view during the open-

comment period at the council's next meeting Tuesday night. He said he
attended the protests to observe them.

"I agree absolutely with the cause of protesting the war, and I was
there primarily to witness the crowd and police, and to the extent I
could help at any point, in terms of communication, I was prepared to do
that," he said. "I became a reluctant participant."

Johnson said his involvement occurred when he saw a Washington State
Patrol trooper shove the female in the back as she was following the
trooper's instruction to move back. Johnson moved to aid the woman and
ask the trooper why he shoved her, he said. Then, he said, either that
trooper or another told him to move back and he was shoved with a baton.

Johnson said he wanted an explanation from the trooper about the
officer's behavior toward the female.

"I was going to stand my ground," he said.

He said he knew the potential consequences of disobeying the order but
that didn't deter him from "doing what was right."

Eventually, authorities used pepper spray to disperse the crowd.

The response from some residents about Johnson's involvement was swift.

"Get with the program and work on local issues that are in line with
your responsibility on the City Council," Bob Jones, a retired Army
lieutenant colonel from Olympia, wrote in an e-mail to Johnson and Mayor
Mark Foutch the next day. "I will be watching your behavior and I will
hold you accountable as a voter and a citizen in Olympia. Your behavior
last night was disgusting. ... Correct it now."

Another e-mail obtained by The Olympian stated, "TJ should be removed
from the City Council after his performance with the police at the port."

Larry Mosqueda, a professor at The Evergreen State College who helped
organize some of the protests, said Johnson was observing the protests
and doing his job.

"I respect what TJ was doing," he said.

A member of the Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace sent out an
e-mail recruiting members to testify in support of Johnson during
Tuesday's council meeting. The e-mail said Johnson and Mayor Pro Tem
Laura Ware "have been our allies and have been in the streets and
advocating for us all week."

Ware also was present at the Tuesday night protest.

She received a phone call from Johnson saying some of the protesters
were bleeding and needed assistance, she said.

A certified nursing assistant, Ware went to the scene to lend aid. She
didn't find anyone bleeding but helped wash out the eyes of protesters
hit by the pepper spray during her four hours at the scene.

She verified what Johnson had said was his involvement in the protest.

Nothing ties Johnson or her to an active role in the protest, Ware said.
She is baffled by the comments some people are making.

"It makes no logical or emotional sense," she said.

Foutch responded to the call for Johnson's removal, writing in an
e-mail, " ... I personally disagree with some of the things he has said
and done but all in all he has been a valuable council member. The
voters will decide whether he deserves to remain in office, which is as
it should be."

Asked about his response to the comments, Johnson replied: "People are
entitled to their opinions. That's what democracy is all about.

"Some of them are nasty and, frankly, downright threatening. But that's
just how the system works. People can say their piece. For me, this is
kind of silly because the real issue is the war. The real issue is how
are we going to get out of this situation as U.S. soldiers are being
killed every day and Iraqi civilians are being killed every day? That is
the story. That's where the discussion should occur."

*E-MAILED RESPONSES TO THE PROTESTS AT THE PORT OF OLYMPIA*

Here are some of the e-mails TJ Johnson and other members of the Olympia
City Council received in relation to this week?s protests.


I was not surprised to hear that TJ was involved in the recent protests
at the Port of Olympia. He doesn?t seem to understand that interfering
with shipments to our troops only endangers our troops. It does nothing
to inhibit the progression of the war. I?m sure TJ would call Donald
Rumsfeld a war criminal. That is exactly what I would call TJ if one of
our soldiers, or an innocent Iraqi citizen, is hurt or killed because
the supplies in ships leaving the Port of Olympia don?t arrive on time.

But, this isn?t the only thing TJ doesn?t understand.

He doesn?t understand his job. He has much work to do in that regard. We
have a city that is inhospitable to business, inhospitable to business
patrons, and now has weekly shootouts in addition to bums (and I don?t
mean those that are truly in need) on the sidewalks, aggressive
panhandlers, and urine on the sidewalks. But we have no nuclear weapons
in Olympia. Wonderful.

? Lucille Christenson, Olympia

The City Council is supposed to represent what the majority of the
citizens stand for. I am not a war monger, in fact I?m a Bush basher and
do not believe we should be in Iraq. However antiwar protests are not
the way to get anything done and I am in the majority. If Mr. Johnson
plans on representing this city then he should damned well represent our
feelings and not his own.

Having his face plastered all over the news with ?Olympia City
Councilman? as a caption is an embarrassment to me and to our fair city.
He is not in the majority on this issue. I demand that he step down and
become an Evergreen State College professor if this is going to be his
agenda. This is a military town and as such this issue should be dealt
with in a more appropriate manner. I don?t even know the man, but if
this is the kind of poor judgment he exercises in our name, then he is
no friend of Olympia.

? Henry Toombs, Olympia

I am in no way involved with the State Patrol or the described incident
on KOMO?s Web site. I did, however, read the incident and I am very
disappointed with your childlike behavior. You are a council member; so
what! You do not have any special privileges and I bet have no law
enforcement experience. If you don?t like what the police have done or
were doing, there are other avenues to deal with the process. I would
even go out on a limb and say you were telling the police while face to
face with them that you were a council member.

It does not matter who you are while they are in an intense situation.
As you expect them to act professionally, you yourself must do the same
and had you, I am sure you would not have been pepper sprayed. They have
a job to do as well as you.

Maybe you should ride with them, watch their training and gain some
understanding. I and the citizens would expect that of you since you are
a council member. All I am saying is think about it. Do as you may, but
don?t expect a free ride just because you are a City Council member.
Matter of fact it is actually very embarrassing to know you had even put
yourself into that situation and then went face to face with the police
at an inappropriate time. As far as I can tell from reading the article
you were even pepper sprayed. If you are that far left, move to King
County. We don?t need it.

? Ryan Boyle

JOHNSON RESPONDS: Mr. Boyle, I invoked no special privilege in dealing
with the police. I put myself in a position where I was violating the
orders of the Thurston County sheriff, and was willing to suffer the
consequences of doing so.

I have ridden with the Olympia police, and know and appreciate what they
face every day. And I have no complaints about the behavior of the
Olympia police over the past week. I believe they have acted
appropriately and with restraint, and have witnessed them de- escalate
several potentially dangerous situations. Unfortunately, the Thurston
County sheriff and Washington State Patrol have not acted with similar
professionalism, and I have criticized their actions. And I believe I?ll
stay right here in Olympia, thank you very much.



We were very disappointed to see that a City Council member was among
the mob of angry protesters at the Port of Olympia yesterday. City
Council members function in a public leadership role, and their behavior
should reflect that. TJ Johnson?s presence at the port clearly inflamed
the civil unrest already unfolding by his confrontation of the law
enforcement personnel he is supposed to support in his job as a councilman.

Peaceful protest is always permitted in our society, but this clearly
was civil unrest bordering on riot-type behavior after the crowd tore
down one port gate and damaged another. This is absolutely not
acceptable. Both my wife and I are police volunteers for the city of
Olympia, but are reconsidering our commitment after seeing this type of
outlandish behavior by someone who is supposed to be in a city
leadership role. Please consider Olympia?s public image as a destination
city for visitors of all kinds when something like this happens in the
future. Thank you.

? Cmdr. Rich Easter, Capt. Christie Easter, Olympia Harbor Patrol

As a Marine veteran that served our great nation in combat, I applaud
you for your stand on the environment.

When it comes to war, leave it alone. I read your biography and notice
you never served. This doesn?t surprise me since about 95 percent of
protesters haven?t.

Our brave men and women that serve our nation do this to keep us free.
We made the sacrifice, you didn?t! I have been in Iraq along with other
countries and know firsthand what is happening there.

You go by twisted, left-leaning media reports that don?t even tell half
truths. Then you go a step further and brainwash teenagers that haven?t
even experienced life yet.

I actually wouldn?t mind seeing the police turn their back and letting
the active duty military loose on the protesters. ... Remember this, the
Arab countries may not like each other, but they all hate us. This was
taking place way before we invaded Iraq.

? Jim Pulley

JOHNSON RESPONDS: I will leave the war alone when the war leaves me, my
family, my friends, my community, my country and my planet alone. In
other words, I am in this for the long haul.

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