My beat it seems, along with writers Martin Espinoza and Kevin McCallum, has pretty much been Occupy Santa Rosa. Of course, the entire PD staff has reported or photographed the Santa Rosa City Hall encampment at one time or another. It’s been a team effort. On the heels of the Aaron Bassler story in Fort Bragg, this summer and fall have quite literally been a blur. In that time my son grew almost an inch.
Blurry. Really Occupodo.
It all started (in SoCo) with a 2,500 person march on Santa Rosa in October. Along with the Saturday marches, there was a tent set-up in there somewhere, a pit stop in Oakland to photograph the General Strike, arrests inside Santa Rosa’s Wells Fargo Bank, more tents, a couple more marches; one in Sebastopol too, City Council meetings, permits, cheering, anger, eviction notices, a few more arrests and Occupiers bugging out in fear of arrest. A culmination of sorts happened for Martin and I as we pulled an all-nighter on the steps of City Hall a couple of weeks ago. In that time I chewed through nearly 20 miles of concrete, and exposed a little over 10,000 frames.
DEEP BREATH. Regroup. Re-connect with family. Play a little catch, shoot some hoops, watch a movie. Get sleep, eat.
Did I mention sleep?
Denell Nawrocki acknowledges the points of the compass before an Occupy Santa Rosa march, Saturday Oct. 29, 2011 and rally on the steps of city hall. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
The first tent goes up at Occupy Santa Rosa, Saturday Oct. 29, 2011 at Santa Rosa City Hall. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
At 4:19am on First Street in Santa Rosa, Friday Nov. 18, 2011 Occupy Santa Rosa protetser Mark Grumich when horizontal on a street sign as Occupiers let their hair down in front of City Hall in Santa Rosa. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
Working to undo the damage caused by a tagger from the Occupy Santa Rosa encampment on the facade of Santa Rosa City Hall, fellow Occupiers scurry to erase the mess at 3:03 am, Friday Nov. 18, 2011. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
Petaluma residents Tesia Ford-Blonski and Stephen LaTour share a quiet moment at 11:28 pm at Occupy Santa Rosa at City Hall, Thursday Nov. 17, 2011. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
After painting graffiti on walls and windows at City Hall, Henry is arrested after a brief foot pursuit at Occupy Santa Rosa, Thursday Nov. 17, 2011. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
Georgia Pedgrift, a Community Engagement Coordinator with the City of Santa Rosa, shows an Occupy Santa Rosa protestor, who declined to give his name, his camping spot on the lawn of City Hall, Tuesday Nov. 15, 2011 after obtaining a permit which will be good for 15 days. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
The Santa Rosa Occupy encampment at City Hall in Santa Rosa, Tuesday Nov. 8, 2011 along Santa Rosa Avenue, bottom right. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
Occupy Santa Rosa protesters move a tent on to the public sidewalk in front of City Hall, Friday Nov. 18, 2011. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
Occupy Santa Rosa protester Corben Scotton entertains at Santa Rosa City Hall, Thursday Nov. 17, 2011 at 9:12pm. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat) 2011
There are tons of photos of the Occupy I didn’t include, if you’ve been following the photo galleries on line, then you will be up to date. My best photo of the entire movement came from Oakland, during the General Strike. Even though the photo was not published in the newspaper, I did move the photo on the Associated Press wire. The photo was distributed world wide and was even published in the New York Times in a double truck fold a few Sunday’s ago. The photo is below.
Occupy Oakland protesters cheer as they climb on tractor trailers loaded with shipping containers at the Port of Oakland, California, on November 2, 2011, effectively shutting down the United States' fifth busiest port during a day of non-stop protesting in Oakland. (Kent Porter, Santa Rosa Press Democrat) 2011
-Kent Porter
