Following a 5-2 City Council ruling to close down its campsite, The Occupy Movement is slowly trickling out of Washington/Jefferson Park. The once-robust protest village becomes more and more scarce by the hour; soon, all those tents and elaborate structures will be gone.
This is not not a strong-armed, Tazers-and-pepper-spray protest evacuation. Rather, it’s a piece-by-piece wearing-down of the village. No official timeline or move-out date has been given to the Occupy community or police. Nobody knows when the park will be completely off-access to the protesters.
A mix of sadness, frustration and optimism could all be felt at the campsite on Thursday, as Occupants began taking down living structures and cleaning up the park.
Former construction worker “Shopping Cart” Larry pauses for a short break while cleaning up his campsite. A resident of the Occupy camp for about a month, Larry describes himself as a sympathizer of the cause and not a member of the Occupy movement. Larry was on unemployment for three and-a-half years and was unable to get a job in the construction field. He has a thumb drive with his resume on it, but repeated denials have made him a discouraged worker. (Tyler Carrington/Oregon Daily Emerald)
From infants to the elderly, the Occupy Eugene campsite housed people — and pets — of all ages and sizes. (Tyler Carrington/Oregon Daily Emerald)
The closure of the Occupy camp left Local artist Michael “Sweet Pea” Rister with nothing more than a cart full of supplies. Rister has experienced stints of homelessness since he was 12-years-old. His next move will be to travel to Berkley, Calif. with a friend. (Tyler Carrington/Oregon Daily Emerald)
Teacher and massage therapist Sabra Marcroft sits at a table where Occupiers believed transitional services would be provided. Marcroft said the City agreed to bring assistance to the camp at 2 p.m. on Thursday, but transitional services never showed up. (Tyler Carrington/Oregon Daily Emerald)
Several Occupiers played music to lighten the spirits of the camp during Thursday’s campsite cleanup. (Tyler Carrington/Oregon Daily Emerald)
Plywood walls that once provided storage space and cooking room were taken down by several Occupiers, in accordance with the city’s ruling to shut down the Occupy campsite. (Tyler Carrington/Oregon Daily Emerald)
Willy Kent gives direction as Occupiers carry the plywood to the back of trucks. (Tyler Carrington/Oregon Daily Emerald)
Christiana Kline (left) and Willy Kent each enjoy a cup of the free coffee provided for the community. (Tyler Carrington/Oregon Daily Emerald)
Many homeless will have limited options once the Occupy camp closes down. Council members have stated their commitment to the homeless situation in Eugene, but many Occupiers do not believe them. (Tyler Carrington/Oregon Daily Emerald)
“The Outlaw” Benjamin Cook performs an Occupy-themed song for the camp. A native Ohioan, Cook travels around the nation playing music with his tribe. Cook is involved with the Occupy movement for the community engagement, as opposed to the political protest. (Tyler Carrington/Oregon Daily Emerald)
Many within the camp participated in the cleaning efforts. Some only gathered their own belongings, but a good portion helped others. (Tyler Carrington/Oregon Daily Emerald)
Community members and some Occupiers say Occupy Eugene of lacks structure and organization. This board informs the community when each subcommittee will meet. (Tyler Carrington/Oregon Daily Emerald)
31-year-old Darek Ball traveled from Occupy Roseberg, Ore. to show solidarity and learn how Occupy Eugene functions. Unlike OE, Ball said OR doesn’t have the infrastructure to maintain a full Occupy camp because most of its members are busy students, teachers and older people. (Tyler Carrington/Oregon Daily Emerald)
