I don't take it as sacrilegious or even trivializing to take in May Day (May First) as a fashion event. Yes, I'm talking about the red and black, the workers of the world, as well as the displaced and "undocumented" (plenty of disk space, and how is a Facebook account not a "document"?).
I've grown in my respect for the fashion industry over time. Yes, lots of money and resources, but the usage of same is relatively benign. Models push towards extremes, an athletic achievement, and the human imagination clothes them. Picture a Survivaball [tm] on the runway in Milan! Grin.
I was backup, in the batter's box, in case extra muscle was needed, but for the most part I was free to move about and shoot pictures from various angles. I liked this woman's simple cut dress and somewhat elven boots. This Peruvian look was interesting. Peru is a focus these days, because of TPP (some WTO-like nonsense). I'm already looking for the spoof web site.
Ironically, I had a full day of work to put in and wasn't billing AFSC for time on the clock. I'm volunteer through NPYM to keep an eye on things Quaker-related where this Committee is concerned, one steered by many Meetings and even some Churches, though EFI has a history of feeling repelled by various species of Red, not to mention Brown (UPS has rescued Brown as an OK uniform color -- a handsome service, for both women and men).
AFSC is a creature of Haverford College and such places, a rather cerebral / academic institution that panders to the neurally endowed. Some claim such pandering is inconsistent with Diversity but that's like saying a circus doesn't have enough variety of freak. Spoiled brats are freaks. Who is in no way a freak of nature, raise your hand?
I find it amusing that all these white people stormed into North America in order to accuse the people here of moving about illegally. The King of England hath spoken and there shall be no Trespass and blah blah. Dang but idiocy spreads quickly, can't contain that UK and its private property obsessions, with some groups qualified to lord it over others where forest lands were concerned. Robin Hood and all that. Monty Python sums it up.
Some of the guys, a few gals, were demonstrating their right to be anonymous, to where you couldn't even see their faces (though for some, that was more a costume and they kept monkeying with it, so we saw them). I, on the other hand, was sporting my AFSC name tag. True, it got twisted and lots of times you couldn't see it, but I was basically the only one wearing a lanyard with my name glaring out through the plastic. A fashion statement there, even a bold one, though I'm more behind the camera where recording models is concerned.
Lots of people had their cameras. You demonstrate some distance with those, if you want to. You might be a journalist from a skeptical far right political group, just exercising your right as a member of the public, to mingle with traitorous curs. But then you have the option of self branding in various ways. Me with my name tag, others with colors, such as red and black. Carry a sign, hold a balloon, just show your solidarity.
The police were on the clock too and not especially unfriendly. This is good practice and low key, a time to get out the bicycles, motorcycles, horses, even like a SWAT team or two to guard the bridges, in case the anarchists made a break for it and tried to unite with the forklift people in those East Side warehouses, where Willamette Valley produce is handled. What if the Reds took control of the tomato supply? The police were ready.
I thought the Asian girl (Cambodian?) behind me was one of the most fashionable, with bright layers, designed to change as the day progressed. Bright orange (the NGO's theme color), blue, black... Awesome. I also enjoyed meeting up with Crystal, back from Arizona. Given partially overlapping scenario Universe it may be months before I see her again, one never knows. We worked on Verboten Math together for Portland Free School.
On the way from my car, other side of Burnside, I went by the Door Project and snapped a few doors (means I took their picture). Then I interviewed a guy about zoning for camping, what we call "shanty towns" in the rest of the world, but don't want for our too-good-for-poverty "developed" world.
If we upgraded the services and technology, the way Occupy Portland was attempting to do for itself (with not much cooperation from the Pentagon, known for its occupation equipment and aspirations), then camps more like Dignity Village, not right in the heart of downtown, would be feasible (expand the Clackamas County TRP program?). Something for Metro to think about? Not in a vacuum. Many great cities wrestle with these same planning / zoning problems.
Not that you can't have skyscraper villages, perhaps a section of floors. This guy was tired of the inside of a tent and would probably not be first in line for a Cubby [tm] either, no matter how much WiFi was provided.
Lindsey was trying out a new look as well. Compare Occupy (then) with May Day (now). She and Melody (a couple of two years) were headed to a film showing. Some of the youth Melody works with have been busy on film projects and these are starting to come into the public eye more.
