We’re getting one report after another from local FDL Member liaisons on how critically supplies are needed. From OccupyLouisville, Patty C says “I was there when one of the hats and pair of socks was given to a homeless man who had been there since day one. He told me that it was the 1st pair of socks he’s worn for a long, long time.” At OccupyPittsburg, RFShunt said supplies were immediately taken to the medical tent and given to people who were suffering from exposure.

Just as The Oregonian photographer captured the now-iconic photo of a Portland riot police officer directing a forceful spray of mace directly in the face of an #OccupyPortland demonstrator, Portland Police Bureau Chief and likely mayoral candidate Mike Reese claimed, during an interview with a reporter, that #OccupyPortland was interfering in police response for Portland citizens, citing a rape report that couldn’t be attended to for three hours. Shocking, and horrifying, if true:

One of the themes of people like Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Cuomo as well as many other mayors and governors around the country is how things are so bad economically that the states must cut back in so many services, laying off teachers, first responders, cutting Medicaid eligibility, rolling back unemployment benefits, and generally destroying both the social safety net and wages and benefits for state workers. Yet here it is, New York City can incur millions of dollars in overtime costs going after unarmed, mostly peaceful protestors (according to this from WNYC it was over $5M by late October), yet city agencies are scrambling for funds:

Last night, Portland television viewers were treated to wall-to-wall, all-local-channels, helicopters-hovering coverage of the approach — and uneventful passage — of Mayor Sam Adams’ three-day deadline of 12:01am to close the public parks where #OccupyPortland camped.

Our local media exhibited the lamest qualities of their national betters described by Glenn Greenwald: confusion (“what do these people want?”) and disdain (“people living in mud, filth and trash”) and dangerousness (“drug overdoses” and “molotov cocktails!”) but then the on-the-ground television correspondents, cheered on by their comfortable studio-bound anchors who passed the baton from one to another, devolved into a simple message in almost every sidewalk interview with Police Bureau representatives and #Occupy demonstrators: “WHY DON’T YOU & HIM FIGHT?!”

As the sun rose over Chapman and Lownsdale squares, thousands of Portland’s Occupiers, our allies and the Portland police stood basking in the glow of a revolutionary moment. It was a long and exhilarating night in the encampments as a critical mass of exuberant supporters from all across the the city joined us in peacefully exercising our Constitutional rights.

After an eviction notice for 12:01am was given by Portland mayor Sam Adams, it became abundantly clear to many citizens that City Hall had caved to the pressure of the Portland Business Alliance and the Portland Police Union. Their attempt to shut down our protest has shown that city leaders are now more committed to protecting powerful financial interests than to preserving free speech.

Condescendingly, Mayor Adams told The Oregonian “from the beginning, his personal view was that the Occupy movement would have to evolve to realize its future potential.” He stated, “My hope is it will flourish in its next phase … with a focus on economic justice, not Port-a-Potties and tents.”

I am in Madison, Wisconsin, wrapping up my tour from occupation to occupation in primarily the Midwest. I traveled to 8 occupations and through FDL’s #OccupySupply fund delivered supplies to each occupation I visited.

As I prepare to return to my home base in Chicago for a few days (and check in on the state of @OccupyChicago too), here is a roundup on yesterday’s action. Quite a bit took place.

It was a perfect example of the aspirational 53% who want so badly to be 1% that they’ll defend the Oligarchs against the truth chanted by their own natural allies. These people, represented on the street yesterday by Raging Man, cannot see their own natural affinity with the 99%. And so they scream and holler their allegiance to the 1%, thinking that they’ll be admitted to the club if they defend “their” team in the street.

When, actually — to the Oligarchs — they are all just street rabble yelling at one another, to be ignored and belittled and crushed beneath their boots when necessary. All of them cogs in The Owners’ machine, some more aware of their role as indebted serfs than others.

Yesterday I spent over 6 hours at the Occupy Portland march and occupation, shooting some video. Here’s a short documentary about Day 1 – on the ground. Enjoy!

I was a little worried, as I prepared to head to the waterfront to assemble for Occupy Portland; I had just gotten an email from Daily Kos asking me to “pledge” to occupy, and it said I would be joining 37 other hardy souls.

“Really?” my friend Denise asked, “there’s only going to be 37 people?” I assured her that for any lefty event, even in the crappiest weather, we always get at least 5000, but maybe we ought to head down anyway. I grabbed my sign, which said “Let Them Eat Koch,” and we set out.