Mike Salsbury/The Olympian
A costumed protester dances in front of police officers during the 2001 May Day protest in Olympia.

City makes plans for mystery May Day

Attempt to gain information on protest 'sort of fell on deaf ears'

MICHAEL BURNHAM THE OLYMPIAN

OLYMPIA -- The timing and location of a planned May 1 street celebration remain a mystery this year, police department leaders told the City Council on Tuesday.

For two consecutive years, grass-roots organizers have privately planned protests to reclaim public streets from vehicle traffic. In both instances, hundreds of revelers halted west-side traffic in support of such issues as community sustainability and worker rights and opposition of corporate consumerism and economic oppression.

In a move to assuage community backlash and assure public health and safety, the council passed a resolution that expresses the city's desire for people planning events to provide adequate public notice and plan jointly with the city.

That hasn't happened this year.

"Participants will tell you that there are no organizers. There are," said OPD Cmdr. Tor Bjornstad. "We tried to reach out to them ..., but it sort of fell on deaf ears."

To that end, police urged the council to try to plan with members of Olympia's May Day Action committee.

Mayor Stan Biles even extended the offer to the television cameras Tuesday.

While committee members have not attempted to plan with city leaders, the group's Web site provides the date and location of general interest meetings.

Organizers meet at 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday at the Rise and Shine Cafe, 903 Rogers St., according to the Web site: www. olynetwork.org/mayday.

Should advance planning and cooperation between May Day organizers and city leaders not take place, police are preparing broad contingency plans.

Police say May Day participants will be allowed to parade through city streets for an unspecified amount of time. Police will then attempt to reroute vehicle traffic.

If the procession reached a location and stopped, as it has in the past, police would assess the event's impact on the larger community, Bjornstad said.

'Reasonable' time limit

The procession would be allowed to inhibit vehicle traffic for a "reasonable" amount of time, Bjornstad said. Revelers would then be asked to leave by law enforcement officials.

"I'm very confident that if we need to reroute traffic ... we'll be able to do that effectively," Bjornstad said.

However, he said, police will not allow blockage of the bridge corridor that links downtown with the west side.

"I would consider that the (temporary Fourth Avenue bridge) is one of those no-go zones," Bjornstad said. "It is not meant as a line in the sand; it is meant as a practicality of what the police and community can support."

Council members hoped aloud that revelers don't attempt to test the limits of law enforcement's resolve.

"I don't think you have any other choice other than to plan, staff and react," Mayor Pro Tem Mark Foutch told police. "I think it is colossally inconsiderate for organizers of May Day not to plan with us. I think they enjoy jerking us around."

Council members and police recognized that May Day is an annual event and supported budget appropriations to cover policing efforts.

May Day 2000 cost the city approximately $35,000, and 2001 cost approximately $14,000. The $14,000 figure does not include reimbursement of other law enforcement agencies. Police estimate that Lacey and Tumwater police departments and the Thurston County Sheriff's Office contributed $10,000 to $15,000 in support services for the 2001 event.

"May Day doesn't come cheap," Bjornstad said. "We're in a situation where we need to budget for this, because it's a real hit."

Michael Burnham covers Olympia for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-704-6869 or mburnham@olympia.gannett.com

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