by Tony Zaragoza

I was at the Dead Prez show on the night of Thursday, Feb. 14, and have been a fan of rap/hip-hop since the mid ’80s. I arrived at Thursday night’s show around 10 pm. Through the night I saw nothing happen at the concert that was out of the ordinary. I didn’t see any of the scuffles that are mentioned in the accounts below. I left at 12:40 am, and as I was exiting the CRC I saw a female officer standing and talking with a white man who was seated on the ground. At that moment I wondered what was going on, but I couldn’t imagine what would happen later, and was quite surprised . . .

by Tony Zaragoza

The Poor People's Union (PPU) won a standoff with Olympia city officials. Despite ongoing objections from the City, the PPU won the right to reestablish the tent city, Camp Quixote, on a new site. According to one of the organizers of Camp Quixote, Rob Richards, "This is a major victory. We get to stay together. We get a place for now, and dialogue has been opened for a permanent site. We developed leadership, organization, and a plan. Now we're getting ready for what comes next."

Pots on the stove at Camp Quixote in its original location at the corner of State and Columbia. (Photo by Tony Zaragosa)