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It seems comic that former government officials think of VORTEX I as their power trip. It was my friend Lee Meier  who came up with the idea for humanitarian reasons. I was involved in the Portland State Student Strike and Lee was bringing food around to us strikers at the barricades. My opinion of the “Peoples Army Jamboree,” was that they had been infiltrated by police provocateurs and that is what Lee had seen. The rank and file of the “ Legionnaires “ were made up mostly of WW II Vets who were in Portland to visit with their old buddies.  

 

I was in the second vehicle " green pickup truck “ to arrive at VORTEX I. I had learned about VORTEX I from Lee months earlier and planned on going. At Wilsonville we found out that “ Bullfrog” had been canceled. My recollection was of what decorum took place between the Mayor, Police of Wilsonville and us in order to solve a problem. We agreed to go to McIver Park early; we were not kidnaped. You did not have to go if you did not want to. Once in the caravan while riding in the back of the pickup we opened a jug of wine and lit a joint just a few feet from several policemen and were unmolested. ( We had come to an understanding with them ). Many cars joined the caravan as seen by their headlights at dusk. Once we got to McIver because our pickup truck was loaded with firewood, we had the first campfire going at VORTEX I and that is where the party began.

 

When interviewed I was under the impression that O.P.B. was also covering the PSU Student Strike. Prior to the student strike, ( April 30, 1970 ), two hundred of us marched through the streets of Portland demanding an end to the Viet Nam War. After the strike, ( May 12 ), five thousand of us surrounded City Hall and the Police Station. Let “ Oregon Public Broadcasting “ tell that story.

 

David Dumas

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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