Friday, May 02, 2008

Seattle Port Shutdown to Protest War

Boatload

Photo & Text Copyright 2008 Seattle Daily Photo. All rights reserved, including reproduction or republishing.

Seattle's normally bustling port was was absolutely still yesterday. The dockworkers of every commercial port on the US west coast held a May Day labor strike to protest US war efforts in Iraq. Thousands joined the union members in a peaceful anti war protest through Seattle streets in the afternoon, ending on Pier 66 in the heart of Seattle's downtown waterfront. I took the bottom shot of the Hanjin freighter coming into Elliott Bay on April 17th. The top photo is yesterday evening with the ship partially reloaded and nothing was stirring. To the top left you can see the Starbucks headquarters clock tower mermaid peering out just beyond the red loading cranes.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just can't imagine living this close to water and seeing sights like those you are able to photograph. Beautiful work.

Kim said...

Well Abe, You and Patty might enjoy a summer trip out here. It is truly a pleasure to live or visit here. I'd love to see what you'd shoot here.
-Kim

Pat said...

Hi, Kim. Love these photos. I'll be coming to Seattle in September, so maybe Abe and Patty can come out and we all can have a picnic with Chuck too, like the folks at Paris Daily Photo! What's the Seine got that Puget Sound hasn't? :>)

Kim said...

Oh, let's do it! We can invite all the Pacific Northwest CDPB folks and any others who might be in the area or want to come in September. Let me know your dates:
seattledailyphoto@earthlink.net

-Kim

Kris McCracken said...

Some wondeful shots here. It always reminds me of my father, who has worked on big container ships my whole life (and still does).

Chuck Pefley said...

Kim and Bibi, that sounds like great fun! I'm certainly game for that. Keep us posted on this developing story.

I think yesterday we were quite fortunate not to have a repeat of the excesses of WTO. Nice views, by the way. Steinbruck Park?

Kim said...

Kris, I'm glad it brings your dad to mind. Hard, dangerous work!

Chuck, Last year I'd been thinking of inviting all the Pacific Northwest CDPBers for a get together here in Seattle, so Bibi's (Pat's) coming to town is a great catalyst to do it. Depending on her travel dates, I'm thinking of outdoors, maybe meeting under Calder's "Eagle" at the OSP because the setting is so wonderful, central, easy to find landmark, and puts visitors in a neighborhood within walking distance of PPM, the waterfront, and Seattle Center. Hey, maybe you would like to lead us on a short photo walk of some fave haunts in that area after the picnic? Let me know if that sounds appealing.
Re. the photos, the top one was taken from Kerry Park, and the bottom one from the observation deck of the Space Needle.
-Kim

Petrea Burchard said...

These are great photos of a grand event, Kim. They did it in LA, too. All along the coast, I gather. I thought it was a brave thing for the workers to do.

Would you all be amenable to putting me on the list for your get-together? Chances are we'll be in Seattle in September; we have family there and that's when we usually visit. I'd love to meet you all and would love a chance to meet Bibi.

Rachel E. Adams said...

I find this to be a fascinating post because I see these ships on the other side of the ocean. That Hanjin one, very well might be one that I've seen lots on my commute. You've gotten beautiful shots of this drama.