PORTLAND TRIBUNE - President of Vice Dick Cheney made a fundraising tour through the Pacific Northwest this week, with a stop in Portland, Oregon, on Jan. 13. Cheney charged $1,000 a plate for dinner, and $5K for a photo-op with supporters.

               The Vice President also exploited a recent Federal court decision, in the criminal case of U.S.A. v. Bursey to expand the use of euphemistically dubbed Free Speech Zones, to literally cage protesters at the event.

                Protesters were not allowed to approach the event at a hotel near the Portland Airport, but were directed by police to a muddy field at least 100 yards away, {where, after they assembled, they were enclosed behind an eight-foot-high chain-link fence topped with razor wire.} Will Seaman, of the Portland Peaceful Resource Coalition, said of the caged area, "It was completely inaccessible," and a half-mile from the nearest public transit. . .

                Protesters heeded the police's admonition to get out of the street, but then started shaking the fence. "Since they put us in a cage, we decided to rattle our cage," Seaman said. At 6:10 p.m., the protesters were informed, via loudspeaker, that any attempts to pass or tamper with the barricade could subject them to the use of force, including chemical agents or impact weapons, as well as to arrest and criminal.