Stephanie Wilburn at Lincoln Park
Sunday morning close to 4 am, a car was driven down Congress Street past the Lincoln Park Occupy Maine encampment. Someone in that car hurled an acid bomb into the 35 tent city exploding within six or so feet of Stephanie Wilburn, one of the several campers awake and frightened by the blast.
Early this afternoon campers were busy moving tents away from Congress Street and toward the back of Lincoln Park for safety reasons. Bob Delrymple, a member of the De-escalation Committee (Security Team) for OM said between midnight and 6 am every night there are security walks every 15 minutes with random flashlight checks of every tent to be certain the occupants are authorized to be in the Park. Not all of the Committee members have flashlights with batteries at this time.
Detective Bryan Letarte, Portland Police Department, made a perfunctory and surprisingly dismissive visit to Lincoln Park prior to a press conference at Police Headquarters at 3 pm. During Letarte’s visit to Lincoln Park, he talked to Wilburn and several others. Letarte told the campers to remain vigilent at all times for suspicious activity. At the press conference Acting Chief Michael Sawchuck said that physical evidence was collected at the scene and that witnesses reported seeing a silver two-door vehicle leave the scene. No injuries were reported.
Attorney John Branson told his pro bono clients at the Park that the much needed portable potty problem would be resolved within the day or so by the arrival of two deluxe units. United Site Services had agreed to give the camp a discount which would cost $45. per month – and that includes once a week service for each unit; to be paid for by private funds.