• Joshua Trujillo / seattlepi.com

    Seattle activist Dorli Rainey, 84, reacts after being hit with pepper spray during an Occupy Seattle protest on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011 at Westlake Park in Seattle, Wash. Protesters gathered in the intersection of 5th Avenue and Pine Street after marching from their camp at Seattle Central Community College in support of Occupy Wall Street. Many refused to move from the intersection after being ordered by police. Police then began spraying pepper spray into the gathered crowd hitting dozens of people. Rainey had a milky solution splashed in her face to help with the effect of the pepper spray.

    'The Image, Deconstructed' spotlights photographer Joshua Trujillo and his image from an Occupy Seattle protest

    Excerpted from 'The Image, Deconstructed':

    Photographer Joshua Trujillo:

    I am from a culture where elders are respected. So when I saw a woman who looked older than my own grandmother, yelling and choking from the pepper spray, my heart skipped a beat. I quickly gathered myself and walked toward her to document the aftermath.

    At that moment, the protesters were not thrilled that I was there. I was being yelled at, told to “get out of here,” and shoved. Ms. Rainey, who was choking from the effects of the spray, actually mustered up enough energy to swear at another reporter who was asking if she was okay. Ms. Rainey was a mess. She was coughing and having trouble opening her eyes. She had a milky solution splashed in her face and was now agitated, along with the rest of the crowd.

    Reading body language is important in situations like these. But in this case, words were also exchanged suggesting I was not welcome there. There was quite a bit a swearing and some shoving from the people escorting her away. The scene moved fast and emotions were high as people coughed and struggled to breathe. But as I see it, the potential news value and uniqueness of the situation overrode the subjects' desires at that moment.

    I keep a list in my head when making photos in sensitive situations, especially ones where I am not sure I am welcome. News value is at the top of that list. The unique nature of a scene is probably the second element I consider. Coming in third place is compassion for a subject. I always try to work with compassion. A subject's desire to control the situation, and in effect control me, is much farther down the list. So that never really factored into my decision-making that night. I knew I had something unique, but I didn't realize how the image would later explode.

    To learn more about Joshua Trujillo and his image of Dorli Rainey, visit 'The Image, Deconstructed'.

  • Yesterday's snow followed by freezing rain in Seattle and rest of Pacific Northwest

    Robert Sorbo / Reuters

    A snowman with an umbrella is covered in ice in a Renton, Washington neighborhood, Jan. 19, 2012. Ice storms have caused power outages and downed trees throughout the Puget Sound region and have been responsible for at least one death near Issaquah, Washington.

    Ted S. Warren / AP

    A Southwest Airlines plane sits covered in a a thick layer of ice while parked at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, in Seattle.

    Rick Bowmer / AP

    A submerged school bus lays on its side as Diane Garibaldi looks on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, in Salem, Ore. Up to 10 inches of rain fell on parts of the Oregon Coast Range in a 36-hour period, and more rain and flooding is on the way, the National Weather Service said.

    Related Content:

  • Watch the snow fall in time-lapse video from Seattle

    Time lapse video shows inches of snow falling on a city where winter is typically wet, not white.

     

    Msnbc.com's Jim Seida and John Brecher placed time-lapse cameras on an apartment building rooftop, inside a retirement community, near a potted plant and in one of their own living rooms to capture a rare lowland Pacific Northwest snowfall. While only inches fell in Seattle despite forecasts that called for bigger accumulation, areas south of the city and near the mountains received feet of the white stuff.

     

    See more of the before and after images from Seattle

    Northwest snow hits areas outside of Seattle hardest

    'Snowmaggedon' in Seattle...or not

    Follow @msnbc_pictures

     

  • 'Snowmageddon' in Seattle...or not

    John Brecher / msnbc.com

    Two stitched composite images of downtown Seattle as seen from the Jose Rizal Bridge, on Jan. 17 and 18.

    By Meredith Birkett

    Snowmageddon. Snowpocalypse. The Pacific Northwest, known for its rain, was instead forecast to get dumped on by snow. Here in Seattle, they were calling for 8-16 inches. Our forecast went national, then international when the BBC picked up the story. Grocery store shelves were stripped of their milk and eggs. Schools were preventively cancelled. Some metropolitan buses ran on chains Tuesday, even though few roads had snow on the ground. To borrow a phrase from my colleague Allison Linn, the “snowspense” was mounting.

    Jim Seida / msnbc.com

    Totem pole at the Rotary Viewpoint Park on 35th Ave. SW and SW Alaska St. photographed Jan. 17 and 18 in Seattle.

    And for good reason. Our region isn’t very prepared for snow. Most of us own rain boots, not snow boots, let alone a snow shovel. Seattle didn’t even use salt on its roads until after a snowstorm hobbled our city for almost two weeks during the holidays in 2008. During that storm, I saw something here that I’d never seen when living in cold places like Chicago or the Northeast. Drivers stopped their cars – on the interstate - and walked away. For days, our road shoulders were parking lots.

    This time around, it wasn’t totally a false alarm, but it didn’t happen at the scale previously advertised. It is snowing here in Seattle this morning, but so far it’s a fine, lazy blanket (as seen in this time-lapse video), not accumulating much more than two inches. You can see from the before and after images photographed by John Brecher and Jim Seida that the streets are quiet as people avoid the snowy roads.

    John Brecher / msnbc.com

    A snowman from an earlier storm sits slowly melting in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Seattle on Jan. 17. But it was bolstered by a return of snow on Jan. 18.

    We aren’t new to these wildly veering forecasts. Here, you can’t really blame the meteorologists. We have such a swirl of forces influencing our weather – two mountain ranges, a giant volcano or two, sounds and lakes –how’s a weather system to navigate that? It can be pouring rain at my Mom’s house 30 miles away, and here in Seattle, we’re having a sunny day.

    Our time with the snow will be brief. It’s forecast to be near 50 by Friday. But, as we all know, that could change. In the meantime, steep hills will be closed around the city and will become sledders’ playgrounds. The cross country skis, usually reserved for our nearby mountains, will get a rare lowland workout (mine too. Don’t tell my boss).  We will “work from home” if we can. We’ll take pictures of our houses, children and dogs in the snow – because well, it’s a beautiful and rare backdrop for us. Facebook will be busy with snow commentary.

    Then the rain will return. Cross that “Seattle gets an average of six inches of snow a year” off the list.

    Jim Seida / msnbc.com

    Looking across 35th ave SW toward downtown Seattle from the roof of the Merrill Gardens Retirement Community in West Seattle, photographed Jan. 17 and 18, in Seattle.

    See more of the before and after images from Seattle

    Northwest snow hits areas outside of Seattle hardest

    Follow @msnbc_pictures

     

  • Snowy in Seattle: Winter storm snarls traffic; colder temperatures to bring icy roads

    People push a car uphill next to a bus, Jan. 15, in Seattle, Wash. Several inches of snow fell quickly Sunday morning, snarling traffic and clogging roadways.

    KING 5 reports:

    A winter weather advisory is in effect until 10 p.m. tonight for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton area. Overnight low temperatures will fall to the mid 20s to low 30s.

    Heavy snow began falling on downtown Seattle just after noon and continued for more than an hour, making travel difficult. Traffic slowed to a crawl on Interstate 5 and several buses got stuck on slick ramps.

    Read the full story: Snow showers diminish, but roads will ice up overnight

    Ted S. Warren / AP

    Pedestrians walk across a hill in Seattle, Wash., during a snowstorm, Jan. 15. Several inches of snow fell quickly Sunday morning, snarling traffic and clogging roadways.

    Anthony Bolante / Reuters

    Snow accumulates on the branches of trees below the Space Needle in Seattle, Wash., after heavy snowfall in the Puget Sound region, Jan. 15.

  • China exports massive container-ship cranes to the US

    Elaine Thompson / AP

    Three Super Post-Panamax cranes, made to handle the largest container vessels in the world, are brought through Elliott Bay and toward Seattle's Terminal 18, Nov. 28, 2011, near Seattle. The cranes, made in Shanghai, China, will allow the Port of Seattle to expand the reach of unloading container ships to the maximum of 24 container widths. The cranes were transported aboard a ship specially outfitted for the transport of large and unusually sized cargo.

    By Robert Hood

    See our video report below for more information on the economic importance of the Port of Seattle.

    Feb. 12, 2009: From tug captains to truck mechanics, port workers are feeling the ripple effect of American spending.

     

  • John Brecher / msnbc.com

    People walk atop the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle on Saturday, October 22.

    Seattle allows pedestrians on elevated highway before demolition

    By John Brecher

    Following years of debate, Seattle is doing away with its elevated highway structure - the Alaskan Way Viaduct - and replacing it with a tunnel. The earthquake-vulnerable section of State Route 99 runs north-south, sitting between downtown Seattle and the waterfront.

    As the project began on a rainy Saturday morning, the city allowed people three hours to walk atop the old highway.

    More coverage from the Seattle Times and seattlepi.com.

  • Seattle superhero "Phoenix Jones" unmasks himself outside courthouse

    Ted S. Warren / AP

    Ben Fodor, a self-styled superhero who goes by the name "Phoenix Jones," talks to reporters as he stands next to one of his attorneys, Matt Hartman, right, after Fodor appeared in court, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011, in Seattle. Prosecutors have not yet filed charges against Fodor after he was arrested Sunday after police say he pepper sprayed a group of people downtown as they left a nightclub.

    SEATTLE — The self-proclaimed Seattle superhero who goes by the name Phoenix Jones unmasked himself Thursday morning at a court hearing.

    Prosecutors have filed no charges, but Jones, 23, whose real name is Benjamin John Francis Fodor, appeared in a court wearing a charcoal-colored mask and a superhero uniform under a black and gray striped shirt. A court officer asked him to remove the mask and he complied but put it back on after the hearing to speak with reporters — at which point, he dramatically removed it again to reveal his true identity.

    Fodor was arrested Sunday after police say he pepper sprayed a group of people downtown as they left a nightclub. Fodor said he was trying to break up a fight when he was attacked. He spent about seven hours in jail before posting $3,800 bail.

    Prosecutors told a judge they needed more time to decide whether to file charges.

    Fodor said he would be back out on patrol again Thursday night. 

    Read the rest of the story here.

     

    Related content:

    Seattle's self-proclaimed superhero, Phoenix Jones, claims he was trying to break up a fight in when he was arrested and charged with assault for using pepper spray. Msnbc.com's Dara Brown reports.

     

     

  • Taking it to the streets: Meet the Occupy Seattle protesters

    By Sevil Omer, senior writer for msnbc.com

    Msnbc.com visited the Occupy Seattle demonstration at Westlake Park in Seattle this week. Here are some of the people we met.

    Jim Seida / msnbc.com

    Albert Postema of Snohomish, Wash., protests as part of Occupy Seattle in Westlake Park in downtown Seattle.

    Albert Postema, 46, of Snohomish, Wash.
    Postema dressed up in a crisp white shirt, gray suit and gray shoes, finishing off his wardrobe by tying a noose around his neck and taping a $1 bill to his mouth. The small-business owner raised his sign up high. It read: "End Economic Terrorism."

    Throughout the day on Thursday, the western Washington father made his stand in front of Bank of America in downtown Seattle and joined scores of others to protest what they call corporate corruption and economic injustice to Americans. Postema serves as Occupy Seattle’s police liaison; his job is to make sure cops and protesters get along at Westlake Park. Even with cash taped to his mouth, Postema refused to remain silent.

    Why are you here?
    "Because of the collective economic noose around our necks and that our system is corrupt and we don't have a voice anymore."

    What's your specific grievance?
    "We are not headed in the right direction and we are losing our voice. I have more money than a lot of people in this country and I don't have a say in what happens, but corporations do. Corporations have a voice. We have lost our rights as well."

    Do you think this movement could grow?
    "Dang, yeah. We see it every day and it is growing exponentially. A lot of people don't even know that it's happening, and they are not even here yet."

    What would make you think “mission accomplished”?
    "Constitutional courts. ... I don't trust politicians anymore. Since our country is based on separation of church and state, it also should be based on separation of money and state. We also need to have a voice in the system again. There is a lot of money working against us."

    Jim Seida / msnbc.com

    "I'll come down here every day if I have to," says Steve Smith, left, with his friend Candra Kolodziej, both of Seattle. Smith and Kolodziej were supporting the anti-Wall Street 'Occupy Seattle' rally in Westlake Park in downtown Seattle, Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011.

    Candra Kolodziej, 29, and Steve Smith, 34, of Seattle
    Kolodziej scanned the crowd Thursday. She said numbers were down compared to Wednesday’s gathering, when 25 people were arrested for refusing police orders to take their tents down. But she said the busts and uncertainty that night only added to her resolve to demonstrate against what she believed was a yawning gap between haves and have-nots. A bookseller with The Elliot Bay Book Company, she said her future was filled with debt and a growing despair about economic security.

    Her boyfriend, Smith, wore sunglasses, a hoodie and a “Reboot America” button. A wiry, bearded and reflective man, he sat on a sleeping bag with a half-eaten cheese bagel. He said he was reluctant to share personal ideals, but he expressed sadness in the increasing numbers of Americans forced out their homes and jobs, while banks and financial institutions receive bailouts. The coffee shop staffer said he wanted to be part of something different and meaningful and jumped at the chance to join Kolodziej on the protest line.

    What keeps you here?
    Kolodziej: "Ever since Saturday, I haven't felt that anything else I've been doing has been as important as this. This is absolutely it. This is a small gathering now in Seattle, but I think it is going to be a global movement that's of the utmost importance to my future and everyone else's."

    Smith: "Other people."

    How long will you stay here?
    Kolodziej: "I will stay here until I have to return to work, which is 3 p.m. on Saturday. After that, I will be heading back down here to do my part."

    Smith: "Every day, if I have to. I work down here, so I will come and hang out as long as necessary."

    What would be mission accomplished?
    Kolodziej: "Tax reform, corporate reform and government reform. Ultimately, it would be closing the widening gap between the wealthiest and those who are impoverished."

    Smith: "Communication. ... People looking at each other, connecting and communicating that you exist, I exist and we share all of this."

    What do you think this movement could become?
    Kolodziej: "This will become a revolution."

    Smith: "I have no idea, because not everyone is going to be happy. … I want people to speak up and say 'this is ours.'"

    Jim Seida / msnbc.com

    Gabriel Plummer of Seattle plans to stay indefinitely at Westlake Park in Seattle to support Occupy Seattle.

    Gabriel Plummer, 20, of Seattle, a journalism student
    Born and raised in western Washington, Plummer joined the protests Thursday morning. As he rolled a cigarette for himself, a friend unrolled a sleeping bag for him nearby. It was Plummer's first night out on pavement, but he planned to stay indefinitely.

    Why are you here?
    "I wanted to witness history and be part of something that is bigger than myself. I wanted to watch a community come together and be part of a reawakening."

    What's your grievance?
    "My grievance is that I'm tired of corporations being treated like gods, we being treated like slaves and our ignorance being perpetuated by the media."

    Do you think the movement could grow?
    "It has steadily grown for decades. The frustration has reached a pivotal point and it will keep growing."

    What would make you think mission accomplished?
    "The beautiful thing is for a community to come together and figure out it together."

    Jim Seida / msnbc.com

    Toriy Fair of Seattle makes a sign in support of the Occupy Seattle rally.

    Toriy Fair, 21, of Seattle, college student studying culinary arts. This chatty, energetic woman with green eyes and a ready smile described hardships of her childhood, her years in and out of shelters, and days and nights out on the streets looking for food and place to stay. She said she wanted to stand up on behalf of people who were unable to, and made a temporary home at the park.

    What keeps you here?
    "The system."

    How long will you stay here?
    "I will be here as long as I can, until my classes start. When my classes are over, I will be back right here."

    What would be mission accomplished?
    "It will be the day when I see my friend and people whose lives are so messed up and their minds so screwed up be able to get the proper help they need so they can get off the streets."

    What do you say to critics about this movement?
    "First of all, if you are criticizing us and wondering what we are doing here, then you have not been plugged into what has been happening to our country. I believe my generation is going to pay the biggest price for all of this mess.

    What do you think this movement could become?
    "A lighthouse of hope for all those who feel lost."

    Jim Seida / msnbc.com

    Brian Fnord of Everett, Wash. brought his 9-month-old son, Jackson, to the rally at Westlake Park in downtown Seattle.

    Brian Fnord, 29, of Everett, Wash., a janitor
    Fnord came across the protest by chance on Saturday and decided to spend the night. Ever since, he has made his way down to Seattle to participate. On Thursday, he bundled up the biggest reason for his political trek south: his 9-month-old son, Jackson.

    Why are you here?
    “I'm here mostly for my son and how we're shoving all of this debt onto the next generation and onto my son. What we are seeing is the effects of a depression and the lack of capital."

    What's your specific grievance?
    "The Federal (Reserve) chairman kind of screwed up with the bailouts. I think he should resign. He was the one who was cutting the checks when this was happening."

    Do you think this movement could grow?
    Anytime you have people who are willing to spend an evening outside in the cold is a good sign that yes, it could grow. This is a movement that is not backed by a CEO pet project."

    What would make you think mission accomplished?
    "That is a difficult question, because in everything you have goals and you can't ever really be done with something. Even in Egypt where (Egyptian President Hosni) Mubarak stepped down, you were left with issues with the army and such. ... I believe it is time for the people to start the process for democracy and we need to start moving forward."

    Jim Seida / msnbc.com

    Carol Spane, 70, of Hood River, Ore. (left) and Patricia Barclay, 86, of Seattle show their support for Occupy Seattle and for ending the war in Afghanistan.

    Carol Spane, 70, of Hood River, Ore., a caregiver and foster parent
    Spane and Patricia Barclay, 86, of West Seattle, made their way through the crowd of nearly 150 people before they decided to take a brief break from demonstrating. Spane, who is Barclay's caregiver, lovingly linked her arm around the older woman's arm and guided her to a picnic table. Spane talked about her efforts to raise awareness about the financial hardships faced by millions of families nationwide.

    Why are you here?
    "I'm tired of watching people work so hard to get ahead and not being able to. It's hard nowadays for families and it's a struggle."

    Do you think this movement could grow?
    "Protests are important and people need to stand up for what they believe in — even if they are as old as we are."

    What would make this mission accomplished?
    "To give our president a chance to act on the stuff he wants to do."

    Meet the occupiers in New York City's Zucotti Park

    From Wall Street to Nashville, 'occupiers' share protest images

  • Ted S. Warren / AP

    A protester screams Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011, as Seattle Police officers try to separate his arms linked with others hoping to prevent the removal of a tent pitched behind them in downtown Seattle's Westlake Park during an "Occupy Seattle" protest. Police moved in Wednesday afternoon and arrested people who refused to leave tents pitched in the park who were taking part in the protest, which mirrored similar demonstrations taking place in other areas of the country.

    Police, protesters clash at 'Occupy Seattle' protest

    KING 5 News reports:

    SEATTLE - Protesters and Seattle police officers clashed at Westlake Park as officers tried to remove protesters at Occupy Seattle. Many of the protesters ignored orders to pack up their tents and move out of the city park.

    Police officers on bicycles and in paddy wagons arrived around 1:20 p.m., telling protesters who camped out overnight to move their tents to allow park workers to clean the park. A few protesters at the scene were rolling up their tents while others still remained.

    Read the full story here.

  • Ted S. Warren / AP

    Amanda Knox, right, is comforted by her mother, Edda Mellas, center, and offered water by her father, Curt Knox, looks on as they wait to talk to reporters, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011, in Seattle. Knox was freed Monday after an Italian appeals court threw out her murder conviction for the death of her British roommate, Meredith Kercher.

    Tearful homecoming, Amanda Knox back in Seattle

    SEATTLE — Amanda Knox arrived home in Seattle on Tuesday and in a halting voice nearly choked with emotion told the people who supported her fight to overturn her Italian murder conviction: "Thank you for being there for me."

    The British Airways jet carrying Knox landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport about 5:09 p.m., one day after an Italian court cleared the 24-year-old college student of murder and freed her after nearly four years in prison.

    Read the full story here.

  • Supporters in the US react to verdict while watching trial of Knox and Sollecito

    Full story about the trial.

    Elaine Thompson / AP

    Supporters of Amanda Knox watch a television news broadcast about her appeal as they sit in a hotel suite in downtown Seattle Monday, Oct. 3, 2011. With Italy nine hours ahead of Seattle, about a dozen friends and supporters of Knox began gathering Sunday night at a downtown hotel to watch a live feed of the courtroom and await the verdict.

    Tiziana Fabi / Pool via EPA

    Amanda Knox (C) breaks down in tears as she is taken away after hearing the verdict that overturns her conviction and acquits her of murdering her British roommate Meredith Kercher, at the Perugia court, Italy, Oct. 3. A court overturned the 2009 murder conviction of US student Amanda Knox on Monday in Perugia, Italy, for the slaying of Briton Meredith Kercher. The court also overturned the conviction of her former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito. The duo were expected to be freed immediately.

    Elaine Thompson / AP

    Supporters of Amanda Knox react as they watch a television news broadcast about her appeal verdict from a hotel suite in downtown Seattle Monday, Oct. 3, 2011. An Italian appeals court has thrown out Knox's murder conviction and ordered the young American free after nearly four years in prison for the death of her British roommate.

     

     

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