Occupy Kalispell met the Northwest Montana Patriots at solar high noon on 15 April — and nothing extraordinary happened. There was a brief commingling of signs, a brief exchange of pleasantries, then the Occupiers, who started at noon, returned home, replaced on the sidewalk by Depot Park by approximately as many NW MT Patriots.
Ken Miller, candidate for the Republican nomination for governor, worked the small crowd. He was in town for the Lincoln-Reagan Dinner that evening. Gil Jordan, Democratic candidate for county commissioner, and Occupy’s chief organizer, worked the crowd and waved at the noon hour traffic.
I photographed both honk-and-waves, and talked to both factions. Because Occupy is a weekly event, but the NW MT Patriots show up once or twice a year, I’ve posted more images of the latter group in the interest of more complete coverage. I could not find a website for the NW MT Patriots, but there is a national website for the movement. The Daily Interlake reports that the local contact is Linda Johnson.
Gil Jordan
Ken Miller (blue shirt)
