Arkansan sprayed in Oregon protest 1 of 2

An article in the Oregonian identifies a young woman who caught a face full of pepper spray from Portland police during an Occupy Portland demonstration Nov. 17 as Liz Nichols of Mountain Home (though the article also says Mountain Home has a population of 1,600).

The article includes video of the protest and the full photo by the Oregonian’s Randy Rasmussen of the spraying from which the image above is cropped. A YouTube video of the event, posted by police, has gotten wide circulation.

The Atlantic talked to her mother:


…. Elizabeth Nichols, a 20-year-old originally from Arkansas who moved to the West Coast about six months ago and made her way from Seattle to Portland a month later. Her mother, Annie Nichols, said after the photo was taken, police threw Elizabeth to the ground and arrested her. Annie, who is housebound with multiple sclerosis, said Elizabeth joined Occupy Wall Street because of her parents’ dire situation. “I have no medical care. I’m not eligible. My husband’s disabled … We live on one disability check. No, we don’t live. We exist. Lizzie knows this. That’s why she’s doing this.” Elizabeth, whose mug shot is posted at right, wasn’t always an activist, Annie said. “She never took part in anything like this. Of course, it’s Arkansas. There isn’t a lot of that here.” The Portland Police Bureau website says Elizabeth was charged with second-degree trespassing.

UPDATE: A roundup of police use of force against Occupy protestors around the country.