climate. In the early to mid-1990s, there was also an influx of Hispanic families to the neighborhood. The Whiteaker is served by the Eugene School District, which reported that 30% of its students spoke Spanish in 1995. Although the demographics have changed, the neighborhood has remained primarily working class. In 2022, the Whiteaker Community Council verified with the City of Eugene that the Whiteaker neighborhood (known as the Whit) is composed of 2606 residential homes, 432 businesses, and has 11 parks. Politics The Whiteaker neighborhood is known for a large concentration of young, politically radical residents. In the late 1990s, local activists gained notoriety after organizing successful tree sitting demonstrations. In 1997, a tree sitting demonstration in Eugene was responded to by local police with what was seen as overwhelming force, an event which further radicalized local activists but also helped shift public opinion in their favor. Local income inequality and lack of affordable housing have also been credited with the radicalization of activists. In June 1999, a riot broke out in the Whiteaker during an anti-globalization protest during which protesters vandalized and looted a Taco Bell and a 7 Eleven. After police responded with tear gas and pepper spray, protesters battled with police for several hours. Later that year, Whiteaker activists also played a key role in conjunction with other anarchists in organizing black bloc tactics during the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 1999 protest activity. Eugene police subsequently claimed that local anarchists were responsible for other attacks on local police officers. Local activists in turn argued that police needlessly harassed individuals wearing black clothing in response. Animal rights groups also have a heavy presence in the Whiteaker, and several vegan restaurants are located there. According to David Samuels, the Animal Liberation Front and the Earth Liberation Front have had an underground presence in the neighborhood. The neighborhood is home to a number of communal apartment buildings, which are often organized by anarchist or environmentalist groups. Local activists have also produced independent films and started art galleries, community gardens, and independent media outlets. Copwatch, Food Not Bombs, and Critical Mass are also active in the neighborhood. In 2011, the Occupy Eugene protests relocated to Washington Jefferson Park in the Whiteaker after initially forming at the downtown Eugene Park Blocks at 8th and Oak. Notable people Well known residents of the Whiteaker include the Green Anarchist writer John Zerzan