It's May Day! This day is celebrated in different ways around the world (I have vague memories of picking flowers and leaving them anonymously on neighbor's porches), but Portlanders organize and march.

The Portland May Day Coalition is responsible for organizing today's event, which will get started at 12 pm at Shemanski Park (1010 SW Park Ave).

There will be speakers from a variety of groups (the full list is available on the Facebook event page) starting at 2 pm, and the march is scheduled to begin at 3.

The May Day march route
The May Day march route

The organizers put together a handy reference guide with everything you need to know. Check it out here.

This should be the first major test for the Portland Police Bureau since the Oregon Supreme Court neutered the Interfering with a Peace Office charge, a commonly used tactic to arrest protesters who don’t follow orders from the police.


Expect traffic delays around the march route. Be safe out there, guys.

Oh, and make sure to follow me and Mercury reporter Doug Brown on Twitter. We'll be posting updates throughout the afternoon.

For the latest in information about rallies, marches, and political events, consult the Mercury's RESISTANCE & SOLIDARITY calendar. Want to publicize an event? Send the info to calendar@portlandmercury.com.