4nadia / Getty images The Oregon Legislature will soon meet for a special session to address police accountability and the COVID-19 pandemic. On Tuesday morning, Gov. Kate Brown announced that she plans to convene the special session, which has been in the works since the early days of the pandemic, starting on June 24. Brown […]
Blair Stenvick
Blair Stenvick is a former news reporter and culture writer for the Portland Mercury.
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Good Morning, News: Police Are Afraid of Journalists, Oregon COVID-19 Spike, and Police Are Afraid of Shake Shack
We need your help. The economic fallout of the coronavirus has threatened our ability to keep producing the Mercury. If you’re able, please consider donating to the Mercury. Portland police during the June 6 protest. blair Stenvick Good Morning, Portland! And Happy Queer Week! Here are the headlines. • Last night was the 19th consecutive […]
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Q&A: Portland Protest Organizer Lilith Sinclair on Activism and Pride
This article is part of the Mercury’s 2020 all-digital Queer Week coverage. Lilith Sinclair (center). Alex Zielinski If you’ve participated in any of the Portland protests against police brutality in the last two weeks, there’s a decent chance you’ve heard Lilith Sinclair’s voice through a megaphone. Sinclair, a Black and indigenous nonbinary person, is a […]
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Introducing the Mercury’s Queer Week 2020!
Read all of our Queer Week 2020 content here. Bobby Roberts & Progress To Our Beloved (And Very Queer) Mercury Readers, Ever since the Mercury launched as an alternative weekly 20 years ago, we’ve put out an annual Pride-themed issue. But this year, our Pride coverage is going to look a little different. There are […]
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Live Updates: Protesting Police Violence in Portland On Thursday, June 11
blair Stenvick Update, 12:10 am After our last update, PPB managed to clear the area around the fence without too much use of force. Here’s some video Tuck captured of police pushing protesters out of the area they’d deemed closed: PPB push protesters west, stop at Broadway (border of area that was shut down) pic.twitter.com/3ZSAYLPGj5 […]
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Portland Police Are Leaving the Transit Division. What Does That Mean for TriMet Security?
trimet Portland Police Bureau (PPB) officers will likely no longer be a part of a tri-county public transit policing division starting January 1, 2021. The change was announced by Mayor Ted Wheeler at a press conference Tuesday afternoon, as part of a list of police reforms Wheeler and the Portland City Council plan to enact […]
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Good Morning, News: A New Police Chief, A Night of No Tear Gassing, and Oregon COVID-19 Infections Reach New Peak
We need your help. The economic fallout of the coronavirus has threatened our ability to keep producing the Mercury. If you’re able, please consider donating to the Mercury. Wm. Steven Humphrey Good morning, Portland! I want to take a moment to encourage you all to vote for Portland chef Gregory Gourdet in the Top Chef: […]
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Portland Police Chief Jami Resch Resigns
Jami Resch city of portland Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Chief Jami Resch is resigning, she announced at a Monday noon press conference. Resch’s resignation comes after 10 nights of Portland protests against police brutality that saw heavy uses of force from PPB, including tear gas and other chemical agents, rubber bullets, and pepper balls. PPB […]
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Live Updates: Protesting Police Violence in Portland on Sunday, June 7
blair Stenvick Update, 1 am: Police have started arresting people downtown, and groups seem to be pretty scattered at this point. Here’s Sergio with some crucial footage: Police continue to throw flash bangs at feet of protestors, urging them to move faster pic.twitter.com/g4DkDwHoM6 — Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) June 8, 2020 We’re officially calling our coverage […]
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UPDATE: Portland School District to End Regular Police Presence in Schools
Cleveland High School, one of PPS’ high schools. PPS Update, Thursday 2:15 pm: In a press conference Thursday afternoon, Mayor Ted Wheeler announced that PPB’s entire school resource officer unit—called the Youth Services Division—would be disbanded, meaning SROs will be removed from both PPS as well as David Douglas and Parkrose School Districts. All current […]
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Good Morning, News: Another Massive Protest, Fallout From Portland Police’s Actions, and New Details on Phase 2
Wednesday evening’s protest on the downtown waterfront. Tuck Woodstock Good morning, Portland! Here’s a new inspirational poster to hang up in your home office. kgw • Of course, that image comes from last night’s protests of police brutality in Portland, which drew thousands into waterfront park. We had two reporters on the ground—here are our […]
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Live Updates: Protesting Police Brutality in Portland on Wednesday, June 3
Blair Stenvick Update, 12:28 am: The crowd of protesters has thinned out considerably, with a small contingent of diehards remaining at the fence around the Justice Center. Some have been trying to provoke…something by throwing water bottles over the fence, but have been shouted down the peaceful protesters around them and admonished by the police […]