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Kevin Foster

Kevin Foster reports on the intersection of politics and social justice for the Mercury. You can email him or find him on social media.

 
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Hundreds of Portlanders Protest US Attack on Venezuela

Protesters took to the streets as part of an “emergency” national day of action against Trump’s unauthorized strikes and abduction of Venezuela’s leader. 
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At least 500 Portland residents joined “emergency” nationwide protests on Saturday against the Trump administration’s airstrikes on Venezuela and the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.  Early Saturday morning, January 3, the US bombed multiple locations across Venezuela, particularly in the capital of Caracas. Social media videos show missiles raining down and helicopters flying over the […]

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Oregon’s Dismantling of Longstanding Houseless Encampment Highlights Broader Problems

For a decade, residents lived in the Sandy River Delta wilderness. Last month, they were forced out, sending dozens of people to the streets and back into a system that has already failed them.
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From relative stability in an established community, to being repeatedly swept on the streets of Multnomah County, unhoused residents formerly living in the Sandy River Delta highlight a breakdown in the fight to address homelessness.  A community of over 30 people was swept out of what’s known as the Thousand Acres recreation zone on October […]

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Amid Months of Contentious Bargaining, PSU Adjunct Union Wins Unfair Labor Practice Case

A state board found PSU violated labor law by withholding benefit funds from adjunct union members. The incident has shaken the trust of many adjunct faculty as the union works on their next contract.
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Portland State University’s adjunct faculty union recently won an unfair labor practice case against Portland State University (PSU) over the withholding of special benefit funds. The outcome was a victory for the Portland State University Faculty Association (PSUFA), but adjuncts at the university are still shaken by PSU’s actions amid ongoing contract negotiations.  The union […]

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PSU Fired Women’s Resource Center Director With No Explanation

The abrupt termination sparked internal upheaval and fears about PSU’s commitment to feminist and student-centered work.
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On a regular work day in late April, Nic Francisco-Kaho’onei, the former director of Portland State University’s (PSU) Women’s Resource Center (WRC), was called in for a meeting with their supervisor. Francisco-Kaho’onei was being terminated, not for disciplinary reasons, but “based on the needs of the university.” Stunned, Francisco-Kaho’onei asked for cause, but was given […]

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Portlander Recounts Experience in Israeli Detention Center

Paul Reid was among several activists whose boats were intercepted by Israeli military forces while traveling with the Global Sumud Flotilla.
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Paul Reid, a Portland resident, sailed across the Mediterranean Sea recently with the Global Sumud Flotilla, a group aiming to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza. As the flotilla of over 40 boats approached Gaza, they were intercepted by the Israeli military and taken into custody.  Reid, along with many other activists, described mistreatment and harsh […]

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A Night of Terror: Civil Disobedience Met With Extreme Force at Portland ICE Facility

Federal agents brutalized press and protesters, firing repeated crowd control munitions during weekend protests.
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Portland’s protest antics have made national headlines in the past week. The chicken suit; the giant inflatable frog; and the growing flurry of other inflatable animal costumes have put a spotlight on the benign nature of most anti-ICE protesters. Yet federal agents are responding with increased force. Federal police unleashed a volley of weapons and […]

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Portlanders Join Flotilla Aiming to Break Israel’s Blockade of Aid to Gaza

A Global Sumud Flotilla coalition is headed to Gaza with hopes of delivering much-needed supplies and food. Local residents say they’ve already been hit with drone attacks.
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Paul Reid and Stephen, both Portland residents, are among the hundreds of people from around the world who set sail in the Mediterranean Sea late last month. The two Portlanders joined the Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet of civilian boats currently en route to Gaza in an attempt to deliver aid to Palestinians amid Israel’s […]

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PSU Sheds Staff After Expedited Return-To-Office Requirement

With rapid changes to in-person work policies in pursuit of a more “vibrant” campus, some PSU employees say they’ve been left behind.
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Staff at one of Portland’s largest employers say they were caught off guard by a dramatic change in timeline for a return-to-office mandate.  In late July, a number of Portland State University (PSU) employees were notified they’d need to return to working downtown by mid-November—a large jump from an earlier September 2026 timeline.  The original […]

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Portland City Councilor Hires, Then Immediately Fires Controversial Local Podcaster

Andy Chandler, an anti-“woke” online commentator, was recently tapped by Councilor Dan Ryan’s team to do video work. Ryan’s office says Chandler is no longer on staff.
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Local podcast host and video producer Andy Chandler was hired as a part-time videographer by City Councilor Dan Ryan, then fired soon afterward when Ryan’s office discovered Chandler’s public political views. “We had hired Andy Chandler to work as a videographer for us part-time, but as some information about his past expressions of personal views […]

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Recent Portland Police Actions at ICE Facility Test the Limits of Sanctuary Laws

As anti-ICE protests escalate in Portland, state leaders call for peaceful protest, but confusion over police involvement lingers.
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This story has been corrected to indicate the city’s Impact Reduction team posted signs warning of a campsite removal outside the ICE facility. Updated: 12:40 pm June 13 ICE arrested two more asylum seekers at Portland’s immigration courthouse on Tuesday, amid protests that have continued to escalate in front of the ICE facility on Macadam […]

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UPDATE: “We Do Not Consent”: Sweep at Thousand Acres Removes Longtime Unhoused Community

State contractors used pepper spray on people while removing an encampment along the Sandy River delta. The situation highlights pitfalls in Oregon’s approach to chronic homelessness.
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UPDATE SUN, JUNE 8: The Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) has announced it’s pausing cleanup and restoration work at the Sandy River Delta, the longtime home of a community of unhoused people whose encampment was recently swept by a private hazmat company hired by the state. Following questions from the Mercury about a protester/bystander […]

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Update: PSU Says Pressure From City Councilor Didn’t Influence Decision to Drop Penalties Against Student Protesters

After Councilor Mitch Green made controversial threats to withhold city funding for Portland State University over its handling of pro-Palestine voices, students received letters of dropped charges. 
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Updated: 11:55 am April 28 Originally published: 11:47 am April 26  Note: This story has been updated to include a statement from Portland State University about its decision regarding student conduct violations. Amid a threat from Portland City Councilor Mitch Green to vote against city funding for Portland State University’s (PSU) new performing arts center, […]

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