UPDATE 11:30 PM: The crowd has dwindled, the cops have quieted (except to continue issuing weird screen shots of announcements... hey, why didn't you just use your fax machine?), so we are calling it for the night. TO RECAP: Around 9 pm a small group of protesters breached THE SACRED FENCE™ where one person was allegedly arrested. According to the police, water bottles and a firework landed near an officer inspiring them to once again wildly overreact and close a good part of downtown to EVERYONE. For one firework they restricted the rights of the hundreds that were downtown for reasons completely unrelated to any protest. For... one... firework.
ANYWAY. After chasing and flashbanging their way around town, the police eventually dispersed the primary crowd... that is until tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that.
So thank you for joining us tonight, and if you've been enjoying the Mercury's nightly coverage, please consider contributing to help us keep our eyes open for you.
Until tomorrow night, I'll just leave you with this. Bye!
Tough time for slave owners 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/m0lUWuYqVc
— PDX Resistance ✊ (@Pdx_resistance) June 15, 2020
UPDATE 11:10 PM: As the group tries to decide whether or not to return to the Justice Center, their numbers are dwindling.
People are trying to build a consensus to return to justice center.
“Justice center on this side” pic.twitter.com/jARodFw3y7
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) June 15, 2020
This group is already 50 MAX, and more people are starting to leave.
— Blair Stenvick 🏳️🌈 (@BlairStenvick) June 15, 2020
Context: police haven’t chased these protestors once they left the justice center, these numbers are slowly dwindling on their own pic.twitter.com/t07YUzkf8z
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) June 15, 2020
UPDATE 10:50 PM: Meanwhile a group of protesters were marching to meet up with another group... that never materialized.
I’m on 9th and yamhill heading toward clay. Iask protesters walking the other way if there are still people there—they say yet but warn it’s a small group and feels like a police trap. “You’ve gotta be smart when you’re doing this shit.” I hear sirens from near pioneer square
— Blair Stenvick 🏳️🌈 (@BlairStenvick) June 15, 2020
And here's what they're doing in Pioneer Square.
Here’s @PortlandPolice bull rushing the group from behind in Pioneer Sq. pic.twitter.com/jSkJeyIVuf
— Colby Aley (@aley) June 15, 2020
Context: unlawful assembly was declared about an hour ago. This group is marching Paralell to justice center .4 miles away. pic.twitter.com/HPiWuCQNla
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) June 15, 2020
Caught up with the group. On Taylor and arrived at 10th (boundary) just now. pic.twitter.com/a4JYCPFMCu
— Blair Stenvick 🏳️🌈 (@BlairStenvick) June 15, 2020
People are voting on what to do next. Some want to occupy this intersection, while some want to go back to justice center.
— Blair Stenvick 🏳️🌈 (@BlairStenvick) June 15, 2020
DEMOCRACY IN ACTION.
UPDATE 10:35 PM: We'll rejoin the standoff between police and protesters in just a moment, but first, I hope you will forgive me as I GO THE FUCK OFF.
A) Journalists aren't your partners. B) Our job is to stay even after you tell us to leave to make sure you are being held accountable. C) We aren't your PR firm. https://t.co/1Yi4Vib9yt
— Portland Mercury 🗞 (@portlandmercury) June 15, 2020
And now, back to our regularly scheduled protest. For those downtown right now, the police department's random boundary is Naito to SW 10th Avenue, and SW Lincoln to Harvey Milk. (It's like they own the place.)
All of a sudden, police cars swarm in from three directions. Half the group runs to pioneer courthouse square. The other half runs west. I’m in the west group. All of the officers, dozens of them, run into pioneer square. I somehow manage to miss filming all of it and I’m sorry! pic.twitter.com/gD6ExkZQ54
— Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) June 15, 2020
There are still like 30-40 protesters, medics, press, and ACLU observers hanging out on Morrison and broadway. “I’m confused, what’s going on,” says a protester near me.
— Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) June 15, 2020
I’m a little bit away from the crowd now but still in closed zone. I hear one pedestrian say to another “hey, they’re closing this neighborhood so we have to leave or be arrested.” The other says “but this is my neighborhood!”
— Blair Stenvick 🏳️🌈 (@BlairStenvick) June 15, 2020
Crowd is moseying south in the park blocks, where they have been told another group will be waiting. Other group doesn’t materialize. Group is tense.
— Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) June 15, 2020
And OHHHHH... here comes Blair with the slam dunk.
Very surreal to hear PPB soundtruck tell protesters that Harvey Milk is a boundary street. Happy Pride! Cops brutalized Harvey Milk and his friends because they dared to hold a parade and fight for their rights.
— Blair Stenvick 🏳️🌈 (@BlairStenvick) June 15, 2020
UPDATE 10:15 PM: As a group of 100 protesters march back into the COP ZONE, they are met by police... and of course... flash bangs.
Loud bang and smoke at sw 9th. PPB says leave of subject to arrest or munitions. pic.twitter.com/1qLy5Mb81X
— Blair Stenvick 🏳️🌈 (@BlairStenvick) June 15, 2020
Protesters are holding the line. pic.twitter.com/nJp8MMODJM
— Blair Stenvick 🏳️🌈 (@BlairStenvick) June 15, 2020
Standoff pic.twitter.com/BGgLHwptCq
— Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) June 15, 2020
A SAD TRUTH:
Protester in the front has a sign that just says “RAYSHARD BROOKS” and I cannot believe we already have new names to chant, you know? Fuck.
— Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) June 15, 2020
This group has been declared an lawful assembly, pushed half a mile from the justice center pic.twitter.com/62CeG6kHq4
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) June 15, 2020
Riot van was gone by the time I got to the intersection. PPB loudspeaker calls an unlawful assembly and says to head west. Group turns south to pioneer courthouse square.
— Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) June 15, 2020
Smells like pepper spray has been used near 9th and alder.
— Blair Stenvick 🏳️🌈 (@BlairStenvick) June 15, 2020
UPDATE 10 PM: The cops have chased protesters out of the park in front of the Justice Center, scattering them downtown.
Big line of cop cars turning onto broadway from Taylor. A lot of people who I don’t think are protesters are wandering around downtown very confused right now. pic.twitter.com/tT8eCuVI7T
— Blair Stenvick 🏳️🌈 (@BlairStenvick) June 15, 2020
Meanwhile, Tuck has tracked down a big group.
I just found everyone at 12th and Taylor. Headed east. Maybe 100 people?
— Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) June 15, 2020
Headed east on yamhill now. pic.twitter.com/6JGeiKsmTq
— Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) June 15, 2020
Apparently, this group is heading back into THE COP ZONE.
Found a group of protesters on sw yamhill and 11th, going back toward ppb’s closed zone. “Stay tight,” they chant. pic.twitter.com/oEek212d4t
— Blair Stenvick 🏳️🌈 (@BlairStenvick) June 15, 2020
UPDATE 9:45 PM: Meanwhile back at Jefferson High School... STATUE DOWN. WE HAVE A STATUE DOWN!
I went to Thomas Jefferson HS in Portland.
This is today. pic.twitter.com/Saq1saoIBa
— Big Yikes (@BigShaun) June 15, 2020
And back at the Justice Center? Things are already popping off after protesters climbed THE FENCE™.
There are people climbing over the fence and into the closed area. The area inside the fence On SW 3rd Ave, between SW Main Street and SW Madison Street is closed. If you enter you are subject to arrest and use of force, to include crowd control munitions.
— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) June 15, 2020
The cops are already moving in to clear the park, but the crowd has preemptively moved out.
Everyone just ran, they coming pic.twitter.com/hFNHDBx2WC
— Donovan “It was the blurst of times” Farley 💻🐒 (@DonovanFarley) June 15, 2020
Ran into some protesters and asked what was going on. I’m told a big swath of downtown is already closed by police. Protesters say SW 10th is a boundary.
— Blair Stenvick 🏳️🌈 (@BlairStenvick) June 15, 2020
Sw Taylor and FOURTH, sorry https://t.co/eYmpUSj4NW
— Blair Stenvick 🏳️🌈 (@BlairStenvick) June 15, 2020
UPDATE 9:20 PM: Tuck continues to report on the speakers talking to the big crowd at Alberta Park tonight.
Next speaker is encouraging the audience to educate themselves on Black radical tradition rather than focusing on their own white fragility.
— Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) June 15, 2020
YES! YES! YES!
Next speaker is talking about the difficulty of being Black parent raising Black children.
“I want my daughter to not know what the police are. I want them to be a joke.”
“I want my daughter to go to the doctor, and she’s in pain, the doctor believes her.”
— Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) June 15, 2020
“We can have money for our neighborhood if we defund the police.”
Speaker now reminding the audience that they cannot defund the police (PPB) without getting rid of the police union (PPA).
— Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) June 15, 2020
Once more for those in the back: YOU CANNOT DEFUND THE POLICE WITHOUT GETTING RID OF THE POLICE UNION! (Phew! I'm getting hot 'n' bothered!)
That speaker just PUMPED the crowd UP and suddenly it’s over! Crowd getting ready to march back to Jefferson. “this is America” is playing. March leader encouraging people to pick up their trash. Bye, everybody!
— Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) June 15, 2020
As the crowd marches back to Jefferson High, stay tuned as Tuck will soon be joining Blair at THE FENCE™.
Worth noting that despite marching directly by the North PPB precinct, this march of several hundred people did not engage with the officers / precinct in any meaningful way.
Extremely different from the Justice Center, where I’m headed now! See you soon, @sacredfence.
— Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) June 15, 2020
UPDATE 9 PM: And even though it's still very early, the police have already given their first warning of the night!
The first police warning of the night comes as a very small group of people are at the fence, and a few hop over. “We have no intentions of engaging the crowd,” PPB says. pic.twitter.com/4oztmTUePg
— Blair Stenvick 🏳️🌈 (@BlairStenvick) June 15, 2020
And Tuck has some good activist news:
Anyway, first speaker is talking about how @RoseCityJustice and @pdxcrc are merging to become one community-led organization that aspires to impact city, state, and even federal politics.
— Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) June 15, 2020
“We are now Rose City Justice: a civil rights collective.”
“We want to find effective ways to be chiseling away at change every single day. This is a platform for not only us but every single one of you.”
— Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) June 15, 2020
And let us not forget that June is Pride month:
@Thedailydaren: “Y’all, we have to lift up the people at the very bottom. Transgender people. Intersectionalized people. People with disabilities.” I can’t hear the rest of the list over the crowd’s cheers.
— Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) June 15, 2020
UPDATE 8:35 PM: And the marchers from Jefferson High have reached Alberta Park! YAY!
Here they come, folks. pic.twitter.com/He8YQm5R5x
— Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) June 15, 2020
Meanwhile our Blair Stenvick has shown up at THE FENCE™, where it is quiet... TOO QUIET??
I’m outside the Justice Center now and it’s very quiet, probably will not heat up until 10 at least. A few scenes: pic.twitter.com/YCAU33OPF9
— Blair Stenvick 🏳️🌈 (@BlairStenvick) June 15, 2020
By the way, this was the scene earlier today at the Justice Center:
Granny march protest in downtown Portland ...This is a protest against police brutality. pic.twitter.com/EbERLe9jqe
— Rodney Rocker (@Rockstar4_KATU) June 14, 2020
UPDATE 8:15 PM: And now a public service announcement for those heading to THE FENCE™ tonight:
I saw a dangerous claim that it's legal to shine a laser at a cop. In Oregon that's not true.
Shining lasers at cops is a crime in Oregon.
I will not tell anyone how to exercise disobediance, but I think it's important for people to know the legal risk involved. pic.twitter.com/isbuH1dXKo
— Alan Kessler (@alankesslr) June 14, 2020
This is true—one person was charged with this very crime during last night's protest. THE MORE YOU KNOW.
As the marchers from Jefferson High reach Alberta Park, here's something that was left behind:
Thomas Jefferson statue has gotten a makeover here at Jefferson High School in Portland #PDXprotests pic.twitter.com/WmAnLliLPR
— Jules Boykoff (@JulesBoykoff) June 15, 2020
And it looks like Portland Police and the Mayor's office will be answering some questions regarding last night's protest and their treatment of the media.
Gosh, it’s been a pleasant weekend offline. I’m excited for Monday, when we can ask the mayor & the Portland Police why they attacked @PDXzane, @bethnakamura & any other members of the media simply doing their jobs — & their rights under the 1st Amendment — this weekend.
— Anna Griffin (@annargriff) June 15, 2020
Tuck Woodstock is covering the rally tonight and is just ahead of the marchers at Albert Park. Here's what they are seeing:
Already waiting in the park:
-a PA system playing Aminé
- a booth selling “i can’t breathe” t-shirts
- a coffee/tea stand
- Portland Resistance Assistance tent with snacks, Gatorade, vegan chai, first aid, and slices from Atlas pizza
- a few folks dancing and/or chilling
— Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) June 15, 2020
UPDATE 7:30 PM: Tonight's east side march organized by Rose City Justice—that usually kicks off from Revolution Hall—has switched its venue to Roosevelt High and is marching to Alberta Park.
Field at Jefferson High School is filling up. pic.twitter.com/lHva34KIQ2
— Allison Mechanic (@AlliMechanic_TV) June 15, 2020
Speaker says, “I want you guys to stay together & stay tight....This is not a game. There are people out there that mean us harm.” @RoseCityJustice #BlackLivesMatter #PDX. #koin6news #portlandprotest #BLMpdx #BLM #NoJusticeNoPeace #GeorgeFloyd #BreonnaTaylor #Oregon #PNW pic.twitter.com/JZrR1hXFGK
— Jennifer Dowling (@JenDowlingKoin6) June 15, 2020
I've been to A LOT of these marches over the past two weeks, and I can confirm this tweet:
I don't know about the scene outside PDX but I think mask use at these marches has risen from ~95% to ~99% over the last 10 days
— Michael Andersen (@andersem) June 15, 2020
And the march has started!
Protestors beginning the mile and a half walk to Alberta Park. pic.twitter.com/KyB6Cj0Trs
— Allison Mechanic (@AlliMechanic_TV) June 15, 2020
ORIGINAL POST 7:10 PM: Welcome back to our nightly live blog documenting Portland's protests against police brutality and honoring the lives of those Black Americans who have been killed by officers of the law. This has been our 17th straight day of covering these protests, and there's no sign they're going to end anytime soon. In fact, the fury of protesters keeps getting reignited by police who (against all common sense, considering the trouble it brings down upon their heads) continue killing Black people across the nation, such as Rayshard Brooks who was fatally shot by Atlanta cops on Friday night, after they were called to investigate a man sleeping in his car at a Wendy's drive-through.
Last night in Portland marked the second evening in row where police used violence and munitions to disrupt a protest in front of the Multnomah County Justice Center, firing flash bangs, pepper balls, and smoke into the crowd who were often confused by conflicting directions from the cops.
Continued push west out of justice center pic.twitter.com/837cF0gBjU
— Tuck Woodstock (@tuckwoodstock) June 14, 2020
And once again attacking members of the press:
Portland Police charge protesters tonight.
Officer: Move!
Me: MEDIA!
Officer: I don’t give a shit! Go!
I was shoved into the wall, then hit in the heel by some sort of crowd control munition. I’m fine pic.twitter.com/daPElkEb6J
— Zane Sparling (@PDXzane) June 14, 2020
You can read more about it and see lots more video in our live blog from last night. What will happen tonight? It's anybody's guess, but our Blair Stenvick and freelancer extraordinaire Tuck Woodstock will both be on the scene—first at the march and rally from Jefferson High to Alberta Park, and then later at... THE FENCE™. Follow them both on Twitter for the minute-to-minute details and this live blog for the overview. Everybody be careful out there!