In Portland, people who live outside exist in what feels like an endless cycle of displacement. When someone erects a tent or lays out a sleeping bag on public property, they’ll often find a paper sign posted near their campsite within a few days, informing them that they have anywhere between two to 10 days […]
Opinion
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How Was Jeremy Christian’s Violent Behavior Able to Thrive in Progressive Portland?
Jeremy Christian DOUG BROWN After nearly three years of trying to suppress the memory of a gruesome, painful afternoon, Portland is begrudgingly reacquainting itself with Jeremy Christian, the white supremacist charged with fatally stabbing two men and injuring another after they tried to defend two Black teenage girls—one of whom was wearing a hijab—from Christian’s […]
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Hall Monitor: Homegrown Hate
After nearly three years of trying to suppress the memory of a gruesome, painful afternoon, Portland is begrudgingly reacquainting itself with Jeremy Christian, the white supremacist charged with fatally stabbing two men and injuring another after they tried to defend two Black teenage girls—one of whom was wearing a hijab—from Christian’s racist diatribe on a […]
Posted inNews
Hall Monitor: Fish & the Free Press
Nick Fish BENJAMIN BRINK FOR PORTLAND PARKS AND RECREATION The news of Commissioner Nick Fish’s abrupt death on January 2 came as a gut punch to Portland. The community response to Fish’s passing showed just how valued he’d been in his adopted city, with messages of gratitude and grief coming from affordable housing advocates, civil […]
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Hall Monitor: Fish & the Free Press
The news of Commissioner Nick Fish’s abrupt death on January 2 came as a gut punch to Portland. The community response to Fish’s passing showed just how valued he’d been in his adopted city, with messages of gratitude and grief coming from affordable housing advocates, civil rights lawyers, homeless groups, environmental activists, law enforcement officials, […]
Posted inOpinion
Remembering 2019: Reminder: If You’re Not Antifa, You’re Pro-fa
JULIE WILSON [Wow. The Mercury wrote A LOT of stuff in 2019, and here’s a post that we think is worth remembering from August 1, 2019.—eds] “Antifa” is short for “anti-fascist.” So what are you: anti-fascist or pro- fascist? I assume it’s the former. And yet too many Portlanders are buying into the narrative of […]
Posted inOpinion
Remembering 2019: Blaming the Homeless for Coyote Problems
[Wow. The Mercury wrote A LOT of stuff in 2019, and here’s a post that we think is worth remembering from February 4, 2019.—eds] “Arrrrroooooo! Homeless people are stealing my aluminum cans!” David McNew / Getty Images As we know, Nextdoor is the neighborhood social media app for important alerts about lost cats, racist rants, […]
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If You’re Going to Believe in Anything… Make it Santa
CSA IMAGES / GETTY IMAGES I’ve decided. If I’m going to believe in any supernatural being, it’s going to be Santa. Here’s why Santa walks the walk. Jesus said it’s better to give than receive, and he did give away a lot of stuff (loaves and fishes, holla holla!)—but comparatively? He’s no Santa. Some will […]
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Hall Monitor: Blame Game
ZAGER, RAPID EYE / GETTY IMAGES Twenty people with a mental illness have been killed by the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) in the past decade. The first, Aaron Campbell, was depressed and contemplating thoughts of suicide when he was shot in the back by an officer outside his apartment complex. The latest, Koben Henriksen, was […]
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When Will The Police Bureau Be Held Accountable for Killing People With a Mental Illness?
Twenty people with a mental illness have been killed by the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) in the past decade. The first, Aaron Campbell, was depressed and contemplating thoughts of suicide when he was shot in the back by an officer outside his apartment complex. The latest, Koben Henriksen, was homeless with an untreated mental illness […]
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Hall Monitor: Schnitzer’s Blitz
Jordan Schnitzer DIADIPASUPIL / GETTY IMAGES Jordan Schnitzer isn’t used to losing. Schnitzer, the Portland real estate investor buoyed by his family’s financial success in the steel industry, is easily one of the city’s wealthiest residents. Whether it’s through massive campaign donations or pressuring powerful pals for favors, Schnitzer usually gets his way. But it […]
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Hall Monitor: Schnitzer’s Blitz
Jordan Schnitzer isn’t used to losing. Schnitzer, the Portland real estate investor buoyed by his family’s financial success in the steel industry, is easily one of the city’s wealthiest residents. Whether it’s through massive campaign donations or pressuring powerful pals for favors, Schnitzer usually gets his way. But it appears no amount of string-pulling or […]