Update, 3:15 pm: Despite Don’t Shoot Portland issuing a press release alleging that Chris Riser will be leading today’s MLK march, representatives from the march are now walking back their claims. Michele Darr, one of the event’s organizers, has since told the Mercury that she can’t confirm Riser’s attendance. Teressa Raiford, with Don’t Shoot Portland, also suggested Riser’s attendance wasn’t cemented. From Darr’s original press release:
“Today, April 4th, 2018 starting at 4pm at King Park, Reed College and Portland area students, including artist Ameya Okamoto and Ockley Green Middle School Teacher, Chris Riser, will be leading the 3rd annual march and protest to commemmorate [sic]the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”
Guess we’ll have to see for ourselves this afternoon.
Original story
If Portland Public Schools was trying to deter teachers from joining student protests when it placed Ockley Green Middle School teacher Chris Riser on leave, they’re going to be disappointed.
This afternoon, Riser will help lead a student march to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, according to a press release from Don’t Shoot Portland.
“It’s a call to action to remember Dr. King’s life and circumstances leading up to his death,” says Michele Darr, a parent and one of the event organizers.
Riser was recently placed on leave by Portland Public Schools (PPS) after participating in a February student walkout to commemorate the death of Quanice Hayes, a 17-year-old shot and killed by Portland police last year. Despite witnesses saying otherwise, PPS alleged Riser instigated the walkout and explicitly put students’ lives in danger. But a wave of outcry from teachers, parents, students and other community members calling for Riser’s reinstatement seemed to change PPS’ tune. Last night, the district issued a statement confirming that Riser will not be fired (which, we learned, was their original game plan) and apologizing for the way its investigation played out.
Riser, however, remains on leave. But that clearly hasn’t stopped him from speaking out.
Today’s 4 pm march will begin at King Park (NE 6th & NE Humboldt) and has an unknown route. While initially organized by Reed College students and Don’t Shoot Portland, dozens of PPS students contributed artwork, signage, and their own planning ideas during a “Spring Break Art and Activism Camp” last week. According to the march’s Facebook event, around 150 people plan on attending. Organizers did not request a city permit to hold the protest.
Darr says the event will echo the messages from recent student-led protests across the country—and then some.
“We will address gun control laws as well as gun violence carried out by police,” she says. “We see these as the same issue.”
In a press release, 13-year-old Phoenix Hipp explained the purpose of today’s march.
“It’s time for the youth to be heard. We are rising up and demanding an end to police murders of unarmed people, especially African Americans who are killed most often. No more Mike Browns. No more Quanice Hayes. No more Christopher Kalonjis. No more Stephon Clarks,” she said. “We are rising up and we are not going to let police keep killing us with no consequences. We will stop this in our lifetimes.”
Mercury reporter Kelly Kenoyer will be reporting from the protest this afternoon. Follow along on Twitter at @KenoyerKelly.
