UPDATE: MORE PICTURES

Pioneer Courthouse Square
Pioneer Courthouse Square Doug Brown
Students speaking out about education secretary Betsy DeVos
Students speaking out about education secretary Betsy DeVos Doug Brown
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Doug Brown
Students
Students Doug Brown
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Doug Brown
A Portland teacher
A Portland teacher Doug Brown
Wilson High School teacher Hyung Nam
Wilson High School teacher Hyung Nam Doug Brown
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Doug Brown
Students
Students Doug Brown
Marching through downtown
Marching through downtown Doug Brown
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Doug Brown
Marching through downtown
Marching through downtown Doug Brown
Student speeches at Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Student speeches at Tom McCall Waterfront Park Doug Brown
Student speeches at Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Student speeches at Tom McCall Waterfront Park Doug Brown
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Doug Brown
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Doug Brown
Marching through downtown
Marching through downtown Doug Brown

UPDATE 6:05 pm:

UPDATE 5:30 pm:

UPDATE 5:20 pm:

UPDATE 5:05 pm:

UPDATE 4:50 pm:

UPDATE 4:20 pm: Speeches have begun.

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Doug Brown

At about 4 pm, the first major protest of Inaugural weekend will begin. It’s the “Anti-Betsy DeVos Walkout” in which Portland students will walk out of class to rally against Donald Trump’s appointment of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education. If you haven’t been keeping up with Betsy, I think it’s fair to say that as potential education secretary, she’s a fucking train wreck. Besides being a major booster of charter schools (to the exclusion of public education), she’s also funded anti-gay conversion therapy, and during her hearing proclaimed that guns at school are needed to protect students from bear attacks (!?!), and apparently knows NOTHING about the public education system.

Here’s what the “Anti-Betsy DeVos Walkout” organizers would like to add, from their event page:

DeVos has never attended or sent her kids to public school and has no experience as an educator. She is a corporate lobbyist who is unqualified to be Secretary of Education. We are urging U.S. Senators to vote against her confirmation and prevent long-term damage to millions of students. We instead call for a massive and equitable federal investment in public education that focuses on closing the opportunity gap and strengthens our public schools.

The plan is for students to meet outside their schools at 3:15 pm today, gather at Pioneer Courthouse Square at 4 pm for a rally and speeches, march at 5 pm, and “stop at 5:30 at Salmon Street Springs for more speeches.” Our Doug Brown will be on the scene sending back reports, so follow him on Twitter or come back here often for updates.

As always, check our Resistance & Solidarity calendar for the latest protests, rallies, and political events.

Bang bang, choo-choo train, let me see you shake that thang. Wm. Steven Humphrey is the editor-in-chief of the Portland Mercury and has held the job since 2000. (So don’t get any funny ideas.)

One reply on “Live from the Downtown “Anti-Betsy DeVos Walkout” Protest”

  1. Education should not be a privilege. When you waste our tax payers contributions and create illiterate protestors that spell privilege ‘privlege’, something needs to change. MAGA!

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