Portland

Volunteers Mobilize In Aftermath Of Oregon Fires

September 27, 2020 Shane Burley, Al Jazeera. Organize! Mutual Aid, Oregon, Portland, Wildfires

Portland, United States - Hunter Bombadier has spent the better part of the past year protesting for an end to police violence and anti-Black racism – and supporting communities hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. That is how the 33-year-old member of Symbiosis, a network of left-wing organisations across the United States, was ready to help when massive wildfires broke out south of Portland, Oregon, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. “We were able to use the programming and infrastructure we already had,” Bombadier told Al Jazeera in a recent phone interview.

Portland Protests, The Fire And Organizing Eviction Defense

September 21, 2020 Margaret Flowers, Clearing the FOG. Podcast Evictions, Portland, Rebellion2020, Wildfires

Portland, Oregon is one of the epicenters of the rebellion against police violence that broke out after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Portland has a long history of racism and abusive police. David Rovics, a composer, performer, organizer and activist, joins Clearing the FOG to speak about the history of Oregon as a "Whites Only" state, the resistance there, the murder of Michael Reinoehl, the current fires and his work to develop Eviction Defense Squads. Eleanor Goldfield joins Margaret in the first half of the show to discuss current news.

Witness: Officers Never Gave Commands Before Killing Michael Reinoehl

September 11, 2020 Maxine Bernstein, Oregon Live. Educate! Police violence, Portland, Rebellion2020

Officers who first confronted Michael Forest Reinoehl outside an apartment complex in Washington last week yelled no warnings or commands before firing and killing the Oregon man wanted on a murder warrant in the death of a right-wing demonstrator in Portland, according to a witness now represented by a lawyer. Nathaniel Dingess, 39, lives in the apartment complex near Lacey, Washington, where Reinoehl apparently was hiding.

Portland Protest Killing Suspect Acted In Self Defense, Murdered During Arrest

September 4, 2020 Vice News. Educate! Leftist, Michael Reinoehl, Police violence, Portland

Ever since a member of the right-wing “Patriot Prayer” group was shot and killed during a violent rally in downtown Portland August 29, the police investigation has reportedly focused on 48-year-old Michael Forest Reinoehl, an Army veteran and father of two who has provided what he called “security” at Black Lives Matter protests. The Wall Steet Journal reported earlier that Reinoehl was a person of interest in the killing of Aaron “Jay” Danielson, who was taking part in a massive pro-Trump caravan that began in Clackamas earlier in the day.

Why Conflict Is Escalating In Portland

September 1, 2020 David Rovics, Make Popular Education Popular Again. Resist! Police violence, Portland, Racism, Right-Wing

It's always been mythology that in the USA the First Amendment gives people the right to peacefully protest. It's always been mythology that when people commit acts of civil disobedience, such as marching or sitting down in the street, that they will generally be gingerly carried off with one cop taking each limb, carrying the arrested to an awaiting vehicle, and carefully placing them inside it. It's always been mythology that when there are two opposing groups of protesters, the police are there to act as a neutral party to keep them from hurting each other. Under certain circumstances, peaceful protests go off without a hitch, police escort marchers in the streets, and they keep protesters from killing each other, but there's nothing predictable about any of these things going that way. In fact, most often, they don't go like that at all, in Portland, or in most US cities.

Police Continue To Repress Protesters In Portland

August 24, 2020 Telesur English. Resist! Black Lives Matter (BLM), Mass Arrests, Police abuse, Portland

For 90 days now, protesters have taken to the streets of the U.S. city of Portland following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. As per social media videos, protesters were met with heavy police repression including the use of tear gas canisters. The protest left several police officers injured, at least 9 people arrested while one person received medical attention after receiving a gun wound. Of those people that were arrested, three were charged with assault on a police officer. Portland Police confirmed that since May, over 500 protesters have been arrested. U.S. Police repression continues in Portland, Oregon against demonstrators who continue to take to the streets to demand an end to police brutality and racism in the United States.

The Feds Left, But The Battle For Portland Continues

August 13, 2020 Shane Burley, ROAR Magazine. Resist! Chemical Weapons, federal law enforcement, Police violence, Portland

Protests at the federal Justice Center in downtown Portland have become a nightly ritual, but protesters have also been expanding their reach across the city. Demonstrations at various precinct offices and the Portland Police Association, the police union, have drawn crowds of hundreds. In recent days, the demonstrations focused on these “satellite offices,” mainly because now that the federal officers have left, people’s attention turned back to the local police. On both August 6 and 7, the East Precinct, near the edges of the city proper, were overwhelmed by protesters.

The ‘Wall of Vets’ Continues Long Legacy Of Veteran Activism

August 10, 2020 Brian Trautman, Peace Voice. Resist! Black Lives Matter (BLM), Peace, Portland, Veterans

Military veterans have long been resisting war, promoting positive peace, and defending human and civil rights against state violence and other forms of oppression. They have made significant contributions to the antiwar and peace and justice movements over many decades. Their participation in the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement is no different. Veterans have been highly visible in supporting the racial justice demands of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. The disturbing truth, which a great number of veterans recognize, is that white supremacy, systemic racism and police brutality at home is profoundly connected to and fueled by U.S. imperialist militarism/war abroad. With this knowledge, veterans have taken on roles as nonviolent warriors to educate about those connections and help underrepresented and marginalized communities fight injustice.

National Uprising Exposes Divisions In The Ruling Class…

August 9, 2020 Ari Saffran and John Peterson, Socialist Revolution. Strategize! Class war, Portland, Ruling Class, Working Class

For weeks on end, the George Floyd protests against racism and police violence shook America. Support for the movement overflowed all demographic boundaries as an estimated 10% of all American adults—some 25 million people—participated in at least one protest. However, although mass gatherings have continued unabated in some cities, in most of the country the torrential river has inevitably receded into its banks as it was deprived of a revolutionary outlet—for now. The revived BLM movement has been a treasure trove of practical experience for the millions who drove it forward.

Crisis In Portland Did Not Start With Trump’s Shock Troops

August 1, 2020 Maureen Murphy, ScheerPost.com. Educate! Black America, Media, Portland, Rebellion2020

By now, you’ve very likely seen startling footage of armed federal officers storming through the streets of downtown Portland and abducting protesters with unmarked vehicles. Maybe you’ve watched the live streams of them indiscriminately lobbing tear gas into crowds of people calmly standing on the sidewalk. Perhaps you saw a gruesome photo of critically injured young man, struck in the face by a munition while holding a speaker over his head. Since then, several others have been hit in the face by impact munitions and flash bangs, and there exists extensive footage, photos, and firsthand accounts of the mayhem being unleashed by over a hundred officers from various divisions of the Department of Homeland Security...

Portland: Getting Out of Jail Requires Relinquishing Constitutional Rights

July 30, 2020 By Dara Lind, ProPublica. Educate! Legal System, Police abuse, Portland, Rebellion2020

Federal authorities are using a new tactic in their battle against protesters in Portland, Oregon: arrest them on offenses as minor as “failing to obey” an order to get off a sidewalk on federal property — and then tell them they can’t protest anymore as a condition for release from jail. Legal experts describe the move as a blatant violation of the constitutional right to free assembly, but at least 12 protesters arrested in recent weeks have been specifically barred from attending protests or demonstrations as they await trials on federal misdemeanor charges. “Defendant may not attend any other protests, rallies, assemblies or public gathering in the state of Oregon,” states one “Order Setting Conditions of Release” for an accused protester, alongside other conditions such as appearing for court dates. The orders are signed by federal magistrate judges.

A Nonviolent Resistance Campaign With Historical Precedent

July 30, 2020 Brian Trautman, Counterpunch. Resist! Nonviolent Action, Portland, Rebellion2020, Wall of Moms

Soon after George Floyd, an unarmed 46-year-old Black man, was suffocated to death by Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020, a nationwide response to his killing reenergized the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. BLM was founded in 2013 after the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s killer. It has only grown and evolved in the years since, especially strategically. The movement’s demands include an end to systemic racism, racial injustice and police brutality; the arrest, prosecution and conviction of killer cops; the removal of monuments and statues which commemorate Confederate figures and other white supremacists; and the defunding of our archaic and oppressive policing system.

The Heart Of Darkness In Portland

July 29, 2020 Mike Hastie, Counterpunch. Resist! Civil Liberties, Police violence, Portland, Rebellion2020

The chant: “All Cops Are Bastards,” is becoming much louder since the Feds started kidnapping protesters off the street in unmarked vans, with police not identifying themselves. It has been swift and terrifying for those who have been arrested in this black ops fascist mentality. It is against the law, as people are being stolen without probable cause, which is a nice way of saying it is a crime being committed by people who took an oath not to do these kinds of things. But, then again, when I was in Viet Nam, the U.S. Government had absolutely no rules in warfare. Geneva Convention Rules were for fools. In a way, this is the tragedy of what is happening in Portland and all over the country. What is happening domestically in this country, especially involving police who have been militarized, is we are seeing the accumulation of terror that the United States Government commits all over the world. Since the end of World War II, the United States Government has bombed 30 countries. The reason most people don’t believe what I just wrote, is because whenever the truth threatens one’s core belief system, there is an urgent need to deny its reality.

Vietnam Veteran Sprayed With Chemical Weapon In Portland Protest

July 28, 2020 Graig Graziosi, Independent. Resist! Chemical Weapons, Police violence, Portland, Veterans

Federal troops were filmed pepper spraying an elderly Vietnam War veteran who was attending a protest in Portland over the weekend. The veteran, Mike Hastie, was standing several feet from a line of federal troops and shouting at them about his time in Vietnam when a troop rushed him from his side and sprayed pepper spray in his face. Mr Hastie was rebuking the troops for following orders he believes are unlawful rather than upholding an oath to the US Constitution. He continued yelling at the federal troops as they walked away despite having the pepper spray in his eyes.

The Militarized Assault On Our Right To Protest

July 27, 2020 Margaret Flowers and Kevin Zeese, Clearing the FOG. Podcast federal law enforcement, Freedom of Assembly, Police violence, Portland, Rebellion2020

The Trump Administration sent federal law enforcement, including the paramilitary squad of Customs and Border Patrol, BORTAC, which has been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, to the streets of Portland, OR to stop the ongoing demonstrations against racist police violence. Federal law enforcement, working with local police, is also being sent to other cities where anti-racist protests are going on. We speak with constitutional lawyer Mara Verheyden-Hilliard about the legality of this and how activists can fight back to protect the rights of everyone and end police violence and lawless impunity.

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