Portland: Thousands Go Tit-for-Tat Against Trump’s Federal Agents

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Portland, July 24. Photo: AP

In Portland, in the face of violent fascist assault by the federal forces sent in by the Trump/Pence regime as well by the local cops, people of all ages, nationalities, and genders are standing up, defying the regime and their pigs—and making history. People had been protesting for weeks since the police murder of George Floyd, and the city cops had been brutally suppressing them, with some formal pretense of respecting the right to protest under some conditions. All this then sharpened dramatically when Trump deployed his Gestapo to the city, in a major escalation of fascism. Trump wants to make an example of Portland and send a message that the people will not be allowed to protest and speak out, day after day, against the police murders of Black people and institutional white supremacy. But the people in Portland – and increasingly around the country – are saying NO to Trump’s fascist moves and upping the ante, not retreating and bringing even more people into the streets.

Friday Night, July 24. At least 4,000 protesters took to the streets once again in Portland, for the 58th consecutive day of protest since the police killing of George Floyd. Protesters showed up prepared, with more protective gear to defend against the violent attacks by the feds and cops – helmets, gas masks, and homemade shields. Not only are more people joining the protests, but more kinds of people of all ages are coming out. Many of these are organized, for example: Healthcare Workers Protest, Teachers Against Tyrants, Lawyers for Black Lives, the “Wall of Moms,” a group of vets dressed in white and a “Wall of Dads" carrying leaf blowers to combat the tear gas.

To the sound of drums people chanted "Black Lives Matter” and “Feds go home” at the federal courthouse serving as a sort of staging center for the federal pigs. Some people carried signs that said, “White Silence=Violence.” A group of veterans lined up along the fence, joining the “Wall of Moms” who on previous nights, had linked arms to protect protesters and challenge the presence of the federal agents.

A 79-year-old woman said she had watched the protests but stayed away because she feared getting COVID-19. But when the feds were sent in, she joined with a thousand other protesters in the street. She said, “It’s like a dictatorship,” and carried a sign that said, “Grammy says: Please feds, leave Portland.” A group of grandparents held a rally on Friday, gathering outside the federal courthouse wearing aprons and holding signs and forming their own “Wall of Grandparents.” One of them said, “We can turn on our television and keep watching people getting killed in cold blood, and we're just supposed to sit back and not feel any kinda way about it. I have grandchildren, and I want a different world – period – for all of us." 

Two white women, sisters, said they had first avoided the protests because of COVID-19 fears. But when Trump sent in the fed forces, they overcame their anxiety to join in. One of the women said, “Black lives are so important. And it is important to have the right to protest. To see that wasn’t happening was disconcerting.” (oregonlive.com, 7/25) 

By 9 pm the crowd grew larger when a march from the waterfront arrived. According to a news report: “Many marchers wore distinct colors tied to specific professions or community groups. Social workers wore green. Dining industry workers wore chef coats. Health care workers wore blue. Groups of parents, who started the collective attire trend nearly a week ago, wore yellow and orange.” There was a marching drum core of at least 25 people. The volunteer Riot Ribs stand provided people with first aid, protective gear and food.

At 11 pm federal pigs from inside the courthouse tear-gassed the crowd, shot impact munitions, including pepper balls, and released irritants—and then came outside to attack. People retreated, and then came back when the feds went back inside. The back-and-forth went on through the night till past 2 am

Saturday Night, July 25. Protest continued Saturday night into Sunday morning. Again, different organized “Walls” lined up in front of the federal courthouse: nurses in scrubs; mothers wearing yellow; fathers in hard hats, vets, and more. Once again, thousands filled the streets and people lined up along the barricades around the federal courthouse. Soon after 1am, local cops declared the protest a “riot” and ordered people to leave. Federal pigs then threw more tear gas canisters and moved in to arrest people.

Vietnam veteran and photographer Mike Hastie confronted the militarized federal police, telling them, “We murdered people every day” in Vietnam “and your generation doesn’t know that. And that’s why this Vietnam veteran combat medic, who took injured and dead soldiers off helicopters” was there to tell them this. As he challenged the line of federal police, who were about to be ordered to advance on and attack protesters, federal police pepper sprayed him in the face, right into his eyes. But he continued to speak: “I took an oath to defend my country and then when I got to Vietnam, we committed atrocities every single day when I was in Vietnam… I stood next to a ditch in Vietnam and we murdered 170 Vietnamese people and you guys don’t know that!”  Hastie had been out at the protests six days in a row. Video of his powerful statement and the brutal assault on him by the feds has been seen by 3.5 million people.

A 52-year-old woman, an immigrant from India, who lives in Kirkland, Wash., said she had been protesting in the streets since May and said about the violent police response to protests: “This is not the country I immigrated to. It feels like we are rapidly becoming a fascist state and a police state.” (New York Times, 7/26) 

A 46-year-old white environmental analyst at a laboratory said he was yelling at one of the federal agents across a steel and concrete fence: “"I told that man he should go home. I know they have orders, but they also have a choice. And I told him that. And then he pepper-sprayed me." A 37-year-old Black nurse, who drove down from Seattle to join the protests here, said, “We've been quiet. We told society that there needed to be justice. And there is no justice, so there will be no peace.” Another nurse, a white woman, who had organized fellow medical workers to join the protests said, “Our country is sick. We as nurses and medical workers take care of people. And right now we need to care for Black lives. Because they are being killed. They are being murdered.” (USA Today, 7/26) 

 

 

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