Originally tweeted by Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) on September 18, 2020.
Hi there, coming at you from Elizabeth Caruthers Park, where about 200 people stand in the rain-soaked grass and prepare for the first action in nearly a week
Let's see what happens
#PortlandProtests #BlackLivesMatter #PoliceBrutality #PortlandRiots
Elizabeth Caruthers Park is very close to the ICE building
In the past couple days, we have learned that ICE is conducting systemic mass hysterectomies on its prisoners
At a certain point, words are no longer enough
An activist on the megaphone reminds us of the stakes
That Trump had made it clear that, if re-elected, he will prosecute anyone arrested at these events for sedition
We begin to march
The activist leads us in a chant:
"I believe that we will win"
Louder and louder. There is desperation and fear and courage here
The words echo
I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN
A very good sign
We have arrived. Immediate warning that attempts to damage the building will be met with force
I don my gas mask
Part of the crowd pushes to the gates immediately
A roof cop is visible, along with a handful of feds behind the gate
Chant: "CHINGA LA MIGRA!"
Shout-out to @1StephenSwann for this magnificent gas mask: a military-issue beauty that wraps my face in the tenderest of embraces
Looking forward to seeing how it holds up
QUIT YOUR JOB
The activist on the megaphone calls for shields to the front. Not a ton of shields tonight, unfortunately
LIST OF CRIMES COMMITTED TONIGHT:
someone has written "Fuck ICE" on some plywood in spray paint (which washes off)
Someone has hit the side of the building with a soft drum mallet
This concludes the list of violent crimes against property thus far
Rubber balls scattered before the ICE building gate
The crowd advances closer to the ICE building. One protester rattles the gates. Someone else bangs on the walls
Chant: "what's outrageous? Kids in cages!"
Feds warn people to stop. I assume: it's hard to hear over the chanting
An aside:
I feel sick looking at this building. I feel sick standing here
The idea of an organization, now, today, forcibly removing internal organs from the helpless and nonconsenting, makes me physically ill
It makes me wish all kinds of shit I can't say on Twitter
Back to coverage:
The crowd has moved back perhaps 15 feet from the gate, chanting. People donning gas masks
The list of crimes has not expanded
The car barricade moves and honks. Sounds like we've got incoming
The crowd braces for impact
They come out. They make a seemingly random arrest
Crowd pushed to Lowell and Moody. A smoke bomb deployed by feds. A few half-empty water bottles thrown
The Portland Police come up from behind. Declare an unlawful assembly. Tell protesters to disperse to the North.
They are standing to the North of the protest
Feels kind of kettly around here
Meanwhile, many of the feds have taken a step back, leaving these charming boys
Reports that riot vans are loading up at the JC. Cannot positively confirm this
Standoff at Lowell and Moody. Someone offers water and snacks. The cops move back half a block. The like remains, but they do not seem inclined to press forward at this time
Gas masks very much on
A good flag
Fun quiz: find the difference between these guys and deployed American soldiers:
-American soldiers wear name tags
-They don't wear gas masks to protect against their own munitions, since chemical weapons are banned in warfare
-No one wears the fucking codpiece it's embarrassing
Feds have pulled back to the intersection in front of the ICE building
The feds push back farther, then regroup. Standoff continues
Without warning or provocation the feds let loose a barrage of just fucking everything
I've got footage but let's start where we're at now: feds firing massive pepper balls into an empty fucking street:
The beginning of the push. Nothing happened to provoke this. They just started shooting
I couldn't tell whether this was tear gas or not, my mask is that fucking good now
It was tear gas though. Returned to sender
Happening now: they open fire for no reason. Gas the fuck out of everyone
Portland Police say some shit on the LRAD but we can't hear over the flash bang and shots
Another push. The unbrella and and shield wall braces themselves, shrouded in smoke and gas
Screaming "BLACK LIVES MATTER"
Defiant. Determined. Committed
Massive smoke, mass arrests. Footage to follow. Driven back to Moody and Abernathy
Gas and smoke deployment, including a green plume I think may have been intended to prevent me filming. Only press was where I was
Feds deliberately force protesters through the smoke and tear gas
My new mask is a game changer in situations like these
The intent, however, is to punish
The start of the mass arrests-
The feds march protester after protester through the gas and take them to a line of waiting vans
The Portland Police arrived shortly thereafter with still more vans
Current status: not a lot of protesters left. Many are regrouping a short distance away but the attrition/arrest level is high. Cops and feds jointly holding the Moody/Abernathy intersection
Can't wait to hear how they spin this brutality tomorrow
Some kind of commotion I missed. An arrest for opening a fire hydrant a block away. Sounds like bullshit, looks like every other press captured it. I'll have to look it up when I get home
LRAD deafeningly announces an unlawful assembly and demands Northward dispersal
Can I please get a W in the chat for Longest I've Ever Gone Without Fucking Up A Thread, I'm so goddamn proud of myself right now
(Don't expect this level of professionalism going forward, this is a one-time thing)
The cops load up on riot vans and leave, going the wrong way down Moody. Must be nice to just break the law like that
A tiny police line remains
The protest has regrouped. More people here than I thought. Scattered by the gas and now reunited
They chant "Black Lives Matter!!" and prepare to move
Back at ICE. No visible police or fed presence left
Maybe 100 people here. Chanting and waiting
Roof cops
@SoundBlocPDX plays that protest classic: "No Cock Like Horse Cock"
It's actually illegal NOT to dance to WAP when it plays outside an ICE building
Literally going to take a video of someone dancing when the Feds rush out of their video to put a stop to this tomfoolery. What is this, Footloose?
Then they go back inside
Protecting and serving
They're just sorta hanging out in the doorway like awkward kids at a dance party
(Sound on for the dance party)
Codpiece boys forming a loose and shitty line up the road
It just feels like their hearts aren't into it
Gates opening. Maybe their hearts are into it after all
And now the gates are closed. A brief LRAD sonic siren noise. Then a too-quiet LRAD announcement
Is someone button mashing? What is going on?
Feds and cops have mostly vanished. A couple visible behind the gate Everyone just hanging out
I was literally typing "seems like the evening is winding down" when the cops burst out the doors and charged into the intersection
This is why you don't move when the cops tell you to move if you're big enough to look them in the eye
Because you'll get yet more proof of cops punching restrained people
Here's just the part where the cops punch the restrained arrestee
They keep moving and keep firing
The feds just fucking LIT UP this car for….driving down the street
I've got some footage and if these guys give me enough time I'll push it but: right now they're hanging out at Moody and Abernathy again
Beginning of the push: Cops charge forward to make that arrest with the punching from earlier. I get shoved and skid along the asphalt.
My camera turns off so you can't hear the door scream at me to get up which, dude, if you want me to get up don't fucking push me maybe
(I've got a little road rash on my hand/arm/leg but nothing that won't heal in a few days)
I didn't get footage of them nearly lighting a car on fire, or @MildlyAutistic yelling "Fire season isn't over! Just because it doesn't look like Mordor TODAY doesn't mean you should try to light everything on fire!!"
Looks like at least some of the codpiece boys are from San Francisco
DHS pulling back, leaving the California Codpiece Boys behind
The California Codpiece Boys do the predictable Fed trick of gassing as they leave
This samurai warrior does not give a single fuck
A very surreal moment in which me and a couple other journalists follow the codpiece boys, who continue to fire gas and smoke at nothing
Despite their armored balls they are terrified. Or maybe they just like the pretty colors. Who knows
The protest is maybe 30 people plus press. I think the evening is finally winding down and I'm going to head out
Solidarity with everyone still out here ✊
Holy shit, @hungrybowtie got the car fire
Please keep in mind that the fire danger here is still very high, despite the rain last night
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