September 19th: Marching, Feds, and a Dance Party

Originally tweeted by Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) on September 19, 2020.

Hi there, coming at you from the South Park Blocks, where maybe 100 protesters are chatting and waiting to find out what the evening brings

Let's find out together

#PortlandProtests #PortlandRiots #BlackLivesMatter #PoliceBrutality #AbolishThePolice #AbolishICE

The atmosphere is more block party than recent actions have been. More signs and more chatting. @SoundBlocPDX playing good protest jams, people doing interviews with various press. Someone has a "register to vote" station

(This journalist recommends never registering to vote at a protest. Do it at home)

The crowd is still growing–maybe 150 now. The events can advertise "move at 8," but I think people are real accustomed to 9

Sound Bloc playing Firestarter by the Prodigy. Fuck yes

(I eagerly await some chud taking this as evidence of intent)

An activist gets on the megaphone and leads the crowd in a chant of "Black Lives Matter!"

He announces the evening's program

He urges people to take initiative. Share suggestions. "don't wait for us to announce an event and complain about it"

"Understand this," the activist continues: "if you are an infiltrator here, you will be identified." He says that people performing bad actions will be identified and confronted

By who? The crowd asks. Confusion about what this is in reference to

Another activist steps forward. Pushes back against the idea that these are the final days of the protest. "I'm gonna keep coming out after the election!"

He commemorates the loss of someone close to the movement

A different speaker acknowledges that we stand on stolen land

All of this occurs under the long shadow of a Teddy Roosevelt statue: fighter of some of America's most shameful wars of conquest and colonialism

Another speaker leads the crowd in a chant of "stay together, stay tight!"

He reminds us that this doesn't just apply to facing down police. We need to stay tight as a movement. United and ready and able to adjust tactics

The protest begins to move. It's gotta be 200 people now

A robust drum line accompanies the chant: No Justice, No Peace; Take It to the Streets and Fuck The Police

It actually feels good to be downtown, marching, taking up the whole street like we used to do every night

Weird how long ago June and July seem

The protest has arrived at the US Courthouse. The building is still covered with graffiti from the early days

Deafening chants

Say her name: Breonna Taylor

The activist talks about the loss of RBG. The government won't protect us

"We protect ourselves. We police ourselves. We take care of each other"

"And for those of you just now finding out what this system is all about: welcome to the lives of black and brown people"

He continues: reminds us that whatever happens in this election, we've all been marked as part of this movement. We are all in danger

It's very good that people are talking about this

The activist concludes with practical advice:

If you grab a shield, be ready to go to the front

If you don't have a gas mask, you don't belong at the front

A chant for Patrick Kimmons, and the protest prepares to moves to its next destination

"Does anyone NOT know where the Justice Center is?"

Laughter

Before the protest moves: 30 seconds of silence for the two fallen protesters in New York City

I'm not sure what this is referring to. There was a shooting at a house party. Likely I don't know the whole story

As the protest moves on, as I climb down the courthouse steps, I hear the sound of shattering glass behind me

Every time I see the nightmare elk where the sacred elk once stood I hear Tyler Durden: "Hey, even the Mona Lisa is falling apart"

The protest stops behind the Justice Center. Settles in.

A couple cameras–or were they lights?–meet an untimely end

The candle says: "Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed"

I've misspent enough of my youth reading about the Weimar Republic to know that isn't strictly true, but it is a beautiful sentiment. A fragile hope

We need hope

(Taken with permission)

Taken with permission

Find BratPunkUprising on Instagram:

https://instagram.com/bratpunkuprising?igshid=oo1d9isw6xvb

Also taken with permission! People very willing to be photographed tonight

All of these pics started with me asking for a pic without a face, I just need everyone to know that

Very old school vibes tonight

Starbucks windows destroyed by violent anarchis–

I'm sorry, getting word now that no store windows have been broken tonight

The Misanthrophile News Network apologizes for the error

An activist gets up and tells us that he is being kicked out of the United States because of his protest activities. He has lived here for a long time

He began to protest because police killed his brother in NYC

I watched him arrested on the 100th day. He did nothing wrong

He tells us he has no family in his home country. He says he doesn't know what he's going to do

He tells us he hopes he can come back after November

Chant: "No Borders, No Nations:
Abolish Deportation!"

Ray from the Front Line Drum Line gets up and addresses the crowd

He speaks on the long history of black oppression in America. How we all got to this point, how far back this shit goes

(Photo taken with permission)

He talks about the origin of modern police in the slave patrols of the 1800s. But more than that: how the slave patrols had to convince people of their importance

To convince the North to cooperate, they created a narrative ofan inherent, dangerous Black criminality

This myth of terrifying blackness continues to haunt us to this day

And when enforced poverty led to acts of desperation? When brutalization led to brutality? The system incorporated these unsurprising effects of oppression into that myth

Editorial note: this shit is why reform isn't enough

The problem isn't choke holds or body cameras or whatever

The problem is that we are soaked, from the day we were born, in a deeply racist worldview

Ray points out that we are all part of this system. And that white people benefit from that system, whether they intend to or not

These benefits places upon us an obligation to act

"This is a fucked up situation we were born into. But now we are adults." Time to make a change

Ray says that if you truly understand the struggle, you can't just go home

You can't just say, we've had enough

If you really feel it, you have to keep fighting

The crowd cheers

You can find Frontline Drumline on Instagram: https://instagram.com/frontline.drumline?igshid=1n4k1l0em263i

(Taken with permission)

Sound On!

"I like you, I don't give a fuck about the police!"

Lotta chuds in the replies tonight, thanks for boosting my engagement 🙂

Meanwhile, at the IRS building next to the Justice Center, feds are patrolling in a manner that reminds me of stealth video games

Last night I did a "spot the difference between feds and American soldiers" challenge. Here's another: soldiers don't patrol alone

Hard to photograph this in the dark but we're definitely seeing more of them come out. Watching from the shadows

I regretfully put on my helmet. Feds rarely give warning before they charge

The protest begins to gather around the IRS building

The feds emerged from this building on August 22nd during the far right rally, but the nightly protests have never involves this building before

The protest marches by, screaming "Fuck you, roof cop!!"

….and the protest keeps marching, away from the feds and up Madison street

This march has only grown. Gotta be 300 people now

After a large loop through the park blocks, the march returns to the heart of downtown and stops at City Hall

Not sure what to make of this. Was this here before?

Just as I sit down and take my helmet off, the cry goes up: Shields to Madison!

Reports of cops forming a riot line

I sprint to 6th and Madison and find our bros from last night, the California Codpiece Boys, sheepishly retreating from their formed line

This is Border Patrol. They ARE next to a federal courthouse…but protesters are not

DHS awkwardly retreats back into the courthouse. Border Patrol remains for a moment, then follows

Meanwhile, the protest is formed up and ready at 4th and Madison

By the sound of it, someone's launching small fireworks

The IRS building looms behind

Protest on the move again. A brief confrontation quickly diffuses as people decide to leave the interlocutor behind and keep walking

Not sure what started the argument but I have been told the upset gentleman is extremely high on LSD

These things happen

As we walk, a protester decides to break some Starbucks windows

Earlier I did a bit about starbucks windows; this time windows have been broken for real

The protest halts at an intersection and chants. Drum line going strong

Some weirdness. The drum line and black activists start off one way. Another group starts waking back to the JC and motions everyone to follow

A black activist asks the protesters to respect black leadership and stick together

"Just help us out. Work with us, man!"

A chant: "I believe that we will win!"

(Sound on)

Protest marches to PSU. Pauses briefly

A protester breaks the window of a US bank.

"Hey, don't do that!" someone yells. Filming. An argument erupts. No cameras are broken

Chant: "what did you see? Didn't see shit!"

Passing city hall: another message added to the door. I don't think it helps with the mystery though…

And we're back at the JC

Yep, sure feels like the old days

A dance circle has formed behind the JC and y'all

Y'ALL

BLM got talent

It's getting really goddamn fun out here

I forgot how much I fucking miss dancing. Like, club dancing. Crowded floor. People just having fun. Big beats

This is so damn good

I feel completely rejuvenated in spirit. This dance party is winding down and I'm heading out

Solidarity with everyone still out here!

Stay joyous. In dark times, joy is revolutionary