Originally tweeted by Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) on September 24, 2020.
Hi there, it’s 8:30 and I’m at Arbor Lodge park with maybe 50 people, preparing for tonight’s action
Small numbers. I don't like it. Let's see what happens
#JusticeForBreonnaTaylor #BlackLivesMatter #PortlandProtests #pdxprotest
An activist leads the crowd in a chant of "Black Lives Matter." Things are probably about to get underway
The crowd is still worryingly small
An activist encourages the crowd. Says we're changing the timeline, that we can't give up
She reminds us that the travesty of the Grand Jury decision yesterday in Louisville occurred on the 65th anniversary of Emmett Till's death
This is an old fight
The activist talks about the importance of voting. How millennial voters now outnumber boomers. Very scattered cheers
She talks about the danger of a coup. About feelings of powerlessness
She's trying to end on a high note about coming together and carrying on the fight
On the move! A middle-aged woman pulls over to chant "black lives matter" with the protest
The protest has arrived at the Portland Police Association (PPA), our local police union
Maybe 100 people here are this point
No sign of the cops
DJ LRAD says:
"This is the Portland Police bureau. We are aware of your criminal activity occurring. Do not throw rocks at the building. Do not try to light fires. Do not try to break windows"
None of these things have happened tonight. We JUST got here
An activist of color takes the megaphone. Criticizes yesterday's action for ignoring the "revolutionary energy" of the crowd in the wake of the Grand Jury trials
They denounce the accusation that all revolutionary energy is white rage. That this is whitewashing and also bullshit
Cops just claimed people are throwing rocks at windows
Um, guys?
Guys?
W H A T
W I N D O W S
Some violent graffiti going on behind me. Protesters violently standing in the road. An activist gives a violent speech. Bubbles float violently through the air
Am I doing this right? Trying to sell out and become the eighteenth blonde anchorwoman on Fox News
(Call me 📞)
A beautiful sign
A Black activist steps to the mic to talk about Saturday
He's here from Salt Lake City. Talks about how the Proud Boys used his autistic younger brother as a black token and attacked his organization
He talks about the importance of standing up against this shit
The activist talks about how policy change alone isnt enough to change this shit. How we have to fight back
How many names do we not even know? he asks the crowd
"Hold the cops accountable!"
Another activist gets up and talks about division and peace policing
"Our enemies are the cops…there's no bad protesters in a revolution!"
Richard gets up to speak!
He talks about how this is an old fight
About the history of police violence against black people
How events that happen in other states, other precincts are symptoms of the same deep problem
Richard declares that he will not vote for Joe Biden. Talks about how he helped build the mass incarceration system were fighting against
He calls on white liberals to get out on the street
"Quit thinking Biden's going to change everything!!"
A Black activist named Mariah gets on the mic
Expresses a wish to hear only from BIPOC voices on the mic
Talks about the importance of showing up even when the protests aren't trending
"Black women are the most disrespected group on the planet!" She talks about how hard yesterday was, how awful it was
Mariah is a photographer. You can and should follow her at @MariahMacaronio
The crowd chants Breonna Taylor's name
If you follow my threads you know I tell you when there are hijinks, property damage, and what have you. Aside from a little graffiti, nothing like that has yet occurred. At all
Just for the record
DJ LRAD repeats his oddly specific announcement from a little while ago
To be fair, someone tried and failed to set an awning on fire between my last post and this one, and someone took a hammer to the plywood over the windows without any effext
The building remains unharmed
And again the announcement
Ugh
Gas mask time
Unlawful assembly declared. Cop cars approaching from multiple directions We have been told to disperse to the North
You can see in this video that the PPA building is fine
Cops make multiple arrests, it's unclear what for
Their gas masks are very much on
I unintentionally back into a cop while filming. He politely touches my shoulders and informs me I backed into him. Very polite. Meanwhile they're conducting mass arrests. I don't fucking know, man
There are SO MANY OF THEM
Cops inspect the new graffiti
Protesters chant: "How do you spell Nazi? PPB!"
Cars honk approval while the PPB load arrestees into waiting vans. I'd estimate 10
The vans leave. The cops remain
I don't know why I'm suddenly sad, looking at them. Products of a bastard factory. Sure, they chose to enter, but the system made their existence inevitable
I see trapped pawns. I see exhausted bodies in the service of the state
Don't mind me. I get like this sometimes
Anyway, they've left: circled around the PPA and vanished. Again, the streets are empty of everything but protesters and music and bubbles
They're real good at the lightning warfare out here at the PPA. They'll probably charge again at some point
Here is the damage from that hammer I talked about earlier
~10 people arrested for this
And there it is: a second charge without warning. Appears to be an actual targeted arrest, though of course they fuck up anyone who gets in their way
They make their arrest, get back on their vans, and leave. Again the streets are chill
A C R I M E has been committed
The police emerge immediately
"To the individuals on the roof: safely climb down and meet with the officers below"
#31 losing his shit per usual
Sound on for the taunt and response, sorry it's dark af over here
Again, terrible video, but the roof protester has been arrested
Cops leave. Very here for the protesters doing the "MOOOOOVE" police yell as they go
A fake retreat! The moment I go to tweet they charge and make more arrests
In this clip, a cop expresses frustration at how heavy his gear is. Must be hard to have all that protective gear. Lots of people out here would give anything for that kind of armor
A cop aims impact mubitions at the heads of protesters, decides not to fire
#31 on his #31 shit: wandering away from the group to menace protesters by himself. He does it twice in this clip. #12 has to come get him
Oh #31: who hurt you?
This seems like a lot of arrests for a traffic cone on an awning
But what do I know, I don't have a criminal justice degree
There was kind of a beautiful moment just now when a protester was screaming at police: "Fuck you! Fuck you! You're a bunch of f******–oh shit, I'm not supposed to say that. You're a bunch of bitch-asses!"
Baby steps, points for effort
Experts agree:
The police are still just standing there which is unfortunate because I feel like if they left I would go home and so would a lot of other people
@JFlorencePDX points out the cops don't have gas masks on anymore so I take mine off too
Another arrest, I didn't see from where or how it started. Protesters tell me they were just standing there and got grabbed
And they let them go! Protester goes down the line and flips off every cop before walking away
God DAMN
The police FINALLY LEAVE
The night probably isn't over but my ancient back is killing me and I'm gonna call it a night
@JFlorencePDX and @PDocumentarians still out and covering events
Solidarity to them and to everyone still out here!
EPILOGUE: there have been some rumors about riot cops waiting back at Arbor Lodge park and I can say with certainty that as of now this is not the case
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