Originally tweeted by Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) on September 28, 2020.
Hi there, coming at you live and late form Kenton Park, where the police seem to have already arrived
I see flashing lights. Cops circling. Chants of "stay together, stay tight!"
Oh boy
#BlackLivesMatter #PortlandProtesr #portlandpolicebrutality
Yep, the cops are hanging out in the park. Maybe 150 protesters surround them
Deputization has made them bold
The cops stand in the park. The protesters chant the correct version of my least favorite chant:
"Show we what a police state look like!
This is what a police state looks like!"
Correct
Then they leave. After I shut off my camera someone threw a goddamn wrench at one of the closed-top cars. It bounces off the roof. I'll pretend to be mad if you want me to
I asked a protester what the fuck happened and here's what they told me:
The protesters were hanging out in Kenton Park, gathering as usual. Several riot vans pulled up and the police dismounted. They shone bright lights at the crowd. None of them said a word
They drove the protest across Kenton Park. They said they were searching for illegal weapons
This is very funny, since no such action occurred at Delta Park on Saturday when 300 armed chuds paraded their weapons openly
They arrested the person carrying the "register to vote" sign.
Currently, the protest is standing in Kenton and debating what to do next. This is not how these things usually go
Someone is offering protesters chicken sandwiches
And now they're back. Telling us were blocking traffic
The protest in the park is blocking traffic. In the park
I don't know what to say
This is the road right now
We're about to get fucked up. They don't lie this blatantly unless they're getting ready to do some real egregious shit
I picked a hell of a day to forget my gas mask
I join much of the press corps at the opposite side of the park where we discver that there are in fact people blocking the road: the cops
They eventually leave
The protest moves out. They have elected to stay on the sidewalk since the police have made it clear they're looking for any excuse tonight
The totally clear road
The protest arrives at the PPA and immediately DJ LRAD orders everyone to vacate the road and move off the sidewalk in front of the PPA building
Legally they can do the first, but clearing the sidewalk in front of the PPA? I don't think they can do that
A few protesters in the streets. Most on the sidewalk. One person punches the plywood over the door of the PPA. I think the building is OK
The police charge three blocks to make a targeted arrest. They abandon their line formation to simply sprint
This leaves police more vulnerable to attack, since their buddies aren't directly next to them. They clearly feel very safe
(Connection too bad for video)
Protesters currently standing and taunting the cops are Denver and Russet. A cop is talking calmly and kindly about why he became a cop and why it's good actually
This might be more persuasive if his friends hadn't maced the guy holding the Vote sign because it was a "weapon"
Video finally uploaded:
I may or may not have just lost my shit at a cop who tried to tell me they intervened as soon as they could at the Proud Boy event when Jovanni got kicked in the head.
I told him I was there for the assault and ten minutes after and he said "I understand that you believe that"
I think I'll keep the video of my outburst to myself. My hate is getting to be more than I can handle. Four months of this, four months of brutalization and gaslighting and police lies, telling me my eyes didn't see what I saw, four months of nightmares I'm so tired I'm so angry
It's fine I'm fine
Anyway most of the protest has reformed in the 7/11 parking lot. Chants of "Black Lives Matter." Milling, waiting for the inevitable
Riot vans pull up. Some cops walk halfway down Elmont for some reason, then return to the van. Both vans leave
Protesters occupy the street immediately
Riot vans also return immediately. Another arrest. I think that's OC gas but am not sure
Cops form a line in the middle of Lombard street. Someone should really tell them this road is open to vehicular traffic
They retreat. Add this one to the blooper reel
Immediately after the riot vans leave, DJ LRAD reminds us that the roads are open to traffic
He's late: the police just stopped blocking the street
An activist tells people to get in the street
"What, did we come here to stand on the sidewalk? They just pushed us through a park for no reason, you think they're gonna leave us alone if we stay on the sidewalk?"
It's compelling. Protest moves to the street
Occupy Lombard
An impromptu rap concert in the middle of the street. Sound on
(If you wanna hear the whole thing, livestreams are your best bet: I know @PhrenologyPhun is for sure streaming right now)
I'm now hanging out way back in the 7/11 parking lot, since this is where they'll push to when they're ready to fuck us up again
The music stops and people move to the side of the road
Fuck, the cops, I think, then realizw they're moving to let a semi truck through
As soon as he's through, the protest moves to the center of the road again
They're back, formed up against the PPA and at the Chevron. Lots of them
They charge. It's an absolute shitshow. Police pushing protesters into police. Attempts to dearrest. Mace deployed
The police start to retreat. A water bottle hits one in the back. They turn and make another arrest
Tear gas deployed
Unlawful assembly declared
(I have hella footage but it's got hella faces: I'll post blurred tomorrow)
There's this certain way the LRAD emphasizes "ALL people must disperse" that smacks of press and legal observer intimidation
"mask up!" @PhrenologyPhun tells me and I'm real mad at myself all over again for grabbing the wrong bag
This is about to suck
Cops forming up by the PPA
As we wait to get fucked up again, a protester asks if anyone has lost Fiat keys on a Hello Kitty keychain
The cops charge and make a violent arrest
A line charge down Denver to Schofield. They sprint for about 3 blocks and I get my Level IV plate cardio in. I'm seeing improvements but I really need to start doing morning sprints
Currently they're loading back up on their riot vans
There's a certain way they move when they're just trying to push us, as opposed to determined to brutalize someone
A protester reports that two white men pulled a gun at him for taking a picture of his car
He says he doesn't think they're law enforcement
Blue Chevy, license plate from California: 8L07848
Three police SUVs turn West onto Terry from Denver as DJ LRAD tells protesters back at the PPA they will all be arrested if they don't leave
Weird standoff just North of Peninsular on Denver
The cops make what I think was another arrest in the 7/11 parking lot, then return to their line
Here's a cop with no identifying info fantasizing about using that gun he's got his hands on. I mean, I assume. Maybe it's just a convenient resting place
Just loads of arrests. I have footage but it's gonna take a minute
They arrested @2lesslegs, I assume for talking shit because I sure as shit didn't see him do anything illegal
Police take down two protesters. Notice how a cop gets a quick, subtle spray of mace in as he goes down
"if you scratch the paint on my motherfucking car, I'll shit on your doorstep! I'll find it just to shit there!"
A lot going on in this clip:
A protester shoved while trying to comply
@2lesslegs gets arrested
A cop maces someone standing right next to me
I am white-passing. The person maced is Black
At this point, the police started saying that they "appreciate" press and legal observers but they will arrest the fuck out of us if we don't stop filming arrestees instead of moving back
I'm paraphrasing obviously
Here's the announcement, punctuated by a cop shoving a protester right at the end
Police illegally search an arrestee's bag
Current situation: maybe 40 protesters left. Cops formed up by the PPA. Half the people here are LOs and press at this point
It's absurd that I'm taking videos of these violent arrests and cops shoving people and macing them and I'm thinking, I've taken all these videos before a thousand times
And I could take a thousand more and it still won't be enough to convince way too many people
Protesters yelling at cops. I can hear @2lesslegs continuing to heckle the cops from where he is detained deep within their lines. God bless
My phone is dying and I'm clearly having a whole fucking time tonight. I think things are winding down and I'm going to head out
Solidarity with everyone still out here
Epilogue: some real good signs j saw on my way back to the car
Double epilogue: looks like Ændy Ngœ posted the cool signs on his account, with credit for once. I look forward to an army of chuds coming to my page to threaten me and ask me if I have a real job
My real job is still fucking your mom, boys. Always has been
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