Hi there, coming at you live from Revolution Hall in Portland, OR, where bike cops are writing tickets for a Black woman who was carrying a taser
Yes, really
This is a small protest, maybe 30 people. Why the cops are here I have no idea. I’m hearing from @it_aint_pretty_ that they just showed up and stood in a line at the entrance to Rev Hall park, then started harassing protesters for carrying weapons (batons and a taser)
About half the bike cops have biked away dramatically. The other half are currently hanging out and getting yelled at by understandably miffed protesters
I’ve been told that the police asked for the ID of the person carrying the baton, then let them go
I forgot my press pass and regret this oversight immensely. In my defense I haven’t been out not undercover in months
I’m faceblind but I’m:
Bike cops leave. The other half that seemed to leave earlier are back, hanging out at the periphery
30-40 protesters just hanging out while bike cops glare
This all seems very silly
A lot of people in my replies assume the left is Team Biden. I assure you this is not the case
Biden’s election does not solve any of the structural issues plaguing America
It certainly does not solve the problems raised by BLM, which is a big reason people are here today
John Oliphant, who has fucked up countless protesters over the summer with his baton and with impact munitions, confiscating the wood on this banner because “it could be a weapon”
Oh boy things certainly escalated quickly
Oliphants brave banner theft quicky led to a group of furious protesters surrounding the bike cops and asking what the fuck
The cops got nervous. Backup showed
Then scuffles broke out. A failed attempt at an arrest. Smoke deployed
The cops have retreated for now but probably not for good. Footage incoming
Smoke deployed just for fun, why not
I’ve heard if the cops don’t throw smoke at protesters for a month they start to weaken and eventually die, no idea if it’s true but it would explain some things
The crowd begins to march down Stark street, screaming “ACAB! ALL cops are bastards!”
Very fucking angry vibes, from the crowd and also from me. This police harassment was unprompted, unnecessary, and clearly intended to provoke
To review: 2 weeks after armed far right people stormed the DC Capitol, and a month after armed far-right people stormed the Salem Capitol, the police have decided that the biggest threat today is the far left carryimg a banner, a baton, and a taser
Chant: “Fuck Trump! Fuck Biden too! Neither motherfucker gives a shit about you!”
DJ LRAD orders the march to move to the sidewalk or be subject to arrest, impact munitions, etc
The marchers throw their middle fingers in the air. “FUCK 12, WE DON’T DO WHAT THEY WANT!”
I’ve typed this eleven million times since May but police enforcement of traffic laws re: blocking traffic is entirely arbitrary. Sometimes they care. Sometimes they don’t
A march down an open street is an inconvenience, not a public hazard or a problem
“We will not stop until the work is done!!”
I’m glad I’m here. Truth is I’ve been despairing of late. Maybe too much far right coverage. Maybe hitting a personal limit on filming police brutality night after night until it all runs together
“Out of your homes, into the street!”
I don’t know how we achieve change, but sitting at home feeling hopeless ain’t it
Meanwhile, outside my brain, the march has stopped. People debating where to go. Worries about letting that to me seem unfounded
The march should probably start moving *somewhere* though
At least 150 protesters here now, maybe 200, vast majority in bloc
The march is meandering towards the convention center. People are not having it
“We’re being swooped!!” someone yells. It’s a term for when people lead marches in pointless directions instead of doing something
An activist on a megaphone says the march needs to keep moving, and we can figure it out on the way
An announcement that anyone who doesn’t want to cross can leave
Dueling megaphones. Anger. Disgust at the anger. Stalling
And now the cops have arrived
The march gets out of the road and begins to head back to Rev Hall. Without a destination and unity there seems no point to risking arrest by chilling in the street
Importantly though, the swoop failed in the sense that people didn’t follow blindly
The march retakes the street as it moves back towards Rev Hall
“No Biden! No KKK! No Fascist USA!!”
“No good cops! No good presidents! Give the land back to its original residents!!”
Lot of good new (to me) chants today
“this is the worst March I’ve ever attended! White people should not organize anything!!”
“No megaphones!!” someone yells
There’s a group angry that organizers didn’t plan for people’s safety, and people who think it would be safer to keep walking than listening to someone yell
This is a new dynamic. The person with a megaphone is Black and indigenous and demanding to be heard and people are not fucking having it because stopping this march doesn’t make tactical sense and because this activist was trying to lead the march to nowhere a few seconds ago
The march has arrived at the Democratic Party Office, where some windows have met an untimely (timely?) demise
Cops arrive immediately and order protesters to stop doing this
The march moves out with some haste while press stays behind to take pics
The march is being water. Three months ago they would have stayed to face off with the cops and I would have had to film protesters getting beaten up and shot and gassed and I could not be more pleased with this change
Bike cops coming, group running. Me too I guess
Bike cops have split the group. Riot cops van circling. They’re trying to fracture the group and they’re succeeding
An arrest at 16th and Glisan. Protest related? Possibly not, can’t tell
DJ LRAD warns protesters to stay away
Happening now: riot cops line, protesters standing around and yelling at them
God damn it I literally just tweeted that I was happy this wasn’t happening
As I tweeted that last bike cops erupted and conducted two violent arrests. Here’s the tail end of that
This is what I didn’t want, god DAMN it
Looks like I’ve still got that “don’t fuck with me” energy even without the pass, just filming the cops tell people next to me to gtfo
Cops trying to make targeted arrests out here. This attempt failed
As the cops leave their failed arrest attempt, one of their members gets left behind. A protester gets in front of him and gets shoved to the ground
Crowd thinning considerably. Cops preparing to leave seemingly. They escort zip-tied activists to the arrest van
A few half-hearted shouts at cops
Mostly I think everyone is tired of things ending like this. Or maybe that’s just me
People are leaving and so am I
I’ll be out again for the ICE protest at 8, maybe I’ll see some of you there
Solidarity to everyone still out here!
Epilogue: thank you @MrAndyNgo for ripping off my videos, as fake press it’s very cool to see how real journalists do work
@MrAndyNgo unblock me you coward
Also Andy, I know property rights mean a lot to you so you can pay me for my work here:
Cashapp, venmo: misanthrophile
Paypal: askmisanthrophile@gmail.com
Originally tweeted by Laura Jedeed, Space Professional (@LauraJedeed) on January 20, 2021.
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