Restarting tonight's thread! Due to technical difficulties I'll be posting live updates on the Justice Center protest here, on my own account#PortlandMoms #blacklivesmatter #protest #pdx #portland #oregon #blm #acab #PortlandProtest #PDXprotest #Feds #MOMTIFA #MomsAreHere
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
The District Courthouse is pissed tonight
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
In front of the building, protesters are packed in like sardines on the street. I cannot overstate how many people are here. The crush makes it impossible to move pic.twitter.com/NDEIAa8AUj
The moms are back and up front! You gotta hand it to them. I admit I wondered initially if the come back after their first taste of gas. The answer? Absolutely, and right up front#PortlandMoms #MOMTIFA #MomsAreHere
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
I literally do not understand what is going on. Fed line is here. Smoke deployed. Absolutely no provocation that I saw
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
Next to me, a trombone plays "America the Beautiful"
It really isn't right now
Someone shoots silly string over the fence and a moment later pepper balls retort
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
Overheard: "you thought it would be a nice easy life of kidnapping migrants, didn't you?! Well fuck you!!" pic.twitter.com/N14J5mU6Y6
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
A pepper ball just hit me in the foot. Probably ten feet away. It hurts like a bitch. A few centimeters over and j think it would be broken. As it is, I can feel it swelling up
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
As always I am wearing a yellow press vest, a press helmet and a press badge
There was a time when I worried I'd get hurt at these and now I just wonder how badly I'm gonna get hurt. Not a single night had gone by when I haven't been hit by something: usually small, occasionally large
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
First gassing at the intersection of 3rd and Main. Two fireworks retort. Another canister. The sound of leaf blowers
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
There's a strong wind tonight and the gas is everywhere
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
Retreating up the street
If the feds wanted the protesters to not fuck with their fence, they're doing it wrong. This crowd, which–and I cannot state this enough–was almost docile before they started their aggression, is pounding on the fence
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
The fed line has retreated for now. I'm sure they'll be back soon. Randomly. Whenever they decide to
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
O say does that start spangled banner yet wave
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
No pic.twitter.com/sQrF2cJnFH
Someone throws a road flare, illuminating the courthouse with a highly-appropriate hellish glow
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
Pepper balls fired immediately pic.twitter.com/PHrvrP2Ga8
Another warning. Unlawful assembly. Yawn
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
A firework interrupts the speech. Cheers
I make my way to the intersection of 3rd and Salmon, where the crowd is enormous and cameras bristle. This is the only well-lit area of the entire street
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
The desire to be seen: not for clout but because the eyes of the world are our only real defense against these ghouls
A sign on a protester's backpack pic.twitter.com/8dUSi8EG4J
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
In the beginning we would have been chanting names. And I don't think it's that we've lost focus. It's that our focus has changed from conveying a message with our voices to asserting our rights with our bodies. Braced for the next fight. All our concentration there
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
It's wild that this crowd has barely thinned, if at all. 1AM and still thousands of people here
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
And just like that: gas. Without hesitation leaf blowers move in from all directions, converge on the cloud, and get to work
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
"Thank you leaf blowers!" someone shouts. The crowd applauds
A sign on the fence pic.twitter.com/57bawbZhpr
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
Protesters feed the fire with branches and empty pizza boxes. The crowd creates a wide birth around this gas magnet
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
Holy shit
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
They came out in force. I got about 4 minutes of great footage before I got lit up with about six pepper balls. My chest, my wrjstz and worst of all several in the face. I was completely incapacitated. Two medics saved my ass
They're advancing up Salmon. We're holding at 6th for now. Screams for a medic. Christ, this is a shitshow. First time I've been genuinely scared#PortlandMoms #blacklivesmatter #protest #pdx #portland #oregon #blm #acab #PortlandProtest #PDXprotest #Feds #MOMTIFA #MomsAreHere
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
I'm afraid your girl is rocked. My wrist is swollen like twice the size it should be and I'm not actually 100% sure what is happening right now
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
I'm being told we're virtually surrounded by PPB and feds
Kettle?
These police were not going to let us continue west until they realized they were being livestreamed by someone. Then they let us go
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
Trying to find the main group
Battle of the Fence 3: from earlier#PortlandMoms #blacklivesmatter #protest #pdx #portland #oregon #blm #acab #PortlandProtest #PDXprotest #Feds #MOMTIFA #MomsAreHere pic.twitter.com/aHJZzeNj4z
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
The PPB have retreated. A pause while the group tries to figure out what to do
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
Also me. I think I might be done…
I'm home, my wrist is on ice, holy shit
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) July 26, 2020
Solidarity to everyone still out there