Hello! I'm covering the action at at Peninsular Park tonight. The schedule calls for music, speakers at 8, and then a march at 9. Let's see what happens!#PortlandProtests #PortlandOregon #PortlandStrong #BlackLivesMatter #acab #PoliceBrutality #protest2020
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
A pretty good-sized crowd at this point. Barbeque going, free pizza and burritos for all. People dancing to the R&B music playing at the gazebo
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
The speaking portion is about to start
An activist named Destiny (sp?) is giving an absolutely beautiful speech. The sanctity of black lives. The long history of struggle. The inherent worth of all black lives, whether prominent like John Lewis' or simple like her father's
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
An activist named Z steps up to the mic
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
She says she dislikes the way the press privileges white people within this movement. How white people keep being front and center
She decries performative activism, says some people aren't here for the right reasons
She is angry that we aren't angry all the time. That people aren't coming out anymore. That people don't care like they should
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Here's some editorializing; take it for what it's worth
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
It is day 73
No one can be angry for 73 days straight
This is a marathon
The soul must laugh. And the body requires pizza.
The speaker talks about how these cops don't stop violence. How they don't do any of the things people say we need them for
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
"Maybe we need counselors not cops. Maybe we need bozing gyms to teach kids discipline and self control. Gyms are cheaper than jails"
He talks about the importance of transformation
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
"People ask when these protests are going to stop. I say: when we have change that we can feel in our black bodies"
This is huge. I know a lot of people can't come to these protests. But there's fundraising and letter-writing and education and organizing and so, so much more
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
People forming up to march. Very good crowd: north of 200
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
It's hard not to be nervous after last night's pipe bomb attack. I keep reminding myself that every time I worry like this on a specific day, things go all right
I hope that holds
"This isn't just for us! Aren't you tired of this shit?! After you tired of being lied to? That's why we've go to vote! For Teressa Raiford!"
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Two shield bearers are holding hands as we march. I just thought you should know
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
The protesters with the megaphone yells at people to "get the fuck out of their houses"
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Then he says no one tells him what to do
Then he says people who are black should be outside right now
He is white
Big yikes
I see the Heavenly Donuts sign ahead: a vision which does not exactly conjure visions of paradise at this point
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
The building that stands opposite the shop–the PPA–is certainly not God's handiwork
No visible line of cops tonight for the first time in a long time. Trying something new? Or forming up down the street?
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Time will tell
Protesters doing some graffitis on the precinct building. Banging on the boards
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
PPA building is not on fire pic.twitter.com/SiBqOEXJyo
Some liberated fence makes its way to the perimeter of the protest
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
There is a fire. Keen observers will note that it is a dumpster fire in the middle of the street and not the PPA building, which remains not on fire pic.twitter.com/0ZNiqNdYk2
A good sign pic.twitter.com/z0xYU0yf4l
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
A keen-eyed protester has spotted a surveillance drone and is shining a truly impressive laser at it. His accuracy and skill is astounding. Surely this some kind of super-soldier
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Ok fine it is a good dumpster fire, you can have a picture of it, as a treat pic.twitter.com/IUxEk77RFG
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
LRAD declares an unlawful assembly without explanation
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Riot declares. Protest driven several blocks pic.twitter.com/zEoWRrR4fv
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Barricade pic.twitter.com/kIoV96QVuZ
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Restoring thread integrity:https://t.co/FyZEW4fMzn
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Someone is playing I Will Survive. God bless
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Protesters trying to get the crowd together and tight. The park makes this difficult. We're more used to streets
SO MANY REINFORCEMENTS just showed up pic.twitter.com/lBSIWMY0Ed
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Police fire a large amount of what I think was smoke, then leave. My god there were a lot of them
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Crowd regrouping. Less attrition than I thought. They are water. They are flowing back
Maybe 1/4 of the protest starts to move out. The rest scream at them to come back. They don't seem to be listening
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Weekend problems, man. Larger numbers, less cohesion
Op and the person on the mic is talking about how they've been here since day 1
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Man, there were about a thousand people out here on Day 1, just ask them
I wasn't. I was out on Day 2. Day 1 was maybe 30 people. Day 2 was maybe 100
A resident is yelling at the protest. The protest is yelling at the resident
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
"Slow down in the front!!"
Not the most organized night we've ever had
Oh cool all press and legal observers have been allowed to leave
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Very legal
They decided not to kettle us. Let us know they could and then let us pass
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Same old shit with the press. Keeping us to the sidewalk, keeping us behind them. They have learned to brutalize with impunity. I have to get better
Notice there's no arrest here. A brutal slam. Catch and release
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
The idea is to hurt people extralegally#PortlandProtests #PortlandOregon #PortlandStrong #BlackLivesMatter #acab #PoliceBrutality #protest2020 pic.twitter.com/9kcjmzSxCg
More of that shoving shit#PortlandProtests #PortlandOregon #PortlandStrong #BlackLivesMatter #acab #PoliceBrutality #protest2020 pic.twitter.com/DTUCjOsPpy
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
I'm gonna figure out tweet threads someday, hand to God
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Not tonight clearlyhttps://t.co/5ZfJq7zeka
The group pauses. Figures out where everyone else is. Gets ready to try and rejoin them
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
"If they come through, say 'hands up don't shoot!' "
I'm not as optimistic but we'll see
Someone has seen someone else that tried to fight them a different time. Allegations of an attempted stabbing
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
She really wants to have it out right now
"____! This is not the time"
Chants of "no justice, no peace!" keep the peace, ironically
And we've been met by the cops at Denver and Winchell
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Targeted arrests threatened very specifically over the LRAD. Press reminded that we aren't allowed to be here because the First Amendment is a relic of a more civilized time
"you, bar security! No press pass. Time to go"
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
" I'm not bar security anymore, I'm an armed security guard"
"no one cares. Get out of here!"
Then they grabbed her ziptied wrists and hauled her up. I can't imagine this didn't hurt her shoulders
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
They said she was grabbing them. "I'm not" she said
Then they turned out the lights
Then I turned on my light
Part 1 uphttps://t.co/Y3rxHXJSyx
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Part 2 is uphttps://t.co/VCuBVxyr40
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Final part is up. Sound on for all of thesehttps://t.co/paaAJYFaTw
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Well that was certainly an evening. Home safe. Gonna have a shower beer and edit video till 7AM
— Laura Jedeed is Kind of Back I Guess (@LauraJedeed) August 9, 2020
Speaking of beer, absolutely no pressure but if you found this helpful and wanted to buy me one, I'd never say no
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