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A devastatingly beautiful evening. Light fades from the sky. A cool breeze as I walk, once again, towards Floyd Light Park for another night of live-tweeting
#DefendPDX #portlandprotests #pdxprotest #blacklivesmatter
#police #acab #trumpsgestapo #momsarehere #portlandprotest
#DefendPDX #portlandprotests #pdxprotest #blacklivesmatter
#police #acab #trumpsgestapo #momsarehere #portlandprotest
People hanging out on and around the track in the park--maybe 150? We saw a bunch of cops in twos and threes, just hanging out, as we walked up
I've taken the unprecedented step of putting my mask and goggles at least half-on. All things considered, seems better to be prepared
I've taken the unprecedented step of putting my mask and goggles at least half-on. All things considered, seems better to be prepared
Not seeing any signs of marching yet. Someone offers people helmets. A group grilling in the parking lot
Lots of rumors flying around. People are on edge, but in a way that only people very accustomed to being on edge can be
Lots of rumors flying around. People are on edge, but in a way that only people very accustomed to being on edge can be
A protester leads a small group in a chant:
"It is our duty to fight for our freedom!"
"It is our duty to win!"
"We must love each other and support each other!"
"We have nothing to lose but our chains!"
They go through it three times.
Everyone applauds
"It is our duty to fight for our freedom!"
"It is our duty to win!"
"We must love each other and support each other!"
"We have nothing to lose but our chains!"
They go through it three times.
Everyone applauds
An NLG volunteer goes around and makes sure everyone has the number
"It feels very peaceful right now," my protest comrade remarks. It really does. Soft music. I can smell the grill. Beautiful night
The future is an abstraction
"It feels very peaceful right now," my protest comrade remarks. It really does. Soft music. I can smell the grill. Beautiful night
The future is an abstraction
The protest assembles in the parking lot
A protester tells people to go onto private property to avoid arrest
"Find a house with a Black Lives Matter sign! If you're white, find an All Lives Matter sign and play the game! We need all of you!"
A protester tells people to go onto private property to avoid arrest
"Find a house with a Black Lives Matter sign! If you're white, find an All Lives Matter sign and play the game! We need all of you!"
"Be sure to chant the names of people who died here, not just in Minneapolis! Anarchy is great, but black lives fucking matter!"
Huge applause. The crowd chants: Black Lives Matter
The names start:
Aaron Campbell
Kendra James
TeTe Gully
Quanice Hayes
Huge applause. The crowd chants: Black Lives Matter
The names start:
Aaron Campbell
Kendra James
TeTe Gully
Quanice Hayes
As soon as we step into the street, the LRAD says:
"We believe that your intention is to vandalize or attempt to burn down East Precinct. If you attempt to [do this] you will be subject to use of force and etc"
Fucking surreal
"We believe that your intention is to vandalize or attempt to burn down East Precinct. If you attempt to [do this] you will be subject to use of force and etc"
Fucking surreal
The thing is, I think they really do believe that
Or maybe it's just what they need to believe
I don't know
Chant: "Fuck Ted Wheeler!"
Or maybe it's just what they need to believe
I don't know
Chant: "Fuck Ted Wheeler!"
Roof cop spotted. The crowd pauses to chant at him: "No Justice, No Peace!"
"You got my back? I got your back!"
Wonder what they'll do if we just stay here?
"You got my back? I got your back!"
Wonder what they'll do if we just stay here?
Now in front of the east precinct and I just didn't notice
A protester whacks the building with a lacrosse stick. Someone else bangs on the doors with their fists
I expect the building to collapse under the onslaught any second now
A protester whacks the building with a lacrosse stick. Someone else bangs on the doors with their fists
I expect the building to collapse under the onslaught any second now
A woman stands in front of the building and tries to defend it
Someone has thrown a paint can. It partially splatters her.
She is yelling that Jesus died for our sins
She is surrounded by cameras
Someone has thrown a paint can. It partially splatters her.
She is yelling that Jesus died for our sins
She is surrounded by cameras
Unlawful assembly declared. We are ordered to move North
Terrible damage done to East Precinct so far
@45thabsurdist observes that the LRAD telling us to disperse North seems, in fact, to be North of us
Not a great sign. Impossible orders proceed the worst violence
Not a great sign. Impossible orders proceed the worst violence
Regardless, the crowd is certainly not going to disperse until made to
All attacks on the precinct building have stopped. Protesters chant: "no good cops in a racist system!"
A protester strums a guitar. Someone puts on funk music
All attacks on the precinct building have stopped. Protesters chant: "no good cops in a racist system!"
A protester strums a guitar. Someone puts on funk music
Will this contained trash fire burn the brick precinct down somehow? I'm guessing Ted Wheeler will say yes tomorrow
This trash fire is one of the finest examples of trolling I've seen off the internet
Probably 250 people here now. Keep in mind I'm very bad at estimating crowd size. Bigger than yesterday for sure
The trash fire still hasn't burned the precinct building down
The trash fire still hasn't burned the precinct building down
LRAD reminds us that it's still an unlawful assembly. Tells us to move to the North
Cops still staging North of us
East Precinct building still not on fire
Cops still staging North of us
East Precinct building still not on fire
"No Lives Matter Unless Black Lives Matter!"
Someone does a graffiti
East Precinct still not on fire
Someone does a graffiti
East Precinct still not on fire
Will I ever be able to satisfactorily listen to The Coup again without playing an LRAD over it for flavor?
The trash fire has gone out. East Precinct remains not on fire
The trash fire has gone out. East Precinct remains not on fire
A guy with a large media camera followed by a dude with an American Flag mask
There is some concern
"He's my security guard," large camera guy says. They don't seem to be causing trouble
People decide to leave them alone
East precinct still not on fire
There is some concern
"He's my security guard," large camera guy says. They don't seem to be causing trouble
People decide to leave them alone
East precinct still not on fire
East Precinct still not on fire https://twitter.com/shane_burley1/status/1291604019077472256?s=19
Sure enough they come up from the south
Here we go
Here we go
Cops drive protesters through the pitch black park. Impossible to take video
Driven to Ventura Park. They yelled at the press to 'not interfere with the line' and then sprinted. Only a few manages to keep up. I caught up but not in time to film the violence I saw from a distance, which I'm sure was the idea
Protesters tell the cops to stop blocking traffic
The cops pile on riot vans and drive away
Protesters cheer and begin, slowly, to follow
Protesters cheer and begin, slowly, to follow
A small line forms immediately
Tear gas fired. Hardly the worst gassing we've endured. No one breaks
The road, as PPB is so fond of saying, is still open to traffic. Cars drive through the toxic clouds
The road, as PPB is so fond of saying, is still open to traffic. Cars drive through the toxic clouds
The line stands for a while. Screams for everyone to get the fuck out the street. I brace myself fora bullrush
Stupid in retrospect--not enough of them for that. They sprint to their riot van and jet down the road
Stupid in retrospect--not enough of them for that. They sprint to their riot van and jet down the road
I was scared about tonight. Still am. But so far it feels like any other night. Not significantly worse than last night. Better in some ways
The night is young of course
The night is young of course
The protest begins to move back down Stark, slowly and together
"How do you spell Nazi? PPB!"
"How do you spell Nazi? PPB!"
"I fuckin love you!" Someone yells at us from their house. Cheers
Not that it's a total lovefest out here. I heard a couple white guys on a street corner talk about "backing the blue" while I was sprinting by earlier
Not that it's a total lovefest out here. I heard a couple white guys on a street corner talk about "backing the blue" while I was sprinting by earlier
Back at that Nazis house from. Last night
A protester breaks her window. No sign of life in there
"Let's go!" someone yells. Seems like a good plan
A protester breaks her window. No sign of life in there
"Let's go!" someone yells. Seems like a good plan
People sticking around. Mostly press. I am suddenly extremely conscious of my own motivations for being here and decide to rejoin the rest of the protest
Protesters stopped at 108th and Washington, grooving to "Lockdown" by Anderson Paak (thank you Shazam). A few protesters jam to the sultry beat
"Shields up! Stay prepared and be ready! Should we move or should we stay? "
"Shields up! Stay prepared and be ready! Should we move or should we stay? "
A nice sign
This is a profoundly weird place to stop. Fork in the road, already kind of confusing traffic-wise. It's a dark night and everyone's in black
Seems like we're staying here anyway for now
Seems like we're staying here anyway for now
As soon as I sent tweet they arrived and bullrushed the fuck out of us. All-out sprint trying to film
They pushed us to 102nd and Pine
Here they come again
They pushed us to 102nd and Pine
Here they come again
A small group of police appear to be semi-surrounded
It's a weird situation
An officer tells us to back up off the street (and stop filming) so we don't get run over by the truck coming to extract them. "It's fucking common sense"
Thank you for your professionalism OSP
It's a weird situation
An officer tells us to back up off the street (and stop filming) so we don't get run over by the truck coming to extract them. "It's fucking common sense"
Thank you for your professionalism OSP
The stranded group of police
The police beat a hasty retraat and the protesters are left at this weird-ass intersection, unsure of what to do
We're pretty scattered
@45thabsurdist tells me a group got shoved up Pine street
Rumors of a group currently being pushed up Stark. Not sure that's true
We start to try to regroup
@45thabsurdist tells me a group got shoved up Pine street
Rumors of a group currently being pushed up Stark. Not sure that's true
We start to try to regroup
Getting reports from protesters as we go
My protest buddy was shoved to the ground while crossing the street as instructed
Another protester describes being shoved to the ground, then picked up by her pack. "Get home safe, miss!" the cop said to her
My protest buddy was shoved to the ground while crossing the street as instructed
Another protester describes being shoved to the ground, then picked up by her pack. "Get home safe, miss!" the cop said to her
Thread continues here. You'd thing by night 71 I could manage this but no https://twitter.com/1misanthrophile/status/1291621136459952129?s=19
