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I am live tweeting from #Laurelhurst Park where the city of Portland is sweeping the encampment. I talked with Pony, who gestures toward his tent. “This was the first time I had a structure in eight years.”
“Slowly we came together as a collective,” Pony said. “Now all the chaos of them kicking us out. People are just trying to survive.”
Walking up to the stretches of tents and tarps on this bright winter day during these difficult days of the pandemic, I’m struck by the large houses — mansions even — looking out over the stretch of tents. This is the landscape of our city and its extreme disparities.
“Life happens when you are making other plans, so be kind,” Coffee tells me as he packs up.
“I don’t know where I’m going. I’m only here because of domestic violence in the first place,” a woman tells me. “I am a survivor and a warrior. We need more love and support. Society doesn’t know how to treat victims of abuse. They either ignore us or add to the abuse.”
Lots of generosity. Beacon PDX is out giving people rides. There’s coffee and lunches bagged up. @ACLU_OR legal observers are standing by.
