Hi there, coming at you from outside the Portland ICE building, where perhaps 100 protesters are creating a memorial for this, International Holocaust Remembrance Day

The ICE building is darker than usual. No floodlights. Maybe they are displaying the tiniest bit of self-awareness re: how deeply and profoundly fucked up it would be and also look for them to violently disperse a Holocaust Memorial

I'm very hopeful that this will be a short and uneventful thread. I hope it can be a quiet night of remembrance for perhaps the greatest crime ever perpetrated by human beings in the history of the species

Some satire to ponder as we stand outside the ICE building, which houses an institution that systematically dehumanizes, sterilizes, and steals children from those they describe as parasites on American society https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theonion.com/holocaust-survivors-recall-exact-day-holocaust-started-1830685498/amp

More pictures of the Holocaust memorial outside Portland's ICE building tonight

A thread worth revisiting today https://twitter.com/threatresearch/status/1349408763648876544?s=19

Someone beats out two sharp bursts on a drum and everyone--myself included--freezes and goes silent until we realize what the sudden noise was

The crowd begins to chant in time with the drum:

"What's outrageous?"
"Kids in cages!"

"How do you spell Nazi?"
"DHS!"

An American flag burns in the mddle of the street

When I graduated Basic Training, Drill SGT Sillaway--douchiest of all my Drill SGTs--told us we were soldiers now and that we would now see the world differently

He specifically mentioned seeing an American Flag disrespected as an example

Buddy, you don't know the half of it

A few thoughts on flags:

*Free speech is literally our first listed right, which makes flag-burning inherently American

*America has a lot of shit to answer for on the subject of dehumanization and eugenics--now, today, not in the past

If this makes you mad maybe fix America

Things remain calm. A slow beat from the drummers. People chatting. Somewhat more somber than usual, as it should be

Chant: "Chinga la Migra!!"

Protesters chanting loudly in front of the ICE building and you are not going to believe this but despite a total lack of tear gas and impact munitions everything's actually totally OK and safe

Almost makes you wonder if things would be fine every time if they just stayed inside

Protesters drape a flag over the stone wall at the border of Federal property and light it on fire

Almost immediately the Fed DJ LRAD warns protesters not to trespass and that even the press will be subject to arrest and etc, etc, the usual

The tone of the Fed DJ LRAD is more mellow than usual. Soothing, almost

Just want to reiterate that there's literally no one stopping them from being more chill even on days that are NOT International Holocaust Remembrance Day

I feel like I'm smelling something tear-gas-esque but figure I'm imagining it until the group next to me comments on it too

We realize it's the van that just drove by, kicking up the chemicals that have soaked into the street

And we have a dumpster fire in front of the ICE building

Fed DJ LRAD playing the recorded warning again

I don't know if it's actually gas mask time, but I think I would rather have my mask on when it's not gas mask time than not have it when it's gas mask time so here we go

Other protesters also donning masks

No motion within the ICE building

The dumpster fire burns

The dumpster fire has migrated to juuuust outside federal property

Not blocking the driveway either

Dumpster pushed into the driveway and ICE agents immediately emerge firing. They got me in my filming hand, second and third finger. Not gonna lie this shit hurts a lot. Nothing broken though

Currently a standoff

Protesters forming back up. Chanting. At the crosswalk maybe 30 feet from the driveway. Some press closer

"Fuck your concentration camps!!"

Someone asks DHS why they're wearing gas masks to a Holocaust Memorial and oh boy. Oh boy

Standoff continues

Shift change arrives. Line pushes protesters well back from the driveway. New standoff

Not very many of them in the police line tonight

More reinforcements in cars arrive and enter the building

I'm starting to suspect they weren't prepared for this action. Doesn't seem possible. It was quite public

Still, here we are

A squad in green chem lights joins the line, who has red chem lights. Wonder what the lights designate

Still a standoff

They've already lost. Surely they know this. Optically, there's nothing they can do that won't make them look like shit

It's why we haven't been gassed yet

Id estimate maybe 75 protesters here. 25 facing the cop line mere feet away, the rest waiting well back on the sidewalks and street

(Not relevant to the tactical situation but I can make a fist with the hand they shot and also move my fingers just fine can I get a W in the chat)

@2_legz letting the cops know what they did wrong. Check any stream, you'll see it

Fun fact: DHS could now easily move the flaming dumpster out of their driveway and/or put the fire out but choose not to

Almost like it was never that big a problem

Some DHS agent tries to stop @2_legz from lighting up a blunt and suddenly shit gets very, very tense

Apparently the officer is complaining that the smoke bothers him

They are all wearing gas masks

I cannot

Correction: some of the DHS agents in front are just wearing neck gaiters and face shields, not gas masks. I maintain it's funny that the people who gas us regularly with very dangerous chemicals are worried about a little pot smoke

(the lack of footage is because every streamer here is filming the fuck out of this and I can't and won't fight my way in to get footage)

SWAT Van pulls our of ICE. More cops join the line

Still a standoff

Despite the reinforcements the dumpster fire still has not been put out or moved

Hand to God someone in bloc is doing the splits right now, limbering up, and whoever you are that's some powerful energy

For those of you worried about the dumpster fire I have some good news: the fire department is here

The dumpster fire is out. RIP

What is dead may never die but rises again, smellier and more on fire

Now that they've neutralized the existential threat of smouldering trash, DHS retreats behind the ICE building gates with bursts of impact munitions

Imagine this clip but for like 3 minutes, on and off

Unlawful assembly declared. Protesters ordered to leave North on Moody or east on Bancroft

No sign of that happening

ICE agents and riot vans emerge and push

Say anyone without press credentials must leave

Currently lined up on Moody and Bancroft

A push, a charge, a bullrush. Holocaust Remembrance Day 2021

After the rush, the cops did another standoff, then slowly retreated. Somewhere along the line they lit up @2_legz with pepper balls

They have just retreated back into the ICE building again. Riot van loaded up and drove off

All's quiet

From earlier: @2_legz lambastes the cop who shot him with pepper balls while another protester serenades us with a ukulele rendition of "all you fascists bound to lose"

A weird end to the evening: someone shines a laser pointer and then a flashlight at protesters from the hills behind ICE. I guess someone was filming from there the other night? I'm not sure, it definitely spooked people though

After that people left, which was frankly awesome. No waiting around while the thing sputters out, no gradual sleepy attrition, just a spontaneous acknowledgement that the action is done

Solidarity to the few people who remained out there!

Epilogue: my spectacular luck saves me yet again. Look where this pepper ball hit: right between my fingers

A centimeter's difference and either my middle finger, ring finger, or hand itself would be FUCKED

As it is? Fine

Selling my soul to the devil sure is working out for me