Protests for July 11

Posted on by audrey

Summary

On Saturday, a number of protests took place throughout the metro area, including a PDX Stripper Strike march, a BIPOC-led Worldwide Rollout event, and neighborhood marches and rallies. As protesters began to gather outside the Justice Center and Federal Courthouse in the evening, federal law enforcement swept through the parks across the street, using a substantial amount of tear gas. They held a perimeter of several blocks for about an hour before falling back to the courthouse. As the tear gas cleared enough to follow, protesters returned to the area outside the courthouse. Then one of them was shot in the head with an impact munition and injured severely. They are currently hospitalized in serious condition.

The confrontations continued, with protesters being shot with more pepper balls, and waves of tear gas used to clear the area outside the courthouse. Several arrests were made during those sweeps. Around 2 AM the Portland Police joined the feds in pushing protesters out of the downtown area, declaring that it was now closed. This area includes many people’s homes, including those who are houseless and camp on downtown sidewalks.

A group is now standing vigil at Emmanuel Hospital in NE Portland, where injured protesters were taken.

Scheduled Events

Timeline

PDX Stripper Strike is marching across the Hawthorne Bridge:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CChWoL_AT53/

Crossing the Burnside Bridge for the #PDXStandingBy march:

Nice turnout for the skate event:

And out at Gateway:

Audrey stopped by a neighborhood event:

Around 8:30 PM people outside the Federal Courthouse heard an LRAD system being tested. It seems to have been installed at the front entrance.

Not long after, federal law enforcement (some mix of USM/CBP/ICE, details unclear), rushed out of the building and cleared people from the parks.

https://twitter.com/LindseyPSmith7/status/1282169912408936449

CW for graphic violence:

https://twitter.com/hungrybowtie/status/1282176328305762307

During that push (CW for video of the seizure):

https://twitter.com/LindseyPSmith7/status/1282178070133141504

Because of COVID, several of the protest reporters are laid off from other arts and culture work:

LRAD video not recommended if you have difficulty with sirens or flashing lights:

https://twitter.com/LindseyPSmith7/status/1282193748063969281

Feds don’t seem to care too much about who’s press:

Finally, the courthouse doors are closed.

And the feds are back (so soon??)

We’ve lost track of how many rounds of tear gas this is. They started around 9 PM.

Multiple reports of them targeting press tonight, and here’s another:

https://twitter.com/defendpdx/status/1282242663723360256
https://twitter.com/LindseyPSmith7/status/1282245923226050565

The downtown closure is stranding people who need to get cars and bikes from the large area affected.

The same car has been spotted driving aggressively toward protesters multiple times tonight:

https://twitter.com/LindseyPSmith7/status/1282255102149967873

Police are continuing to chase protesters to the west, across I-405 (about 3/4 mile from the Justice Center).

The person who was shot in the head is badly injured:

Media

Present

Articles

OPB

Federal Officers Shoot Portland Protester In Head With ‘Less Lethal’ Munitions

The Oregonian

Portland protests continue for 45th day with stripper, skater, BLM events

Police shoot Portland protester in head with impact weapon, causing severe injuries

Portland Tribune

Local clubs sign on with PDX Stripper Strike demands

Willamette Week

Oregon Governor and Senators Condemn Trump’s Use of “Occupying Army” on Portland Protesters

Video Shows Federal Officers Flinging Tear Gas Canisters Into Portland Crowd

Police

Agencies present

  • Federal miscellanea (Marshals, CBP, ICE)
  • PPB

Munitions used

Number of arrests

PPB: 1 / Federal: 1

Charges

  • Unlawful Pointing of a Laser
  • Assaulting a federal officer