Summary
During the day community members met at Kenton Park in North Portland to clean up the park and the bordering neighborhood. Kenton Park and the surrounding area leading to The Portland Police Association nearby has been the site of many protests in the last few months. As a result, community-made flyers indicating that there has been high levels of tear gas exposure in the area have been posted around the neighborhood. Another unfortunate result is the litter that sometimes got left behind by the large crowds. In response, community members got together for a couple of hours and were provided tools and trash bags to pick up litter in the area.
In the evening, a march by PDX Black Youth Movement led protesters in downtown Portland. This event drew around 100 people, who marched around the downtown area chanting the names of victims of police violence, including Jacob Blake, and asking those watching from their windows above the streets to join them. There were also speeches along the route by young black activists leading the march. By about 9:45 pm, the group of protesters returned to Duniway Park, where they had begun their march, and the event ended.
Following the end of the march downtown, there was some confusion about whether or not there was another demonstration planned for the night. There was some talk on social media of protesters reconvening at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building, but a protest in that area didn’t appear to materialize. An event hadn’t been planned, which left the night’s protests to end by 10 pm.
Scheduled Events
- Justice for Patrick Kimmons – 10 am
- Kenton Park to PPA Neighborhood Cleanup – 3 pm
- Portland United for Justice and Equality at Pioneer Square – 6 pm
- March for Justice for Jacob Blake – 6 pm
Timeline
In the middle of the day, community members assembled at Kenton Park near The Portland Police Association building to clean up the park and neighborhood.
Here at Kenton park for the Kenton to PPA Direct Community Action neighborhood cleanup. People are still trickling in and cleanup supplies are being passed out while more people find the group. pic.twitter.com/nlOt7sy2Oe
— Jake “✊️???????✊️” Johnson (@FancyJenkins) August 27, 2020
Not really necessary to be a video, but video is necessary to get the thin paper decorations fluttering in the breeze. There is a piano out here that wants you to come play it. Sanitize your hands before and after please! pic.twitter.com/EEMsb5GbmL
— Jake “✊️???????✊️” Johnson (@FancyJenkins) August 27, 2020
— Jake “✊️???????✊️” Johnson (@FancyJenkins) August 27, 2020
After cleaning up some neighborhood side streets around PPA people with the Trash Bloc have headed off for the evening pic.twitter.com/Wg1gvvARCG
— Jake “✊️???????✊️” Johnson (@FancyJenkins) August 28, 2020
On my way back to my car I found this bonus content: pic.twitter.com/WhpOQ7uAkf
— Jake “✊️???????✊️” Johnson (@FancyJenkins) August 28, 2020
In the early evening protesters gathered at Duniway Park in Southwest Portland for a march.
I’m at Duniway Park in Southwest Portland today covering the March for Justice for Jacob Blake, organized by PDX Black Youth Movement.
— Cata Gaitán (@catalinagaitan_) August 28, 2020
About are ~30 people are gathered in the park holding signs, and a medic tent and a table by PDX Resistance Assistance are getting set up. pic.twitter.com/ypCDU3JH00
The crowd at Duniway Park has grown to ~100 people. Here are some signs:
— Cata Gaitán (@catalinagaitan_) August 28, 2020
“EVERY COP HAS BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS”
“NATIVE LATINX ASIAN LGBTQ+ TRANS DISABLED / BLACK LIVES MATTER”
“WHITE SILENCE = WHITE VIOLENCE”
“WE PAY YOUR SALARY / YOU WORK FOR US / DON’T SHOOT” pic.twitter.com/kD6KK6rAtg
Frontline Drumline is warming up.
— Cata Gaitán (@catalinagaitan_) August 28, 2020
People continue to trickle into the park, getting free slices of pizza, granola bars and sparkling waters from PDX Resistance Assistance and checking out supplies in the medic tent.
The march is expected to begin at 7 p.m. pic.twitter.com/XGPIj4kfiy
A PDXBYM organizer just addressed the crowd on a megaphone:
— Cata Gaitán (@catalinagaitan_) August 28, 2020
“If you have a shield right now, please be standing in the front or surrounding us. Otherwise, please give your shield to someone who’s willing to do that.”
A truck leads the crowd down SW Sixth Ave. as marchers chant “Black lives matter!” pic.twitter.com/2tSZ0ye7qN
— Cata Gaitán (@catalinagaitan_) August 28, 2020
Marchers go silent to listen as a PDXBYM organizer reads the organization’s housing and education demands.
— Cata Gaitán (@catalinagaitan_) August 28, 2020
“I need everybody to use their voices. I need everybody to get mad. Jacob Blake was shot seven times! We need to show America we’re not okay with this. So get loud!”
The crowd marches past The Cheerful Tortoise, where Portland State University campus public safety officers fatally shot Jason Washington, a Black man, in 2018.
— Cata Gaitán (@catalinagaitan_) August 28, 2020
On Aug. 13, PSU announced they would disarm their campus police starting this fall.
“Whose streets? Our streets!” pic.twitter.com/7w4n6u15QE
The march pauses on SW Sixth and Market for a moment of silence for Jason Washington and all Black people who have been killed by police.
— Cata Gaitán (@catalinagaitan_) August 28, 2020
On the count of three, the crowd is asked to shout out the names of people passing through their minds: pic.twitter.com/VTNSN1uIHe
“Black people shouldn’t have to be perfect for them to live. Why is it that white people can be drug dealers and rapists and criminals? And we know our president is a rapist and a criminal. So why is it Black people have to die?”
— Cata Gaitán (@catalinagaitan_) August 28, 2020
March is moving north again down SW Sixth Ave. One person holds up a sign reading: “BLACK TRANS LIVES MATTER / *TONGUE POP*”
— Cata Gaitán (@catalinagaitan_) August 28, 2020
The crowd is chanting:
“A – C – A – B!”
“All cops are bastards!” pic.twitter.com/c06pxFdYsS
An organizer yells up at residents watching the march from their apartment windows:
— Cata Gaitán (@catalinagaitan_) August 28, 2020
“March with us! You cannot make change from your windows! Your black screen isn’t going to save my life!”
The crowd responds by chanting “March with us!” pic.twitter.com/XXR0hjt1Xy
Marchers pause with their hands up in front of Portland City Hall, chanting “hands up, don’t shoot!” pic.twitter.com/c6p1sjlrvD
— Cata Gaitán (@catalinagaitan_) August 28, 2020
“Black people move to the center and move to the front. We’re here for you. Tonight is all for you.”
— Cata Gaitán (@catalinagaitan_) August 28, 2020
The crowd is now marching south on SW Fifth, chanting “No good cops in a racist system!” pic.twitter.com/ShkeSoW2qO
— Cata Gaitán (@catalinagaitan_) August 28, 2020
“St. Mary’s was extremely racist for me and for so many other girls. Just like Portland. Every single Portland Public School has one of these stories … Make that not a reality for your city anymore.” (2/2)
— Cata Gaitán (@catalinagaitan_) August 28, 2020
Marchers arrived back at Duniway Park, where people lingered in groups chatting and some played their drums. A speaker walked through the crowd with a megaphone:
— Cata Gaitán (@catalinagaitan_) August 28, 2020
“Does anybody need help getting home? Anybody need to be walked back to their cars? Anybody need money for the bus?”
While there was talk on social media of protesters reconvening at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building, it didn’t appear to draw enough numbers to move forward.
Sounds like a small group is heading to ice. No one wanted to over shadow youth March with a late direct action. Lots of people marched earlier, just wrapped up.
— Griffin – Live from Portland (@GriffinMalone6) August 28, 2020
Media
Present
- Cata Gaitán – CashApp: $catalinagaitan / Venmo: @catalina-gaitan
- Griffin Malone – CashApp $griffinmalone
- Jake Johnson @FancyJenkins – CashApp: $bucksarecool / Venmo: jakefartstoo / http://Paypal.me/fancyjenkins
Articles
Courthouse News Service
Feds in Portland Now Unrestrained in Removing Journalists at Protests
The Guardian
White supremacists and militias have infiltrated police across US, report says
Jefferson Public Radio
Portland Protests Reach Three Months. OPB’s Sergio Olmos Explains
KOIN
74 face federal charges from Portland protests
NPR
Police Declare Portland Protests A Riot But This Definition Could Be Rooted In Racism
OPB
Appeals court suspends protections for journalists, legal observers covering protests
As the nation reckons with race, a new poll finds white Americans least engaged
Pence aide: NBA protest over Kenosha are ‘absurd and silly’
The Oregonian
Black National Convention puts spotlight on police brutality
Portland Business Alliance says mayor pledged quick action to revive downtown
Portland police ramp up protest enforcement; 217 arrests in August, half of those since last week
Portland Mercury
Portland Police Say They’re Needed to Prevent Gun Violence. Experts Disagree.
Portland Tribune
Portland police overtime up 200% in June as staffing slumps
Willamette Week
In Purge of Extremists, Facebook Removes Page of Portland Protest Organizers
Mayor Ted Wheeler Wants an End to Violence at Protests and Pledges to Restart the City’s Economy
U.S. Attorney’s Office Levies Federal Charges Against 74 Portland Protesters
Police
Agencies Present
None
Munitions
None
Arrests
None
Charges
None