Summary
Laurelhurst Park in North Portland is home to a houseless encampment community who received a notice a few days ago that the park was going to be cleared and they would have to leave. In response, community members have organized a Stop the Sweep rally to defend our houseless neighbors from the police clearing the camp. Some community members were in the area bright and early, by 6 am, to watch the area for police. About 50 protesters arrived later in the morning, but just before 9 am a small group of Portland Police officers arrived to tell the protesters that a sweep would not be conducted today. They did not, however, answer protesters asking if a sweep would take place tomorrow. Despite this announcement, around 9:30 am speeches by activists and houseless folks began. Afterwards community members remained at the park until at least mid-day, by which time the threat faced by the houseless folks in the area had decreased.
Scheduled Events
- Stop the Sweep – all morning/all day
Timeline
Community members gather at Laurelhurst Park bright and early to defend the houseless encampment against a possible raid by Portland Police.
Good morning PDX I’m here chilling at the park at one of the corner access points. Good turnout come on down FREE communist coffee. Its the best coffee I’ve ever had. Communist Coffee ™️
— Cozca Ītzpāpālōtl (@cozca503) November 10, 2020
Currently at Laurelhurst Park where a group of activists are shielding a houseless camp in an eviction defense because the Homelessness and Urban Camping Impact Reduction Program (HUCIRP) have posted for a sweep today.
— Alissa Azar (@R3volutionDaddy) November 10, 2020
Some interviews with Laurelhurst encampment community members:
Rob has never been homeless (his wording) before. He says he hates it, but the sense of community in the Laurelhurst encampment is nice. Rob quit drinking 5 weeks ago and is really benefitting from that.
— Melissa “Claudio” Lewis (@Claudio_Report) November 10, 2020
Rob wants nothing more than to go back to South Carolina to join his wife and daughter, but this is his best option for. Losing his community on Laurelhurst would be devastating.
— Melissa “Claudio” Lewis (@Claudio_Report) November 10, 2020
“They’re supposed to come today, so I’m clearing the sidewalks.”
— Melissa “Claudio” Lewis (@Claudio_Report) November 10, 2020
I ask her if she’s hoping that having the encampment extra clean today will prevent the sweep from happening. “I hope so,” she says.
A group of BLM protesters and antifa stand at the end of the street, an upside down American flag waving overhead. They’re waiting for police. A mutual aid table is available for the community. pic.twitter.com/qA2splukkz
— Melissa “Claudio” Lewis (@Claudio_Report) November 10, 2020
Portland Police officers come and announce that they will not be displacing the houseless community today.
Officers showed and cryptically said there would be no sweeps TODAY. No response for tomorrow. This video was provided graciously by a protester, as my legs are short. pic.twitter.com/1ytEGgMyk0
— Melissa “Claudio” Lewis (@Claudio_Report) November 10, 2020
Officer Jacobsen with the neighborhood emergency response team said that the sweep isn’t happening today but that people all need to get out of the streets. He couldn’t say when it would be taking place
— Alissa Azar (@R3volutionDaddy) November 10, 2020
Some literature and some of the signs posted around. Press conference will be starting shortly pic.twitter.com/zW9WCvb1wH
— Alissa Azar (@R3volutionDaddy) November 10, 2020
Good morning, I’m at Laurelhurst Park where perhaps 50 protesters are here to protect a large homeless camp from destruction at the hands of the policei pic.twitter.com/F7FiK6SzJj
— Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) November 10, 2020
@tents4homes is here’s handing out new tents, clean socks, tarps for the community. This is essential mutual aid and one you should be paying attention to, especially this winter.
— Melissa “Claudio” Lewis (@Claudio_Report) November 10, 2020
A picture of the notice that the Laurelhurst Park community received:
Property will be “destroyed”. That is some harsh wording. pic.twitter.com/Y89t9UndH9
— Melissa “Claudio” Lewis (@Claudio_Report) November 10, 2020
Just talked to a couple people from @tents4homes manning a table with hot coffee, handwarmers, and pastries
— Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) November 10, 2020
No one is quite sure who set up the table. These events are like that sometimes. People quietly doing nice things and vanishing without a trace pic.twitter.com/DRf56k29KP
Chants of “house keys not handcuffs!” led by a very small child
— Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) November 10, 2020
Children don’t really have the agency to hold political ideas they weren’t fed and I’m always vaguely bothered by this sort of thing, but it’s a good message
Camilla from Free Hot Soup speaks:
“the city’s decision to sweep this homeless camp in the middle of a global pandemic is cruel and inhumane!”
— Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) November 10, 2020
Applause
“The city claims that these sweeps are in the best interest of public health and safety. These people are not our enemies. These sweeps do not make anybody safer”
— Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) November 10, 2020
“The real crisis is capitalism!” Applause. “There are more than enough resources.” But our priorities are fucked up
More from Free Hot Soup: “the crisis is capitalism,” and “solidarity is an unlimited resource.” pic.twitter.com/nMSuGAq83h
— 45th parallel absurdist brigade (@45thabsurdist) November 10, 2020
A joint statement from a group of leftist organizations in the city:
“Taking people’s property away does not make them disappear, but it does make their plight more deadly.” Cold can kill. Stress, dehumanization, and destruction of community injures in more subtle ways.
— Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) November 10, 2020
The statement points out the added danger of COVID on top of all this. Crowded shelters are far more dangerous than outdoor camps
— Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) November 10, 2020
They talk about the double standards imposed on the houseless
— Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) November 10, 2020
“Is there no trash in your home?”
“Are people in homes staying 12 feet apart?”
Of course people aren’t living ideally on the streets. So let’s help instead of sweep
“The fact of the matter is, sweeps kill”
— Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) November 10, 2020
“The problem is that people value property over human life. And if that doesn’t change, the dark days of Trump will just continue”
A houseless community member speaks:
They talk about how people sleeping drunk in their vehicle are vulnerable to DUIs if their keys are in the ignition: a pretty reasonable place to store keys
— Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) November 10, 2020
No one gets arrested for sleeping it off in their homes. That’s what you’re supposed to do
They talk about the importance of abolishing corporate personhood often used against homeless people in court–something I wasn’t aware of
— Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) November 10, 2020
How courts do not treat homeless people fairly, how they are demeaned and not provided adequate access to attorneys
Pat Snyder from Beacon PDX speaks:
Pat talks about how she had choice this morning about what to wear. It’s cold out here. She’s dressed for it, as am I
— Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) November 10, 2020
The people in this camp do not have these kind of options, partly because regular sweeps deprive them of their possessions
She talks about the weird misconception that these people can go “somewhere else,” that there are options unexplored
— Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) November 10, 2020
“It’s not easy being walked around town, trying to find food, a place to sleep. They want to stay in one place”
Here are some things that would help a lot more than sweeps, Pat says:
— Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) November 10, 2020
-more bathroom facilities
-more trash recepticles
Pat concludes by asking people to come out tomorrow as well to continue to prevent these sweeps
— Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) November 10, 2020
If you see a sweep, call the Stop the Sweeps hotline: 844-206-2005.
A member of the Stop the Sweeps hotline steps forward to speak
— Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) November 10, 2020
The number is: 844-206-2005
If you see a sweep, call the hotline! It is monitored 24 hours a day
“The county depends on unpaid volunteers like myself to drive night after night with supplies”
— Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) November 10, 2020
They stress the hypocrisy of calling the cops on houseless people for doing things lots of people do. “Don’t act like you aren’t snorting cocaine in your own house!”
The speaking portion ends. People drift back to the line
— Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) (@1misanthrophile) November 10, 2020
Here’s another great sign pic.twitter.com/HAcG8V7HJT
Everyone seems to expect Law Enforcement to make another attempt at a sweep tomorrow, and has been clear that their aim is not encampments as an end goal, but redirecting resources from police funding for punitive displacement to a “housing first” model, to get people sheltered. pic.twitter.com/62MYGI709Q
— 45th parallel absurdist brigade (@45thabsurdist) November 10, 2020
Numerous aggressive drivers including one who almost hit a group of people. A few people from the neighborhood watch (team? Committee?) have been antagonized numerous activists as well
— Alissa Azar (@R3volutionDaddy) November 10, 2020
Tents4Homes was on the ground all morning giving tents, supplies, necessities, and food to the houseless community at Laurelhurst Park. You can support their work on Cashapp and Venmo:
If you’d like to donate to our cause our venmo: @tents4homes cashapp: $tents4homes https://t.co/AtJyDHT8WC
— Tents4homes (@tents4homes) November 10, 2020
Media
Present
- Alissa Azar @R3volutionDaddy – CashApp: $pdxalissa / Venmo: @R3volutionDaddy
- Cozca Ītzpāpālōtl @cozca503 – CashApp: $cozca
- Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile) – CashApp/Venmo: misanthrophile / PayPal: askmisanthrophile@gmail.com
- Melissa “Claudio” Lewis – Cashapp: $ClaudioReport / Venmo: Claudio_Report
- 45th Parallel Absurdist Brigade – CashApp: $45thabsurdist / Venmo: the45thabsurdist
Articles
The Guardian
Law & Crime
- Civil Rights Groups, Black Voters Move to Intervene in Trump’s ‘Unprecedented, Unsupported, and Unsupportable’ Pa. Lawsuit
- Trump, Without Evidence of Fraud, Files Federal Suit to Block Pennsylvania from Certifying Election Results
Mic
Mother Jones
NPR
- False claims that Biden ‘lost’ Pennsylvania surge, and tech companies struggle to keep up.
- Trump Election Lawsuits Have Mostly Failed. Here’s What They Tried
OPB
- Man involved in viral video assault near Portland protests sentenced to prison
- Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler looks forward after the election
- Statewide at least, Oregon Republicans had a rough election. The next one might be worse.
- Q&A: Portland Commissioner Dan Ryan on protests, recent vote on police budget cuts
The Oregonian
- Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty calls 911, refuses to get out of Lyft car after driver cancels ride
- Portland’s procurement officer resigns after criticism over city’s failure to award more construction contracts to minority- and women-owned firms
Politico
Portland Mercury
- Activists Rally to Keep City Workers From Clearing a Laurelhurst Homeless Camp
- A Note from the Mercury’s Editor: That Freaked Out Feeling
- Good Afternoon, News: Oregon Hospitalizations Keep Rising, Trump Cronies Keep Lying, and Obamacare Keeps Going (For Now)
- Good Morning, News: Oregon Political Drama, Obamacare Challenged, and Trump Admin Digs In Their Heels
Portland Tribune
- Commissioner Hardesty: Safety concern prompted Lyft ride 911 call
- Portland activists decry campsite sweep at Laurelhurst Park
Waging Nonviolence
The Washington Post
Police
Agencies Present
- Portland Police Bureau
Munitions
None
Arrests
None
Charges
None