Deidra Watts, with a gas mask swaying on her backpack, is a consistent figure at Portland’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) complex protests. She’s been participating in the demonstrations most nights since July, alongside a small group that frequents the same location. They gather by a marked blue line on the premises, which warns ‘GOVERNMENT PROPERTY DO NOT BLOCK’. In instances where they stand too near the marked border, officers positioned on the rooftop of the building occasionally release what appear to be pepper balls towards the crowd.
On the most recent Wednesday, while the crowd was not spared the pepper balls, no injuries were reported. Around midnight, the gathering began to disperse, winding down another night of peaceful protest. The disruptions caused by these continuous nightly rallies have been a nuisance to nearby residents. Yet, these events are relatively calm compared to the turmoil the city experienced in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing by Minneapolis police in 2020.
The backdrop for these recurring gatherings is a distinctive building located near a bustling artery into the heart of Portland from the surrounding suburban areas. Nestled beside it is a complex offering affordable housing. At dusk, Watts alongside fellow protesters, characterized by their black attire, masks, and occasional helmets, appear.
Watts doesn’t hold back about her feelings for ICE, referring to it as a heartless, ruthless apparatus. She advocates for resistance against such entities, claiming, ‘In the face of that, there has to be people who will stand up and make it known that that’s not acceptable, that their actions do not resonate with the public,’.
The zenith of these after-dark gatherings was observed following the national ‘No Kings’ marches in June. The local police evaluated the intensity of one such demonstration, leading them to declare it a riot. From then till date, federal prosecution has seen at least 26 protesters being charged for offences related to activities in the vicinity of the ICE entity, which also include alleged assaults on federal officers, as per the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oregon.
Portland’s Mayor Keith Wilson spoke out against government overreach in response to former President Trump’s menacing threats. He boldly announced in his official statement, ‘Unlike other mayors across the country, I have neither sought nor need federal intervention.’ He also emphasized that the city has consistently safeguarded freedom of speech, ‘addressing occasional violence and property destruction,’ as necessary.
Nevertheless, there have been sporadic conflicts since the culminating events of June. On Labor Day, the demonstrators made an eyebrow-raising statement by carting in a makeshift guillotine. This action drew some sharp criticism from the Homeland Security Department, which branded it as ‘unhinged behaviour’ during a press release. Mayor Wilson proposed that future protests would likely continue to concentrate on the area surrounding the ICE facility.
This ongoing concentration of protests next to the apartment complex has instigated some residents’ dissatisfaction. One of them attempted legal action to force the city into enforcing noise control laws. She alleged that the cacophony from the bullhorns, loudspeakers, and ‘shrill whistle-like sounds’ similar to war-time air-raid sirens, had led to her eardrum bursting. She also claimed that she fell ill from the gas seeping into her home. However, the court ruled in favor of the city.
Rick Stype, a resident of the area for the past decade, found himself acting as an envoy for some of his neighbors who fear being targeted by the protesters. ‘All I want is for them to stop disturbing our peace,’ he expressed. ‘It would be such a relief if they just let us be.’
The Cottonwood School of Civics and Science, a charter school previously situated next to the ICE building, felt obliged to redirect elsewhere over summer break. They cited concerns over the well-being of their students owing to constant exposure to chemical agents and crowd-control projectiles.
Chris Johnson, who runs a coffee shop in the vicinity, reminisced the time when the school’s pupils and their parents formed a significant portion of his clientele. He bemoaned the relocation of the school and the widespread perception that the protests hold greater significance than what is actually true.
He shared his reflections on the situation, stating, ‘There’s a strong sentiment attached to both sides of the scenario’, he admitted. ‘Sadly, this has only contributed to increasing division in an already divided society.’
The post Persistent Protests Continue to Unsettle Portland Residents appeared first on Real News Now.
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