The one starting at Portland’s Tom McCall Waterfront Park was the largest, and Portland officers who were monitoring said it attracted at least 40,000 people.
Portland police warned at about 11:20 a.m. that traffic would impacted in all these areas “for a bit.” At about 12:20 p.m., police announced they were closing the Morrison Bridge.
At about 1 p.m., they closed the Hawthorne Bridge.
Several thousand people, many in inflatable costumes, were gathered at Tom McCall Waterfront Park by noon.
We got the inflatables to keep Portland weird and make Trump look like a fool,” Berenice Arias said.
As part of the nationwide “No Kings” protests against President Donald Trump’s aggressive use of executive power, tens of thousands of people gathered in Portland on Saturday.
In more than fifty cities throughout Oregon, protests took place. At least 40,000 people attended the largest one, which began at Portland’s Tom McCall Waterfront Park, according to Portland police who were keeping an eye on it.
After speeches, there was a roughly two-mile march through downtown and over the Hawthorne and Morrison bridges.
Before noon, thousands of people, including those playing drums and other percussion instruments, marched across the Steel Bridge’s lower deck to the waterfront rally from the Oregon Convention Center. Another group marched across the Hawthorne Bridge, and a third group arrived from Pioneer Courthouse sq\..
At around 11:20 a.m., Portland police issued a warning. A. that traffic would be affected “for a bit” in each of these areas. “”.
approximately 12:20 p.m. M. said that the Morrison Bridge would be closed. around 1 p.m. M. The Hawthorne Bridge was shut down.
By midday, thousands of people had gathered at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, many of them wearing inflatable costumes.
Before the march began, a number of Portland city councilors took the stage to denounce the federal government’s actions and urge Portlanders to keep up their nonviolent protests. Angelita Morillo, whose district includes inner Southeast Portland, stated, “We need advocates like you to play the outside game.”. What we are witnessing right now is unprecedented in both the unity and the horrors it contains. “”.
One group of protesters on the waterfront were members of the Unpresidented Brass Band, who had a musician arrested by federal agents Sunday outside the ICE building in South Portland. The band members were dressed in matching banana suits. According to 43-year-old band director Miles Thompson, they were getting together with the Portland Frog Brigade.
“I’m ecstatic, and we’ll be frogs and bananas.”. “This is fantastic,” he declared.
Mary Bycroft, who claims to have lived in Portland for over 40 years, went to the demonstration on Saturday in response to what she called a federal government violation of her rights.
She remarked, “I am genuinely shocked and frightened by what’s happening to our country,” in reference to Trump’s attempts to cut federal programs and sue his political rivals.
According to Bycroft, recent White House attempts to send federal troops into Portland have been predicated on a distorted portrayal of the city, which she called “amazing, uplifting, and beautiful.”. “”.
In all honesty, Bycroft said, “It’s absurd that anyone would fall for the lies, claiming this is a hell hole.”. The city is spectacular. This is a great place to live. “.”.
17-year-old sister Berenice Arias and 14-year-old sister Perla Arias were dressed as Patrick Star and SpongeBob sq\.Pants. For the future, we are protesting. The following generation is us. Berenice Arias stated, “We got the inflatables to keep Portland weird and make Trump look like a fool.”.
Around 1 p.m., the crowd started to march down Southwest Pine Street. A.
A crowd yelling “Don’t take the bait” reacted to a group of roughly a dozen counter-protesters at the front of the march who were chanting various pro-Trump slogans.
Despite being pleased with the turnout, River Montijo of the Portland Raging Grannies, who have been to many protests recently, expressed concern that some people stayed at home due to the unfavorable national press coverage of Portland. Portland is adept at doing these things with joy and love. We will not allow them to incite hatred toward us,” she declared.
Before joining the march in a convertible, drag queen Saint Syndrome, also called the Piano Queen, gave a performance on the waterfront. She was dressed as Lady Justice. My goal is to increase Portland’s visibility. She remarked, “I know everyone is watching us, and I would love for the world to see that we are having fun and joyfully standing up against an authoritarianism.”.
Approximately 2:15 p.m. A. The march’s front line crossed the Morrison Bridge and started to return to the waterfront, but many people were still traveling to the east side of the route via the Hawthorne Bridge.
roughly 3:30 p.m. A. Police announced that they were reopening the Hawthorne Bridge to traffic after the march’s tail end reached Southeast Grand Avenue.
The demonstrations take place amid an 18-day government shutdown that has shut down federal programs and services and is putting the fundamental balance of power to the test as an aggressive executive takes on Congress and the courts in ways that organizers fear are a step toward American authoritarianism.
Washington, D.C., Chicago’s Grant Park, the historic Boston Commons, and Times sq\. in New York City were all crowded with protesters. hundreds of smaller public areas, as well. In Portland, some of them appeared wearing inflatable frog costumes, which have become a symbol of resistance.
They claim that they are calling me a king. Trump declared, “I’m not a king,” in an early Friday Fox News interview before leaving for a $1 million-per-plate MAGA Inc. super PAC fundraiser on Friday at Mar-a-Lago. On Saturday, protests were anticipated nearby.
This report was produced by the Associated Press and Oregonian/OregonLive reporter Julia Silverman.
