It’s night 54 and I’m headed out to cover Portland protests against systemic racism and police brutality. How will the federal police Trump deployed handle facing down organized groups of PDX moms and dads? Follow to find out!

Also please follow the many other rad local journalists out tonight, including @bethnakamura and @suzettesmith

Portland protest is enormous tonight. No sign yet of any cops- federal or local

Taking it back

Little rubber piggie squeakers are out in full force. Relentless deployment

Speaker tells the crowd that soon the cops will come out and declare an unlawful assembly. “That’s when you can leave if you want and still feel good about yourself. Tear gas sucks but it’s temporary. And that pain is nothing compared to being shot in your bed. Shot in your car.”

Multnomah County Justice Center, repurposed

Aaaaand we’re marching

New one: ”my neck, my back, we gonna take these streets back”

Day 54, but it there’s so many people it feels like the early marches again. Safe to say thousands are out tonight

A moment of silence while the crowd passes the walls of murals that have popped up in recent weeks

“On every count of three, I want you to scream the name of someone killed by police”:

Back at the justice center, there are hundreds more protesters who didn’t march or arrived while we were gone

Meanwhile, back at the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse...

Subplot

The crowd heard the cops opened one of the little “murder windows” they shoot out of and rushed over. There’s a line of people with umbrellas protecting a line of moms protecting everyone else

The moms are strategizing. “When we move, we move together”

Black bloc come through with a fence. “Hey move, we’re gonna block the door.” Big cheer from the moms

Ok! Got hit w pepper balls in the ass. Face is ON FIRE

Okay I’m out. The smallest whiff of tear gas and I can’t see again. Need a gas mask for next time.