Portland mobilizes in solidarity with Los Angeles immigrant rights protests
Portland, OR – On Thursday, June 12, over 400 people mobilized to the ICE facility in Portland for an emergency rally in solidarity with those protesting ICE raids in Los Angeles, and to demand an end to all deportations. Portland Contra Las Deportaciones organized Portland’s protest.
The energy was high, with the crowd chanting slogans like “Fuck ICE.” Protesters took over the driveway and street in front of the building. Department of Homeland Security agents came out and shot the crowd with pepper balls in an attempt to disperse people, but the crowd pushed the agents back into the facility and refused to move.
“ICE is tearing families apart and terrorizing our neighborhoods,” said community organizer Omar Gil, a member of Portland Contra Las Deportaciones, “we will allow them no peace while they continue to attack our immigrant communities.”
The protest joined an encampment of other protesters set up outside the ICE facility 24/7 and that refused to move until ICE is out of Portland. Some of the demands raised by groups such as Portland Contra Las Deportaciones and the encampment are for the city of Portland to cancel the permit for the building that ICE uses for a temporary detention center before it transports those detained up to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington.
The protest lasted for three hours, with powerful speeches from organizers and attendees in the crowd. Those in attendance were fired up and willing to fight back, with many banging on windows and showing they were unafraid of confrontation.
Portland Contra Las Deportaciones then led a march to a nearby park, while some protesters stayed behind with the encampment. Portland Contra Las Deportaciones plans to return back the next week to protest the at the facility again.