Portland, OR – Multnomah County issued an arrest warrant on September 22 for right-wing extremist Thomas Allen for the assault of immigrant rights protester Holly Brown.

The warrant came after a campaign demanding Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez press charges.

Allen is a right-wing influencer known for showing up at anti-Trump and anti-ICE protests in Portland to harass and assault progressive activists. Despite many instances of assault and using chemical weapons on protesters in front of police, he was only arrested once, in October 2025, for punching an anti-ICE protester at the Portland ICE facility. He pled guilty then to a charge of disorderly conduct.

On September 1, during a press conference at Multnomah County Courthouse to demand the closure of the Portland ICE facility, Allen violently shoved Brown into a concrete pillar, causing a head injury and whiplash. Police were on site, witnessed the assault, and did not arrest Allen. They formed a line to protect Allen from the immigrant rights protestors who had just been assaulted.

Brown filed a police report for the assault stating, “The police allow Allen to do their dirty work of silencing and repressing immigrant rights protests. We must put pressure on the police and district attorney to arrest and charge these violent MAGA extremists so we can continue our important work of fighting ICE terror.”

A video by PDXCD describing the assault and asking viewers to call and email the DA amassed almost 1 million views on different social media platforms, with thousands of comments stating they contacted the DA.

Allen then held hate rallies two weeks in a row at a local queer-friendly bar, the Sports Bra, for its support of trans rights. The Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) held counter-protests and ran Allen and his transphobic group away from the bar. This garnered a large amount of media attention and trans rights activists pointed out the lack of police action when Allen and his group assaulted more protesters and used large amounts of chemical weapons in a residential neighborhood.

After the second hate rally, PDXCD called a press conference at Multnomah County Courthouse for September 21 to highlight the lack of action by the police and DA on September 1 and how it allowed Allen to continue to enact more violence in the following weeks.

The morning before the press conference, the district attorney notified the media they were moving forward with charges on Allen for his assault of Brown and that a warrant for his arrest was in process.

PDXCD continued with the press conference. Allen showed up to the event and harassed attendees as they spoke with three news stations. The immigrant rights protesters then marched to the police station with the media to demand answers as to why the police are allowing right-wing extremists to attack progressive activists with no consequences. Allen followed the group into the police station, yelling insults regarding people’s identities.

While inside the police station, KOIN news reporter Ariel Salk approached Allen on camera and told him there was a warrant for his arrest. Allen, shocked and confused, stated he was unaware and that it was “bullshit.” He immediately left the police station rather than risk arrest, ended his livestream and rode away on a Lime scooter.

There is now an active warrant for Allen’s arrest. PDXCD is urging anyone who sees him to contact the non-emergency hotline at 503-823-3333 to report his location and demand police arrest him.

Allen is facing four misdemeanor charges: class four assault, two counts of harassment and one count of disorderly conduct. As a condition of his charges, Allen is not allowed within a two-block radius of Brown. He is also barred from the Multnomah County Courthouse, outside of his court appearances. He was on probation for his arrest last October and will potentially face consequences for probation violation.

“It is about time Allen faced consequences for his attempts to stifle anti-ICE and anti-Trump protests,” said immigrant rights activist Omar Gill. “The issue remains that it took thousands of phone calls and media attention to get the police and district attorney to do the right thing. Many others who’ve been assaulted by Allen are still without justice. It is clear we must continue to place demands on the city and county to take action against these MAGA extremists.”

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #PeoplesStruggles #MAGA #ThomasAllen #PDXCD #Featured

Portland, OR – On September 21, transphobic right-wing extremists led by Thomas Allen returned to a queer-friendly establishment, the Sports Bra, to harass patrons. This was their second protest there in two weeks. Trans rights activists also returned to counter-protest and pushed the anti-trans agitators out of the area for the second week in a row.

The Sports Bra has been the target of attacks by the right after a video went viral of their employees’ asking patrons with transphobic t-shirts to cover up their shirts or leave the bar. The people wearing the t-shirts are anti-trans activists with large followings on social media. They purposely went to the bar to get a reaction to post online.

Allen planned his first protest of the bar on September 11, calling for a rally to “protect women and girls.” He and around five other anti-trans agitators brought signs demeaning trans people and tried to start fights with passersby. Over 30 people showed up to counter the hate rally. Allen and his group were chased away from the Sports Bra. They went to a nearby Fred Meyer grocery store and called the police, who witnessed one of the right-wingers use bear mace on someone. The police did not arrest the person who used bear mace, despite its use being illegal. They provided Allen with an escort away from the store.

For his second protest, Allen brought out around ten right-wing extremists, carrying American flags, wearing face coverings with skulls, and transphobic t-shirts. Over 100 pro-trans activists came out to counter-protest the transphobes after a call was put out by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Seeing how greatly outnumbered they were, Allen’s group quickly left the area. As they left, one right-wing extremist unleashed bear spray indiscriminately into a large crowd of people.

Trans rights activists continued to follow the agitators, pushing them further and further away from the bar. They yelled chants such as “Hey hey, ho ho, transphobia has got to go.”

Allen’s group went into residential streets and threw tear gas canisters at the trans-rights activists, a crime in Portland. Portland police drove by and made no arrests.

Once Allen’s group was far away from the bar, many of the pro-trans activists made their way back to the bar to continue the protest with more chants and messages of resistance. Unprecedented, a local brass band that appears at anti-Trump protests, played music for the trans rights activists.

At the bar, many reported feeling empowered by the community defense action.

“Allen and his goons have been attacking anti-Trump and pro-immigrant protests for over a year now, with police doing nothing to stop it,” said activist Evelyn Thomson with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, “today we showed that if the police won’t do anything we will protect ourselves.”

One person was arrested during the protest; rather than arrest the MAGA protesters for their illegal use of chemical weapons, Portland Police arrested a trans rights activist. Police told media the arrest was for a separate incident and there was a warrant on the arrestee. What they left out was the warrant was from when the same right-wing extremists protested outside a Hasan Piker show on August 23. The person arrested defended the community from multiple assaults the right-wingers carried out on those in attendance and was charged with crimes as a result.

Allen and his group have counter-protested many of the anti-Trump protests over the last year. They are known for using physical violence and chemical weapons to attack those they disagree with. Emboldened by the Trump presidency, they typically wear MAGA attire and focus their attacks on immigrants.

Immigrant rights organization Portland Contra Las Deportaciones is calling for Allen’s arrest, following his assault of immigrant rights activist Holly Brown on September 1. At a press conference calling for the closure of the Portland ICE facility, Allen shoved Brown into a concrete pillar in front of Multnomah County Courthouse. Police witnessed the attacks and made no arrests. PDXCD is holding a press conference to demand District Attorney Nathan Vasquez press charges.

#PortlandOR #OR #LGBTQ #PeoplesStruggles #MAGA #PDXCD #ThomasAllen

“The successive attacks on Salvadorans and Haitians under TPS shows a systematic targeting of legal immigrants by nationality one by one,” said PDXCD member Cami Saunders.

Members of PDXCD held signs that read “ICE out” and “Defend TPS,” in addition to chanting “TPS! Lo merecen” and “Salvadorans are welcome here.” Despite a single hostile reaction, they were met with overwhelming honks and shouts of support. Curious pedestrians walked by and were educated on what TPS was.

“We have to stand up against these cruel terminations by the Trump administration.

Salvadorans are welcome here in Portland and everywhere!” stated a PDXCD member.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #TPS #ElSalvador #PDXCD #Legalization4All

Portland, OR – On September 11, right-wing extremist Thomas Allen announced plans to protest the Sports Bra, a local gay bar catering to women’s sports fans. Allen was protesting a viral video where Sports Bras employees refused service to customers with transphobic shirts. Pro-trans activists showed up and ran Allen out of the area.

Allen is known for harassing protests around Portland, often getting violent. He posted on X calling for a “rally to support women and girls” and demand “men out of womens spaces” at the Sports Bra.

Pro-trans activists mobilized to defend the bar. Allen showed up with a small group of people, and they were quickly outnumbered by a crowd chanting for trans rights.

When Allen and his group saw the number of pro-trans activists in front of the bar they stayed on the other side of the street. The trans rights activists then crossed the street and pushed Allen back even further into a parking lot.

Chants used included “Protect trans kids” and “Racist, sexist, anti-gay! Thomas Allen go away!”

Allen and his group responded by spraying trans rights protesters with bear spray. Portland police showed up and watched but took no action.

“Time and time again, we see Portland police show up when Thomas Allen is spreading his hate and violence around Portland and do nothing to protect regular people fighting for justice,” said Sage Joyce. Joyce attended the protest with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and held a large banner that read, “Pride means fight back.”

More and more people joined the protest against Allen, including those who were just passing by or lived in the area and heard the chants.

Allen and his group retreated down the street, but the trans rights protestors continued to follow him, chanting “MAGA out of Portland.” Allen and his group walked all the way to a nearby grocery store and entered to call the police. The trans rights protesters also entered the grocery store and notified the customers that a violent agitator with weapons was in the building.

Allen then left the store and one of the members of his group bear-sprayed a man who was shopping at the store.

Police showed up and spoke with Allen. One of the members of Allen's group bear-sprayed another person in front of the police. Activists demanded police arrest her for macing someone unprovoked. They refused and said the macing was justified because the protesters were following her.

Allen and his group left with a police escort. Spirits remained high among those who protested against Allen.

“Transphobes aren’t welcome in Portland, and when police show us they won’t protect our city from this hate, we have to do it ourselves” said trans rights activist Cole Dunahugh.

Just last week Allen assaulted anti-ICE protesters in front of Multnomah County Court. Progressive community organizations are demanding District Attorney Nathan Vasquez pursue charges for all his assaults on Portlanders.

#PortlandOR #OR #LGBTQ #PeoplesStruggles #Transphobia #ThomasAllen

Portland, OR – On September 9, ICE beat a Portland area Palestinian who was resisting deportation to the genocide in Palestine. ICE attempted to place Tareq Zakarneh on a deportation flight. When he resisted, ICE put him in a WRAP restraint device and beat him so badly his tooth was broken.

ICE arrested Zakarneh in May 2024 in Vancouver, Washington. He’s been in ICE detention for over two years and resisted deportation numerous times.

On September 8, ICE moved him from the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington to a facility in Mesa, Arizona for a final removal flight. He filed two emergency motions, for a habeas appeal and an emergency temporary restraining order.

Despite these motions, ICE attempted to put him on a plane and assaulted him when he resisted. If Zakarneh is deported, he will be sent to Israel and possibly the West Bank.

“The United States is attempting to deport Tareq to an active genocide that they are funding,” said Cole Dunahugh, “If he is deported, he risks ending up in a Israeli prison subject to torture, or becoming a victim of settler and military violence in the West Bank. Both the deportation and U.S. funding of Israel must end.”

Dunahugh is a member of Portland for Palestine (P4P), a grassroots group advocating for Zakarneh’s release.

In response to the escalated attempts at deportation, P4P visited the office of Zakarneh’s congressional representative, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, last week to ask her to act. They were turned away. P4P is currently calling on the public to call and email the judge overseeing Zakarneh’s case to demand his release. Judge Krissa Lanham can be contacted at 602-322-7590 and lanham_chambers@azd.uscourts.gov.

“Those who are supposed to serve the public have failed Tareq every step of the way,” said P4P member Kacey Desantis, “It calls into question who these government officials really work for – the people, or ICE and warmongers?”

Over the last year, ICE used private jets owned by Florida property tycoon Gil Dezer to deport Palestinians to Tel Aviv and then the West Bank. Detainees report being dropped off at a West Bank checkpoint in prison uniforms, with nowhere to go and no way to contact anyone. The flights are estimated to have cost $500,000 of U.S. taxpayer money per flight.

Zakarneh is still under immediate threat of deportation. P4P was able to hire a lawyer with donations from supporters and will continue to fight the case.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #ICE #Palestine #P4P #AntiWarMovement

Portland, OR – On September 1, activists demanding the closure of the Portland ICE facility were attacked by right-wing reactionaries.

Protesters held a press conference before a hearing at Multnomah County Court. The landlord of the ICE facility is demanding Multnomah County overturn a land use violation issued against the facility last year. He argues the city is biased against ICE. The violation was for detaining immigrants past a 12-hour limit.

Violent right-wing extremist Thomas Allen showed up with a group to harass the protest. He is known for physically assaulting activists, particularly women. He attempted to push his way into the protest. Activist Holly Brown stepped in front of him, using a plastic lid of a storage bin as a shield.

Allen responded by calling Brown a slur and violently shoving her to the ground. He pushed her so hard she hit her head against a concrete pillar behind her.

Multnomah County Sheriffs came out of the court and formed a line protecting Allen. He was not arrested.

Portland Contra Las Deportaciones (PDXCD) held the press conference. Last May, Allen came to another protest put on by the PDXCD and was physical with protesters. Immigrant rights activist Samantha Ibarra used pepper spray to defend herself. She was immediately arrested.

“There is a difference in how immigrant rights protesters and right-wing agitators are treated in Portland,” stated Brown, “The police and district attorney must take action against Allen.”

Brown filed a police report. This is the second police report she filed against Allen in the last year. In March 2026 she filed another report after Allen pepper sprayed her at another protest. As of this article, Allen faces no charges.

Despite the attacks, the press conference continued. Two news stations showed up. Activists chanted, “Revoke the permit,” referring to the permit that allows the ICE detention facility to operate.

At 1 p.m. PDXCD members packed the court, filling the room. The proceedings lasted ten minutes. No decision was made, and another hearing was scheduled for November 20.

“The courts are being used to stall enforcement of the law against ICE,” said Beatriz Ibarra, an organizer with PDXCD. “This process is needlessly complicated. It shouldn’t be this hard to shut down a concentration camp.”

Protesters caught the judge overseeing the case as he left the courthouse. They followed Judge Steffan Alexander, demanding answers as to why he is not ruling against the ICE facility.

Judge Alexander refused to answer questions and police escorted him into another courthouse.

Portland Contra Las Deportaciones plans to continue to demand that the ICE facility be shut down and that Thomas Allen is arrested.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #PDXCD #ICE

Portland, OR – On August 21, immigrant rights organization Portland Contra las Deportaciones (PDXCD) held a fundraiser at Pepe’s Karaoke Bar. Pepe’s is an immigrant-owned, family-run restaurant serving Mexican food, where nearly 100 people celebrated the movement.

The organization successfully raised over $1000, with funds going towards their political and defense campaigns, as well as their community outreach projects. 

Local drag performer Quesa D’Mondays emceed the event. They kept the energy high, with the crowd chanting, “Fuck ICE!” and “Revoke the permit!” They also highlighted PDXCD’s current campaign to shut down an ICE field office in Portland.

The evening was filled with vibrant performances of both English and Spanish songs. Cruz Rivera, a partygoer, said, “I saw an Instagram post about the fundraiser and thought that it would be both a wonderful time singing and supporting a cause that I believe in.” 

Near the stage, activists set up a table full of information about PDXCD. It described their general meetings, barrio walks, and the campaigns that they are currently waging. They also sold stickers and t-shirts with their logo and another with a design that read “Legalization for all.” QR codes were laid out on all dining tables for electronic donations.

PDXCD member Sage Saunders stated, “The success of this fundraiser clearly shows that the people believe in the work that we are carrying out, and that the people are willing to financially support an organization that is ready to fight! Many of our members were here as well, making sure to form connections with others that are not yet a part of our organization.”

PDXCD continues to wage a struggle against ICE and its facility on the South Waterfront. They have had great successes, but are faced with an impasse as the landlord Stuart Lindquist uses the legal system to further delay the revocation proceedings. They are currently meeting the enemy where they are at, vigilantly watching and attending the legal proceedings.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #PDXCD

Portland, OR – On August 11, the immigrant rights organization Portland Contra Las Deportaciones held a rally to demand an end to attacks on Haitian immigrants as a part of a week of action called by national network Legalization for All. The rally was just a few blocks away from a Haitian church.

The rally came two weeks after the Trump administration terminated Temporary Protected Status for the roughly 350,000 Haitians covered by the temporary immigration benefit.

“This cruel decision reflects the racist and dehumanizing agenda of the Trump administration. We firmly stand in solidarity with the Haitians in Ohio facing mass deportation,” stated Cami Saunders of PDXCD. Organizers emphasized their campaign demanding Portland revoke the permit for the local ICE facility and the need for city government to take action to protect local Haitians.

“If the ICE facility remains with a permit, there will be no way to ensure safety for our local Haitian community affected by this ruling,” said Cruz Rivera, another member of PDXCD.

During the event, counter-protesters showed up to disrupt and spread hate. PDXCD organizers quickly responded by shifting to a visibility rally, which drowned out the uninvited. Cars honking in sympathy with the rally helped spread the message of “Legalization not deportation!” Haitian community members were seen waving from their cars.

Beatriz Ibarra, an organizer with PDXCD, summarized the event, “Even though agitators popped up, it was a successful event. We had members from the Haitian community drive by, and a few who were in the neighborhood joined our rally.”

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #PDXCD #Haitians #TPS

Portland, OR – On August 11, a Multnomah County jury found Dr. Catherine Esperanza guilty of the bogus charge of “interfering with a police officer” after the Portland Police Bureau violently arrested her for protesting outside the ICE facility.

Local immigrant rights organization Portland Contra Las Deportaciones waged a campaign to drop the charges and condemned the sham conviction.

After helping build public pressure to fight the charges through an email campaign and confrontations of the district attorney, activists and community supporters held a press conference, August 10, before the trial and attended both days of the proceedings.

Both the arrest and the trial showed Multnomah County and Portland Police’s clear bias against immigrant rights protesters.

Esperanza was arrested after police pushed protesters out of the driveway of the ICE facility using batons during a May Day protest at the facility. Bodycam footage showed they made a targeted arrest of protester Cole Dunahugh, claiming he breached the gate at the facility. This was a complete falsehood and so the charges on Dunahugh were later dropped.

During the arrest, police shoved their way into the crowd and pushed a group of people down, on top of Esperanza. In the bodycam footage she could be heard screaming “I have a broken leg,” and attempting to get the crowd off of her injured leg. Police then flipped her onto her stomach and put a knee on her neck. She can be heard screaming “I can't breathe.” The district attorney painted this attempt as pulling police officers on top of her and forming a “human chain” to prevent arrests.

Judge Celia Howes curbed the defense attorney's ability to question witnesses, sustaining objections by the prosecutor to questions such as “Did police interact with protesters?” for being leading questions. When a witness stated police used batons to push back protesters, the prosecutor played a clipped video that began immediately after the use of batons and asked the witness to answer yes or no as to whether the police used batons in the video. When the witness attempted to say the use of batons was before the video began, judge Howes cut the witness off saying they could only answer in a yes or no format.

Additionally the prosecution continually said Dunahugh breached the gate at the ICE facility and that police were attacked with rocks, despite no evidence to support these claims.

After a two-hour deliberation, the jury delivered a guilty verdict. Supporters were angry, with many stating they see this as a complete miscarriage of justice.

Dr. Esperanza vowed not to allow the verdict to stop her fight for justice and to stop deportations. She released the following statement, “This guilty verdict is not a victory for justice; this case is a desperate attempt by the state to intimidate us into silence.”

The city has continually repressed the fight to revoke the permit to shut down the ICE facility, and this shameful guilty verdict is another example of this repression.

Esperanza’s statement declares, “They think that charging activists and targeting those who stand up for immigrant rights will break our resolve. They are wrong. Instead of chilling us, this blatant misuse of the legal system has galvanized our movement.”

The city continues to allow violations of human rights and the land use permit to occur at the ICE facility. Meanwhile, those who stand up for the human rights of immigrants and those impacted by ICE are persecuted for their work in advocating for dignity, equity, justice and care for all members of the Portland community.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #ICE #PoliticalRepression #InjusticeSystem

Portland, OR – On August 2, smoke filled the air in downtown Portland. The historic Centennial Mills Warehouse was on fire. As firefighters poured water onto the building, all eight floors collapsed, sending debris into the air and onto the surrounding residential buildings, which would later test positive for asbestos.

The toxic air was reminiscent of similar scenes in the South Waterfront neighborhood over the past year at the Portland ICE facility, where ICE and DHS deployed large amounts of chemical weapons at immigrant rights protesters over a period of several months. The effects of those weapons were felt miles away.

The bad air quality is not the only similarity between the two environmental catastrophes. Both buildings are owned by real estate developer Stuart Lindquist.

Activists with Portland Contra Las Deportaciones (PDXCD), an immigrant rights organization leading a campaign to shut down the Portland ICE facility, were quick to make the connection.

“It’s not surprising to me that a man who makes $2.4 million annually off renting out a concentration camp to ICE is also the owner of a derelict building that burnt down and poisoned the neighborhood as a result of his negligence,” said Beatriz Ibarra. “The question I have is, when will the city finally step in and put an end to his dangerous investments?”

Lindquist was issued a land use violation by the city of Portland in September 2025 for violating the terms of the permit for the ICE facility, by holding detainees past a 12-hour limit numerous times. This came after months of public pressure and a petition of over 19,000 signatures.

Almost a year later, the city has yet to collect any fines for this violation. In fact, during the last year, Lindquist was granted more opportunities for real estate projects by the city.

In August 2025, when a school next to the ICE facility was forced to relocate due to all the chemical weapons nearby, City Councilmember Mitch Green stepped in fast track permit approval for the school to move into another building owned by Lindquist.

In October 2025, while Donald Trump was deploying the National Guard to “protect” the Portland ICE facility from protesters, the Portland Design Commission approved Lindquist’s plans to develop the Centennial Mills Warehouse into residential housing, despite public outcry, given Lindquist's track history.

“Again and again Lindquist is given the green light by the city to make money off Portlanders, but when we ask for the city to hold him accountable, we’re told this is impossible,” said Blaire Glennon, another member of PDXCD.

In response to calls for the city to shut down the Portland ICE facility, officials made it clear they are not interested in acting. Councilors Mitch Green, Tiffany Koyama Lane, Angelita Morillo, Jamie Dunphy and Sameer Kanal put out a statement saying they will not revoke the permit for the Portland ICE facility. A video was leaked where City Administrator Raymond Lee let city employees know the city is “committed to keeping the facility open.”

Demolition orders were served to Lindquist for the Centennial Mills property, and the city states an investigation is ongoing into the cause of the fire. So far, the city has not pursued any repercussions for the release of asbestos into the air, or the fire-related shutdown of critical public transportation surrounding the property.

This clear pattern of allowing Lindquist to move forward with real estate projects despite evidence his investments cause harm to the city, and the refusal of the city to step in once this harm does occur, raises questions as to whether city officials are working for regular Portlanders, or wealthy and influential individuals.

“We remain committed in demanding the ICE facility is shut down,” said Glennon. “The Centennial Mills fire just makes it clearer that this is an emergency.”

On August 14, Lindquist will be back in court regarding the land use violation of the Portland ICE facility. Lindquist continues to challenge the ruling, and appealed to Multnomah County Court, claiming the city is biased against ICE. Given the city's explicit commitment to keeping the facility open, PDXCD maintains this is simply an attempt to continue to stall. They will be mobilizing for the hearing to put pressure on the judge to strike down the case.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #PDXCD

Portland, OR – Portland for Palestine (P4P) gathered in the late morning of Sunday, July 19, along Natio Parkway in Portland to join in celebrating queerness during Portland’s Pride parade, and to name and shame parade contingents who participate and enable Israel’s occupation and genocide in Palestine.

The parade was marshaled by Dykes on Bikes, throwing their choppers into full throttle to rapturous applause. As the parade contingents passed by the Portland for Palestine group, they were greeted with the message of “Happy Pride and free Palestine,” which was mostly met with joyful solidarity.

But as the grocery store corporation Fred Meyer began crossing onto SW Ankeny Street, P4P began chanting, “Fred Meyer out of pride! You retail a genocide.” P4P organizer Judas Graves took to the megaphone, shaming Fred Meyer for actively promoting the Israeli fizz-baron SodaStream and for profiting off retail goods produced in illegal settlements.

As the parade moved onward, airlines, retailers and banks all caught condemnation for continuing their operations in the apartheid state. Nike, Columbia Sportswear, Daimler, Marriott, Jacobs Solutions, and JPMorgan Chase were all highlighted.

It’s been a longtime criticism of Pride events that corporate participation dilutes the original message of queer visibility and liberation. Many spectators joined in the public shaming, echoing “Free, free Palestine” on both sides of the street. Many were shocked to learn just how complicit these companies are; “That’s so fucked” yelled one young man covered in body glitter.

“I definitely feel conflicted,” said 24-year-old parade-goer Alexis Sonner, “I came out here today to be gay, look hot, and dance with my friends. The last thing I wanna do is validate JPMorgan.”

As queer folks in the United States face erosion of civil liberties and physical safety, it is abundantly clear that members of Portland for Palestine are far from the only people who want to see, not just Pride events, but everything divested from corporations and genocide.

#PortlandOR #OR #LGBTQ #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #P4P

Portland, OR – On Wednesday, July 15, 230-plus community members gathered together at Discovery Gateway Park to honor the three lives stolen by ICE killers. The event, organized by Portland Contra Las Deportaciones demanded ICE off our streets and justice for Lorenzo Salgado, Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, and the third victim from Florida.

The event had a large ofrenda where attendees left items for the victims. The table was filled with candles, colorful flowers that included the traditional cempasúchil, beer, lottery cards, sweet cookies and more.

As people entered the park, they were able to leave their offerings at the altar and pick up a small candle. After speeches, people lit their candles and listened to songs by activist group Singing Resistance. Afterwards, the community blew out their candles to honor the three victims.

Gabriel Ollinsix a leading member of Portland Contra las Deportaciones was the first speaker and set the tone for the night, “We know that if our families are ever going to have true safety, if we are ever going to know that our fathers, our tíos, and our loved ones will come home at the end of the day, we must drive ICE out of our communities.”

This was the sentiment that was felt throughout the attendees. While there were a few tears at different times and there were a few chants repeated with anger demanding justice, the overall feeling was the understanding that no one is safe as long as ICE is out in the streets.

While the event was first announced on Sunday, July 12, by the time the event happened on Wednesday, July 15, two more victims had been included: Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero and a third victim, Juan Coronilla. The victims were from Latin America, which brought Spanish speakers to the event. The speakers all gave their speeches in Spanish and English.

Speakers also addressed the repression faced by activist Nadia Topete in Southern California. Topete was called before a grand jury twice over the last year in response to her immigrant rights activism. Attendees honored her resistance and committed to continuing to help her fight this repression.

The event ended with a call to action from Cami Saunders: “Thank you for being here with us today, and I hope to see all of you again! The fight continues, and there is so much to do here in Portland. The murders did not happen in our city, but we are fighting to close the facility, to prevent it from happening here.”

Volunteers went around the park as people were leaving with tablets to send emails to the Portland Permitting and Development to demand the Portland ICE facility be shut down.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #KillerICE #ICE #PDXCD #Feature

Portland, OR – On July 10, the city of Portland dismissed an appeal by Portland ICE facility landlord Stuart Lindquist to overturn land use violations issued in September 2025, following months of public pressure by immigrant rights activists.

This latest victory for the immigrant rights movement follows a mass mobilization to a court hearing on the same day, where Multnomah County judge Steffan Alexander ruled the enforcement process could move forward following another legal challenge by Lindquist.

The ICE facility has been embroiled in a convoluted back-and-forth legal battle over the past year since an initial land use violation was issued, for holding detainees past a 12-hour limit and boarding up windows. Activists placed pressure on the city to move forward with not only enforcement but to revoke the permit for the Portland ICE facility entirely. In response, the city dragged its feet, and the landlord was granted multiple appeals in different jurisdictions regarding the same case.

After a year of voluntary delays of enforcement by the city, a hearings officer was set to give a ruling on an appeal filed by Lindquist on June 5. However, Lindquist then appealed to Multnomah County to delay this process further, arguing the hearings officer in Portland was biased. A Multnomah County judge sided with Lindquist and allowed a temporary stay on this ruling until a later court date in August 2026.

The city of Portland filed a motion to dismiss this stay, which was heard in court on July 10. Activists with PDXCD launched into motion and led an email and call-in campaign to the judge overseeing the July 10 hearing, sending hundreds of emails, holding a press conference outside the hearing with multiple news outlets, and mobilizing so many people to the hearing that the court room was filled and people were forced into overflow rooms.

The judge acknowledged the public pressure, stating he received many emails regarding this case. He then ruled against Lindquist and removed the stay. Almost immediately after, the city of Portland rejected Lindquist’s appeal.

The battle is not over yet. On August 14, Lindquist’s motion to dismiss the land use violation entirely will head to Multnomah County court once again. His argument rests on an accusation that the city of Portland is biased against the ICE facility.

Activists find this argument to be ludicrous, and instead argue the city has shown preference to the ICE facility over the greater Portland community.

“Over and over, the city stalled enforcing obvious violations by the ICE facility of both city code and human rights,” said activist Bailey Ullom, “An immigrant was held for 47 days in that building, an entire neighborhood was gassed, and yet a year later, it is still allowed to operate. It is clear the city has a bias towards wealthy developers and landlords, and the community is expected to just put up with it.”

Lindquist’s lawyer argued during the July 10 hearing that, if the land use violation was upheld, the Portland City Council would immediately revoke the permit, but even the most “progressive” city councilors have stated their opposition to revoking the permit. One councilor, Angelita Morillo, who identifies as a democratic socialist, went so far as to create a website to convince the people of Portland that the council should not revoke the permit.

Now that the land-use violation is upheld, the city can move forward with fining the landlord for $934 a month. Activists say this is not enough and demand the city moves forward with the process to revoke the permit for the facility entirely.

Lindquist’s attorney agreed the fine was not an issue for the ICE facility, stating during the hearing that “the $934 is not the problem.”

“The real problem for the ICE facility is if we get it shut down,” said PDXCD member Beatriz Ibarra, “that’s why Lindquist is fighting so hard to stall this in court, and why the city is giving him so many allowances. The city also does not want to shut down the facility.”

PDXCD vows to continue putting pressure on the city. They will be continuing with their email campaign for Lindquist's motion on August 14 to be struck down, and also for the Portland Permitting and Development Bureau to begin the reconsideration process to revoke the permit.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #ICE #DetentionCenter

Portland, OR – For this year’s July 4 holiday, the United States’ 250th anniversary, Portland made it clear with a rally and protest that there was nothing to celebrate. The event aimed to establish that there is “No freedom in endless war” and demand that money be spent on human needs, not war and genocide, referring to the increase of U.S. aggression internationally over the last year and over 1000 days of genocide against the Palestinian people.

The event was hosted by Portland for Palestine (P4P), following the national call to action from the Anti-War Action Network (AWAN). P4P was joined by the Portland district of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), Portland Contra Las Deportaciones (PDXCD), Portland Extinction Rebellion, Brown Hope, and Veterans for Peace Portland chapter 72.

The event started off with a rally at Terry Schrunk Federal Plaza, where over 150 people gathered with Palestine flags, upside-down American flags and signs opposing war, ICE and President Donald Trump. Judas Graves of P4P addressed the crowd with a question for the crowd, “I heard there is a holiday today but do we have anything to celebrate?” to which the crowd responded with a loud and resounding, “No!”

The energy of the crowd was high from the very beginning, with Graves leading chants of “No more endless war!” and “No more killing kids!”

Samantha Ibarra, a Marine Corp veteran and organizer with PDXCD, spoke of her time in the military as she joined with the hope of fulfilling the “American Dream” for her family. She states that instead she found the truth about military service: “Black, indigenous and people of color, immigrants or not, sacrifice themselves and gain nothing. Countless siblings, parents and partners are being used as disposable property of the government while the rich line their pockets from endless wars.” Ibarra is currently facing charges from the Portland police after exercising self-defense against right-wing agitators who regularly attend Portland protests and assault attendees.

The very same right-wing agitators were in attendance on the 4th, all holding their phones on tripods and yelling obscenities at the crowd before being pushed to the perimeter of the event by event and drowned out by chants.

Cameron Whitten from Brown Hope evoked the words of Frederick Douglass from his speech “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” from 1852: “There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices, more shocking and bloody, than are the people of these United States, at this very hour.” The weight of these words spoken nearly 175 years later was felt by everyone in attendance.

Whitten continued, “I am tired of having to see what is going on in this country on headlines with a degree of powerlessness. Because what I know is that we are powerful, we are a movement! We are a movement against war, against genocide, for education, for opportunity, for peace. We are here knowing that we have been trampled on, disgraced and insulted for far too long and enough is enough!”

After the rally, the sizable crowd embarked on a nearly two-mile march around the downtown Portland area. The group was followed by the city-famous “World on Fire” protest firetruck that was draped in banners that read “Stop the genocide, break the bonds” and “It will take all of us.” The group marched past the annual Waterfront Blues Festival that runs every Fourth of July weekend with chants of “Money for homes and education, not for bombs and devastation!”

Veterans for Peace Chapter 72 President Dan Shea, in a statement that was read aloud in his absence, pointed out “At 250 years, America does not need another hollow celebration. We need an honest reckoning: leaders who respect dissent, veterans who speak truth, communities that refuse fear, and citizens who know freedom is not proven by fireworks. Freedom is proven when the vulnerable are protected, war is restrained, power is accountable, and truth-tellers are heard instead of silenced.”

Portland for Palestine will continue to protest and speak out against unjust wars waged by the United States. The group maintains their demand to end all U.S. aid to Israel to stop the genocide of the Palestinian people.

#PortlandOR #OR #AntiWarMovement #AWAN #P4P

Portland, OR – On Friday, June 17, the immigrant rights organization Portland Contra las Deportaciones (PDXCD) held a rally outside of city hall and attended the city council meeting to demand the council and the mayor revoke the permit for the ICE facility. Over 30 community members were forcibly removed from the meeting while exercising their First Amendment rights.

The city has allowed landowner Stuart Lindquist many delays and extensions to appeal the land use violation issued to the Macadam Facility in September of 2025. Most recently, he appealed to a Multnomah County Circuit Court to claim the hearings officer in the case is biased. The appeal hearing was granted to Lindquist willingly by this hearings officer after the city failed to begin the revocation process or enforce the fine for the land use violation.

While preparing for the protest, activists encountered Mayor Keith Wilson walking towards city hall. Several tried to speak with him, asking what the city is doing to push forward the currently stalled land use violation hearings. Some chanted “Keith Wilson, do your job!” as he walked by ignoring their questions. Wilson rarely attends Portland City Council meetings, but was present to discuss the upcoming budget renewal.

The rally outside city hall was met with violent right-wing agitators who have historically assaulted and pepper-sprayed protesters unprovoked. The crowd chanted and maintained their energy over the sounds of the right wingers’ megaphones. Protesters then packed the first floor of the chambers, holding signs in the front row that read “Revoke the permit!” and “Shut down the Macadam facility!”

Protester Holly Brown also encountered Eric Kutch, director of Portland Permitting and Development. This is the department authorized to officially begin the revocation process. When questioned about the extremely slow movement of the administrative review that spanned from September to February, he claimed that was due to “following the legal process,” despite ICE’s terror on Portland and the surrounding neighborhood.

Kutch then stood up and walked out of the chambers. When Brown attempted to follow him, they were physically blocked from moving through a public building by a plainclothes private security officer.

Because Portland City Council meetings don’t allow opportunity for public comment, community members stood up and spoke out to condemn the council’s inaction and call for emergency legislation to be put forth. Activists repeatedly stood up one by one to disrupt the council proceedings and were swiftly removed. When speaking, Ivan Vargas said, “The clock has been ticking for over a year now regarding the revocation of the permit, while immigrants have been wrongfully and violently put in jail cells in this so-called ‘sanctuary city.’”

City Council President Jamie Dunphy ordered Vargas’ removal and the other activists who dared to speak out. Private security officers paid by the mayor’s office and a cop attending the meeting forcefully ejected more than 30 speakers.

The majority of Portland City Council are self-proclaimed progressives who routinely use the mayor’s private security and the Portland Police Bureau to repress immigrant rights activists.

As to why the city claims they are powerless over the ICE Facility, Democratic Socialist and reactionary councilor Angelita Morillo said, “Laws are enforced through force or through the legal court system and if the legal court system does not support our findings, then we don’t have any standing.” The legal system would have supported permit reconsideration if the city started it when they had the chance, and legal enforcement of city code would also be supported legally at this time.

Violent right-wing streamers cheered on this statement, with one shouting gratitude to the councilors for allowing the permit to keep the facility open.

Later, PDXCD member Taylor Goss countered the council’s hypocrisy in public comment when he said, “Councilor Morillo, you mentioned earlier this evening that Portland doesn’t have an armed force to enforce laws, but in May on May Day, the PPB was sent to defend the ICE facility and officers brutalized and arrested activists. In February, they were sent here, to city hall, to silence protesters who were exercising their First Amendment rights.”

Private security and PPB had also forcefully removed protesters earlier that evening, showing the city government does have power to use violence and force. However, they refuse to enforce city laws over private land leased to the federal government.

This was the first time PDXCD returned to a council meeting after their protest during a meeting in February after the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good led to the city sending every available officer to the chambers to violently remove and arrest protesters.

PDXCD will mobilize to the next hearings in the land use violation appeals process to keep up public pressure on the city to move forward and fight back.

#PortlandOR #OR #ICE #ImmigrantRights #PDXCD

Portland, OR – On Friday, June 5, the Portland Hearings Office was to decide whether to uphold the land use violation for the Macadam Avenue ICE facility, but instead, a Multnomah County Circuit Court judge approved a stay order, delaying the ruling further. The violation decision was made May 22 and comes after the process has already been continually stalled, as the city has allowed landowner Stuart Lindquist multiple appeals and extensions. Activists demand an end to these undemocratic bureaucracies that give leniency to ICE and the landowners who lease to them.

Since the land use violation was originally issued in September 2025, both an administrative review and this delayed appeals hearing have taken place, with lengthy back and forth communication between Lindquist’s attorneys and the city. Lindquist and his legal team claim the city is biased against their client, when in fact, city officials have refused to enforce the fines for the land use violation or begin the revocation process for the land use permit.

Mayor Keith Wilson routinely calls Portland Police Bureau to attack and arrest anti-ICE protesters outside the ICE facility and at city hall, while allowing right-wing agitators to assault protesters without repercussions. It is clear where the city’s bias truly lies.

City Councilor Angelita Morillo, who has taken a strong stance against the revocation of the land use permit, posted on social media about the increased demand to shut down the Delaney Hall detention center in New Jersey. The re-post read, “The closure of Delaney Hall without the release of detainees is not a win. The closure of Delaney Hall but not getting ICE out of New Jersey is not a win. If detainees are transferred out of Jersey that’s not a win. Family separation and violence against detainees would continue.” Morillo also has a page on her website dedicated to why the city cannot and will not revoke the permit. “Progressive” councilors in Portland attempt to position themselves as committed to immigrant rights but fight the people’s movement and advocate against the closing of inhumane detention centers.

Portland Contra las Deportaciones, a grassroots immigrant rights organization, sent over a thousand emails to the mayor and city councilors asking to meet with them to discuss their plan to enforce the land use violation.

Activist Blaire Glennon said, “This decision to stay the hearing represents a delay of a democratically agreed on process, which further demonstrates that those with wealth like Stuart Lindquist can avoid accountability, while Trump and ICE are free to do as they please. It’s been nearly nine months since the land use violation was issued, and we are still fighting to see the city take action!”

DHS claims over 1200 people were detained out of Portland in the months of October to December alone. While the city was catering to ICE, Portlanders were suffering the real consequences of ICE’s home base in the SW Waterfront residential neighborhood. Immigrants have been targeted and terrorized, and residents near the ICE facility have endured countless nights of the release of chemical weapons, sometimes spanning multiple blocks.

The Multnomah County Circuit Court has set a hearing date of June 12.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #

Portland, OR – On May 5, the immigrant rights organization Portland Contra Las Deportaciones (PDXCD) held a protest in front of the Portland Hearings Office to demand the city reject an appeal of a land use violation filed against the Portland ICE facility in September 2025.

The land use violation was issued to the building for holding detainees past a 12-hour limit and boarding up the windows. Despite almost a year passing since the violation was issued, the city has yet to penalize the landlord of the facility, Stuart Lindquist. The city allowed a five-month administrative review of the decision, and then when Lindquist filed an appeal of the violation in March 2026, allowed for the hearing to be pushed back and rescheduled multiple times to May 5.

Protesters met outside the office to speak with the media and hold a rally. Almost immediately, they were disrupted by right-wing agitator Thomas Allen, known for harassing and assaulting immigrant rights protesters. He began circling the protesters and yelling “God bless ICE” over them so they were unable to do interviews.

Protesters formed a barrier and kept Allen away from the rest of the group. But he began to assault activists, hitting and destroying their signs they were holding between themselves and Allen.

Allen then assaulted one of the protesters, Samatha Ibarra. In self-defense, she used pepper spray.

Allen swiftly called Portland Police and claimed he was attacked and being “swarmed” by protesters, a complete fabrication. The police showed up and proceeded to wait until the media left, and then arrested Ibarra, charging her with multiple misdemeanors.

Immigrant rights protesters filed numerous police reports against Allen for attacking people with pepper spray over the last year. At some protests he has sprayed over ten people, including elderly protesters, completely unprovoked. Activists either never hear back, or are told the case would likely not work out in their favor.

After Ibarra’s arrest, PDXCD immediately went to Multnomah County Corrections, where Ibarra was being held, to hold a protest outside demanding her release. She was released a few hours later and participated in a press conference the same day to demand the charges are dropped.

As all of this was occurring, the hearing for the appeal of the land use violation began. Thomas Rask, attorney for ICE landlord Stuart Lindquist, called one witness to testify in support of the ICE facility. The witness was Katie Daviscourt, another known right-wing agitator who has attended round tables with Donald Trump to spread lies about “Antifa” and who regularly goes to the Portland ICE facility to provoke protesters.

Daviscourt testified it was necessary for ICE to board up their windows due to the “violent” protests at the ICE Facility, painting a picture of ICE agents under siege.

In reality, federal agents regularly attack protesters at the facility, going so far as to break the bones of multiple unarmed protesters simply holding signs.

The hearing was supposed to end that same day, but due to delays on behalf of Lindquist’s lawyer the hearing did not conclude until May 7.

On May 10, the hearings office put out a notice that the final decision on the case would be made on June 5. At this point it has been several months since the violation was issued. Despite claims of impartiality, City Administrator Raymond Lee was caught in a leaked video stating the city was “committed to keeping the facility open as it provides “essential services.”

Activists are angry at the willingness of the city to act quickly to repress the voices of immigrant rights activists, while stalling on action on ICE.

“Again and again, we see the city say it stands on the side of immigrants, and yet it only ever uses its powers to silence protesters,” said activist Cami Saunders. “Not only are they misleading the public, but they are trying to suppress the voices of those who call on them to do more.”

In another example of this pattern, Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez added three more charges to Ibarra’s case after her arrest, and Allen posted on X stating the DA personally called him to let him know about the extra charges.

PDXCD remains committed to fighting for the charges to be dropped and also to ensure that the Portland ICE facility is shut down entirely.

Samantha Ibarra also stated she will fight the charges and plans to take the fight to court if needed.

“I’m not planning on taking any plea deals because I defended myself from a local terrorist. If and when it goes to trial it will expose the agitators for who they are,” said Ibarra.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #PDXCD

Portland, OR – On May 1, protesters gathered downtown for a midday May Day rally held by a coalition of 80-plus unions and non-profit type organizations. This included a march downtown with stops at the Mexican Consulate and an office building that houses the offices of a U.S. senator.

Portland Contra de las Deportaciones (PDXCD) and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) attended this rally, although they were not permitted to endorse due to their demand that the city of Portland “Revoke the Permit” for the Portland ICE facility. PDXCD has been vocal in criticizing the city council and mayor for their lack of action on ICE and thus faced pushback in the movement by organizations aligned with the politicians.

Later, on the evening of May 1, there was a second protest organized by FRSO and PDXCD starting at Elizabeth Caruthers Park near the ICE facility in Portland. The protest was to honor the May Day martyrs who died for workers’ rights and demand an end to the deportations. The protest was attended by approximately 300 people at the park with others joining later at the facility. There were speeches by union members and activists alike. An organizer with PDXCD and ILWU Local 5 member stated, “For as long as our country has existed, the working people have fought back, immigrants have fought back!”

The protest marched to ICE and protesters went into the driveway of the ICE facility. This driveway has frequently become a flashpoint in the past year at Portland ICE protests, with federal agents often setting off teargas and other less than lethal munitions when protesters enter the driveway, which is ungated and next to a frequently used sidewalk in a residential neighborhood.

After legal action and the shootings of U.S. citizens by federal agents in January, there has been much less chemical agent used at the facility. The last reported teargas use appears to be at a PDXCD protest in early February.

Later that night, at approximately 8:30 p.m., state police and Portland police stormed the driveway of the ICE facility occupied by chanting protesters. Three targeted arrests happened at that time. Oregon State Police and Portland police pushed protesters out of the driveway with batons and pepper spray. Arrests included Cole Dunahugh and Dr. Catherine Esperanza, who were then transported to Multnomah County jail.

After a call-in campaign and a picketing at the jail, Cole was released very early Saturday morning, May 2. A press conference was held on Saturday afternoon to continue to demand the release of Dr. Catherine Esperanza. The call-in campaign and picketing at the jail continued. After this pressure, Dr. Esperanza was released Saturday night even though callers had repeatedly been told she would not be let out till Monday morning.

The Oregon State Patrol and Portland Police Bureau’s aggressive action to guard the driveway raises questions about adherence to sanctuary laws. Oregon has labeled itself a sanctuary state and Portland is labeled a sanctuary city. The spirit of the sanctuary law is broken when state and city police actively participate in guarding the driveway of the immigration facility with detention cells used to hold immigrants and some U.S. citizens. Many of these detainments have included unnecessary violence, including violence with firearms.

Oregon has been a sanctuary state since 1987. The city of Portland codified their sanctuary status in October of 2025. In its May 2 press release, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) stated “PPB does not engage in immigration enforcement as outlined in PPB Directive 810.10, but is still responsible for maintaining public safety and enforcing state laws.”

If Oregon residents want to report that sanctuary law is being broken, they can call the Sanctuary Promise Hotline at 1-844-924-7829.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #Labor #MayDay #PDXCD

Portland, OR – The Portland immigrant rights organization, Portland Contra las Deportaciones (PDXCD), celebrated its first year as an organization in February. To commemorate, a fundraiser was organized. Community members gathered at Portland's oldest food cart pod, Midtown Beer Garden, on Saturday, April 11.

“The business that we engaged had ties to immigrant communities, and the host who emceed for us was a Latina drag queen who was excited to use her platform to support her community. Even the people who attended were there because they support what we’re doing. Events like this are how we meet people where they are. They’re how we call folks to action without making it seem like work. It’s how we fight back without making people feel afraid that they have to fight,” said lead organizer Taylor Gross.

In the middle of the food carts, there were lines of tables, with a stage at the front where the emcee Quesa de Mondays and DJs performed, and a presentation with pictures and information about the organization played in a loop.

The fundraiser was a silent auction event where objects such as a handwoven blanket donated by El Ranchero Supply Co. were featured, as were experiences such as tickets for two to a show at Milagro Theater, a Latino arts and culture center of the Pacific Northwest since 1985.

“The fundraiser was a great success. We can continue our work in PDXCD, including our barrio walks and our 'Revoke the ICE Permit' campaign,” stated Blaire Gleenwood

During the event, there was an information table where attendees were able to learn more about the organization, as well as the opportunity to sign the petition and learn more about the current campaign to shut down the Portland ICE facility on Macadam Avenue. On the side there was a merch table where people bought t-shirts and stickers.

The event was unusual compared to the other events the organization organizes, such as marches, rallies and city council meeting disruptions; however, the message and demand from the organization stayed the same: Fighting for the Portland City Council and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson to revoke the ICE facility permit. The event allowed more people to learn about the organization and take up the demand.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #PDXCD

Portland, OR – On April 15, 20 Portlanders gathered at Senator Ron Wyden’s office to denounce the ever-increasing money the U.S. spends on war and genocide. The protest was organized by Portland for Palestine (P4P) and was also attended by members of CodePink.

Ron Wyden has a three-decade long history of voting in favor of sending Israel billions of dollars per year, even after Israel began its heightened genocide in Gaza. Speakers at the rally demanded that he refuse to vote for aid to Israel and budget increases for the Department of War, which is requesting a colossal $1.5 trillion for 2027.

“We could end homelessness permanently for $2.4 billion a year. We send Israel $3.8 billion a year,” said Judas Graves, a member of P4P, “For $35 billion a year, we could have universal pre-K. We have spent $50 billion since March 1 bombing Iran!”

“We are funding a genocide and a pointless, endless war. Not because it makes us safe, but because it makes a few people rich. Spending taxpayer money on war-for-profit has been the American way for a long time. This policy is voted on by both Democrats and Republicans, no matter who is president,” explained Kacey DeSantis of P4P.

After the rally, the crowd marched towards Blumenauer Bridge, chanting slogans such as “Money for homes and education, not for bombs and devastation!” and “No war with Iran!” After making it to the bridge, which crosses over Interstate 84, the crowd put up several banners reading “No tax $ for war” and “No war on Iran,” which received many supportive honks from the cars below.

As the U.S. war on Iran enters its seventh week, the working class is increasingly feeling the economic strain of a war.

#PortlandOR #OR #TaxDay #Iran #AntiWarMovement #AntiWarActionNetwork