Portland residents are finding creative ways to respond to the threat of National Guard deployment in their city, and to continue the protests at the ICE facility that have been ongoing since June.
In justifying the military deployment to the city, Trump has repeatedly described Portland as “war-ravaged,” “on fire,” and “bombed out.” To counter this grim assessment of their city, Portland protesters have turned to using humor and mockery in a city whose unofficial motto is “Keep Portland Weird.” One resident showed up in a giant inflatable frog costume and, despite obviously being no physical threat to law enforcement, was pepper-sprayed through the air intake vent of his costume by federal agents. Protesters were not deterred by this violence perpetrated against them, and the inflatable animal costumes have now become a ubiquitous symbol of resistance. Outside the ICE facility, giant dinosaurs, raccoons, and unicorns bounce their inflated bodies to amplified music in a show of community joy and peaceful protest. The absurdity of their costumes mirrors the absurd nature of the federal agents’ costumes – who are often seen wearing full desert camouflage despite walking on city sidewalks.
As for the protester who was pepper-sprayed through his frog costume, he was not intimidated by the assault, stating in an interview that he has “definitely had spicier tamales.”
In another form of quintessentially Portland protest, organizers from World Naked Bike Ride PDX held an “Emergency Naked Bike Ride” which led thousands of minimally-clothed cyclists through the streets of the city. Despite the pouring rain and mid-50 degree temperatures, people in costumes, body paint, or wearing nothing but a bike helmet filled the streets in a bold demonstration of community solidarity. A brass band dressed in banana costumes and a bagpipe player roused the crowd with music. As the ride’s organizers said in a statement, “Joy is a form of protest. Being together with mutual respect and kindness is a form of protest.”
The Department of Homeland Security responded by calling the protest “unsightly.” Portland continues to refuse to be threatened by the presence of federal agents in their city, meeting the government’s tactics of intimidation and violence with humor and joyful resistance. Portland residents remind us that we have the power to rewrite the narrative about our communities, and claim for ourselves what solidarity and protest looks like.
Just recently, as part of this counter-narrative, a website IsPortlandBurning.com was launched, complete with livestream video to mock the administration’s claims of a city on fire.
Image Credit: Christ Pietsh/ USA Today Network via Imagn Images
