The photos in this post were all captured on one 56-mile bike loop around Portland, Oregon. Separate trips over three days, though it’s a lovely, surprisingly flat five-hour ride if you want to make it in one go.
Back when I had a job, I regularly sat in meetings with other government employees, contractors, arts organizations, and community organizers. Many of these meetings and committees started with trauma-informed land acknowledgments, followed by round-table introductions where we shared what we liked about Portland.
Downtown as seen from somewhere near University of Portland.
My answer was usually some variation of: “I love the contrasts of this place. You can be downtown enjoying food carts, a Broadway musical, a farmers market, or a world-class art gallery one moment, and within an hour or two find yourself in a mossy, forested wilderness on the side of a mountain, or standing with your feet in the sand at the edge of the Pacific Ocean. You can watch horses gallop across open range in the high desert, and in the same day, take a stroll through fern-filled rain forest valleys.”
Kelly Point Park at the northwestern edge of Portland.
The contrasts don’t stop at the landscape.
We have some of the most profitable corporations in the world operating here, and some of the more embarrassingly low corporate arts giving numbers for a major city. The headquarters of Nike, Columbia, and Adidas, dozens of major NGO’s and non-profits with high six-figure salaried directors, well-funded tech startups abound, yet many of our streets are lined with homeless camps.
There’s a decent probability you’re wearing something right now with a tag sewn on it that was designed by a Portlander. And an even higher probability that designer is now wondering if they’ll be living on the street by next year.
A mural next to the Max light rail line in North Portland.
We have, ostensibly, a high concentration of some of the most outspoken, self-professed liberals in the nation… yet we’re lagging behind on renewable energy, sustainable transportation, recycling, affordable housing, education, and livable wages.
The Columbia River as seen from the Marine Drive bike path.
In the city where kombucha, craft beer, and legal cannabis are basically food groups, small crowds of gleeful shirtless teens dive off a floating dock, surrounded by jet-skiers and speedboat enthusiasts skimming across the Willamette River. A mere four blocks away, police and (as of June) federal troops have been beating, shooting, kidnapping, and tear-gassing peaceful protesters for two months straight on a nightly basis.
Federal troops firing tear gas, flash bangs, and rubber projectiles. They spent the previous 30 minutes firing from cover inside that open door.
The “Federal Protective Service” surrounds the crowd, two blocks from federal property, before firing tear gas without warning.
Peaceful chanting in front of the Multnomah County Justice Center.
The “Wall of Moms” holds down Main Street.
A firework is tossed by protesters into the fenced area in front of the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse.
Protesters during an eerily quiet moment on Thursday night.
The first of many waves of tear gas Thursday night.
A flash bang grenade fired by the “Federal Protective Service” explodes in the crowd.
Volunteer medics treat an individual screaming with a massive dose of what is likely CS gas, and at least 3 large open wounds from projectile impacts.
Can I just go back to panicking about how I’m going to keep from becoming homeless by 2021, please?
For now, I’m adding most of my protest photos to this gallery if you want to see more.
From the birthplace of Goat Yoga… I sincerely hope you have a good week.
Food for Thought:
WATCH: HBO’s Carnivale. It’s old, it only semi-concludes at the end of 2 seasons, but it could have been released yesterday and it would still feel like one of the freshest, most original pieces of serialized television out there. A battle between the mystical forces of good and evil plays out between some scrappy members of a roving carnival troupe and a California preacher at the height of the Great Depression? Hell. Yeah. There’s almost no reason this show couldn’t be picked back up for the planned final 3 seasons.
LISTEN: Shane Mauss’ Here We Are podcast. Shane is a fabulous comedian. His “A Good Trip” tour stop in Portland was one of the most enjoyable stand-up shows I’ve ever seen in my life. But his podcast, which centers entirely on conversations with actual scientists, is a treasure trove.
DONATE: The ACLU is fighting on behalf of the volunteer medics and journalists the feds have brutalized during the protests here. I am donating my time and services. They could probably use some dollars too, since this fascist bullshit is headed to your city next.