The Politics of the Portland Protests

In the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis earlier this summer, protests have erupted across the nation as the black community expressed its unrest at the unjustified murder. While all 50 states saw protestors take to their streets at some point during the aftermath of Floyd’s murder, one city in particular has shown an exceedingly noteworthy conviction to creating impactful change as to how black Americans are policed. This city is Portland, Oregon.
While the early days of the protests brought riots and looting to the streets of Portland, among numerous other cities throughout the country, the Portland Protests have endured and taken a more peaceful approach while spanning longer than any other protest in the country, approaching 76 consecutive days as of August 12. Different groups of Portlanders have demonstrated on the streets of the city with different tactics when it comes to violent and nonviolent forms of protest.
Over the course of the Portland demonstrations, there have been multiple clashes between protestors and law enforcement that has led to dozens of arrests over the course of the protests duration. One such event where violence broke out took place on August 8 where 24 protestors were arrested after refusing to disperse because they were trespassing on private property. The use of tear gas canisters have also been documented during multiple protests despite the use of such methods on citizens being frowned upon without concrete reasoning.
With Southern University serving as a mixing pot of different people from separate areas of the country, many returning students have been able to witness the variety of protests that have been demonstrated nationwide. Joshua Williams, a senior therapeutic recreations major from San Diego, California had this to say about his own experiences with protests in his native state. “There’s always people not doing [protests] the right way and people who are, but the ones where I live have been mostly peaceful,” said Williams.
The San Diego City Council has gone on record in stating their disdain of the idea of federal intervention in what was described as peaceful protests. “San Diego must say loud and clear that this kind of heavy-handed, authoritarian behavior is not welcome here,” said Council President Georgette Gómez in an open to the public counsel meeting on August 6.
Baton Rouge also had its own set of protests following the death of George Floyd, some of which featured a high level of organization and displays of peaceful protests, while others included the looting and destruction seen in other protests throughout the country.
“I was proud of my city for not staying quiet when things got tough. Of course you have people trying to mess stuff up, but I think the peaceful protests that were being led by students and people that I know deserve more recognition,” said Tyler Smith, a senior marketing major from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As it relates to the Portland protests, Smith noted the dedication that those attending must possess when one considers that most protests around the country came to a halt days after the initial protest began.
While the Portland protests have shown an unparalleled longevity, it’s imperative for other protestors in other states to remain vigilant, especially in the face potentially hostile law enforcement in some areas. Despite there still being a long way to go before meaningful change is visibly implemented, the protests that have taken place this summer have gone a long way in giving a platform to the grievances of black America.