Hearing there was to be an anti-Trump rally at the blockade of the former ICE office in Portland, Oregon, I went down there this afternoon. When I got there someone was announcing that the protest had been moved to City Hall. Rather than go to city hall, never having seen a federal government operation shut down before, I decided to take a look around.
Portland ICE blockade, on north. ICE office was in building behind tree.Pretty much the whole shooting match is strung out north to south for maybe 50 yards along both sides of the right of way of an unused interurban rail line.
I entered the camp through gap in a barricade made of shipping pallets with rudimentary bracing by 4x4s. An earnest woman warned me not to take photos inside the camp, lest other persons come up to me and ask me to not take photos.
I walked through the camp between the rails on the ties. Basically it was a mess, but I suppose revolutions can’t be expected to be tidy. I did not speak with anyone, and abiding by the woman’s wishes, I took no photographs. I then exited the camp on the south side, where I took the photograph at the top of this blog post.
Encampment along the east side of Macadam Avenue, looking south.That’s how I became an enemy of the people. Some self-appointed gendarme named Dan ran up to me and told me not to take photographs because the camp had “vulnerable people.” I said I’m not taking photographs of people (and I wasn’t) just the camp.
I disengaged from policeman Dan and went along my way up to the sidewalk running along Macadam Avenue, where I photographed the camp spread along the sidewalk along and signs that had been posted on the building.
Don’t antagonize your allies.
Although I was on a public sidewalk, and doing nothing but photography signs, Dan saw fit to rally several nitwits who blocked my passage down the sidewalk, waving signs which said, among other things, “Do you want to end up in a concentration camp?”
Someone in a mask started starring at me, and I asked him if he had anything he wanted to say to me. Basically I was told that I was their enemy, that they now owned the sidewalk where I was standing, that they hated me, and that I should get out of there. I pointed out that I was standing in a lawful place engaging in lawful activity. That of course meant nothing. Eventually I decided to walk around these fools, since they were obviously looking for some kind of provocation.
Signs blocking entrance on the east side of the building, 6/18/18While I am in sympathy with the general idea of civil disobedience, I dislike the sort of would-be revolutionaries who erect their own intolerance as law, and who disregard the rights of others.
Avoid futility.
ICE of course is affected only temporarily by all of this, as they have moved or are in the process of moving their office to an as yet undisclosed location; my guess would be that it is now at the highly secure FBI headquarters compound near the Portland airport. The point after all is not to fight Trump, but rather to defeat him.
What can be done?
If these folks really wanted to help immigrants, there are many, many community events where they could do so.
Portland area non-profits have organized many educational and assistance programs for immigrants, all of which need volunteers, to help for example refugees become green card holders, and green card holders to become citizens. One could achieve a lot in six days of volunteer work.
For example, there are many communities of lawful permanent residents in this country which have historically not been naturalizing, for reasons not readily determined. The naturalization form is now 20 pages now, and its even more intimidating than ever.
There are number of organizations, right here in Portland such as Sponsors Organized to Assist Refugees (SOAR), and Lutheran Community Family Services, that are working to help people overcome these barriers so they can be naturalized. All this requires effort and community outreach, as well as organization of volunteers.
There are about 123 immigration detainees now at Sheridan Federal Correctional Sheridan. A lawsuit was recently filed by volunteer legal services providers to seek access to these prisoners. Provision of legal services requires not just lawyers but all manner of other support. And if the courts were no threat to Trump, he would not be railing against them.
You say you want a revolution ...
But organization, discipline, and working to recast the legal order of things are not what these folks want. They are the mirror of Trump, seeking chaos, spreading disrespect, and stirring up resentment. Consider the Bundy standoff last year at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge last year. If you were like me, you might have thought there was a point to the objections of the occupiers, but they had gone too far over the by seizing federal property. The same goes here, at least for me.
Our nation has not sunk so far that we must abandon law, decency and civility. The courts and the polls remain open; vote for change and stand up for your rights. Volunteer in an endeavor that will actually help immigrants. As the song goes:
You say you'd change the constitution Well you know We'd all love to change your head You tell me it's the institution Well you know You better free your mind instead