About Fifty Protesters Marched to the Portland Police Department, Middle Street, Around 9:00 pm., This Evening, After Attending the Press Conference at City Hall.
Some Members of the Black Lives Matter Contingent that Attended the Protest ‘In Solidarity.’
Aaron Porter, a Spokesman for the Homeless, at the Press Conference Tonight.
Ahmad Beshir, Was The Lead Off Speaker at the Protest on the Steps of City Hall Tonight.
Tonight the homeless held city hall and the Portland Police Department in contempt for participating in a system that dehumanizes people because of their incomes, color, different views and a myriad of other reasons. Mayor Kate Snyder and city manager Jon Jennings were called out specifically as those who uphold that system to the detriment of those struggling to survive.
Snyder based her recent campaign for Mayor on a learning tour of Portland residents to determine the needs of renters. But she has failed to incorporate her learnings into any tangible improvements in the rental housing stock of Portland. Jennings, who was one of the original developers of Thompson’s Point, bailed out of the project to his friend Chris Troubh because, he once told mhn.com, it wasn’t being developed as he wanted – presumably into an upscale housing development where he stood to profit handsomely.
A List of Demands delivered to the city today and compiled by people struggling to survive was read aloud to the protesters who swarmed city hall plaza early this evening. The Demands included decriminalization of camping out, a demand to defund the police, a demand to establish overdose prevention sites, and plans for permanent affordable housing led directly by impacted people.
The final demand was an extension of the eviction freeze currently in place that ends on August 3rd. Evictions mean more homeless people.
Not called out tonight, but one who should have been is the retiring Councilor Jill Duson, chair, of the Anti-Housing Housing Committee. During her tenure as chair she has not proposed or supported one piece of legislation that would provide relief to renters – relief that would not cost the city a precious penny. Duson seems to look down on renters as inferiors not to be supported. Or perhaps, as a minority herself, Duson seeks approval from the majority with whom she associates on the City Council and developers in general rather than her peers.
A large contingency of Black Lives Matter marchers joined the protesters at city hall plaza for the speeches before marching down to the Portland Police Department for another well attended rally on its steps. (See above left photo).
Aaron Porter, a homeless man, aroused the crowd when he said he’d been jailed twice for camping out. “If it’s about survival and doing something illegal to survive, we’ll do something illegal. The city has the power to make changes immediately, but they are lacking the motivation to do that. I can’t change my heart,” Aaron said. Cody, also homeless, said: “They treat me as less because I don’t have a roof over my head. The stigma around homelessness needs to disappear.” Speaker after speaker recalled their experiences with homelessness and their abuse by police departments.
It was noted that the homeless situation is on the city council’s agenda for Monday evening. “We don’t want to be on the agenda for Monday said one speaker. We want more than that. We’ll be here for that discussion.” On the workshop agenda available remotely on Monday, July 27th, are issues related to homelessness, Deering Oaks Park and city hall plaza.