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Photos by CJ Monserrat.
A Portland rally against President Donald Trump's immigration policies drew a few hundred people to Portland City Hall today, including several Oregon elected officials, celebrating the one-week mark of a blockade of a federal immigration office.
A last-minute venue change kept the crowd to about 400 people, well below numbers predicted by organizers. The event did not appear to galvanize the city or offer much release from tension for protesters who have placed themselves directly in the path of the federal government.
"Chinga la migra!" protesters chanted in front of City Hall, before a brass band began to play. "Fuck ICE!"
But the afternoon rally was unmarred by the violent clashes that have defined street protests in this city during the Trump administration. No right-wing groups showed up at the protest. The specter of far-right groups seeking a confrontation has been at the forefront of blockade organizer fears—and may have contributed to moving the event away from their camp.
Related: Portland's ICE blockade is now a city of more than 80 tents.
Portland police continued to take a hands-off approach to the occupation. Three uniformed officers stood at the edge of today's rally, wearing ballcaps, but no other police presence could be seen.
State Rep. Diego Hernandez (D-East Portland) spoke at the rally, and says he supports the occupation.
"Direct actions, if organized with people who are directly impacted, could have a snowball effect," he told WW. "We must continue to fight for immigration reform that keeps families together."
Two miles south, outside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices, a tent village continues to grow. It is now nearing 100 tents, plus another dozen tarp-covered shelters serving as organizational offices.
Related: ICE shuts down its Portland office after a protest camp blocks the entrance.
Yet there are signals the protesters are growing weary of media attention. Signs along the wooden barricades at the camp entrance forbade taking videos or photos. A young woman dressed in black sat on a couch, using a felt marker on another cardboard sign.
"Taking pictures for an edgy feed?" she wrote. "Make a u-turn."
