Portland’s George Floyd Protests Began as a Peaceful Vigil

Here are photos of how the evening began.

A protestor sits atop the batting cage at Peninsula Park. (Alex Wittwer)
By Aaron Mesh and Alex Wittwer

The outpouring of sorrow and anger over the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer was first felt in Portland at several peaceful rallies in parks.

One of those events was held in downtown Terry Schrunk Plaza by the NAACP on Friday afternoon. A second event, a vigil for Floyd, was held in North Portland's Peninsula Park by an activist group called the PNW Youth Liberation Front.

The aftermath of that vigil has been widely covered: A march into downtown turned destructive, and looting continued until nearly 4 am. But the scene in Peninsula Park was very different: Local ministers and Black Panthers spoke against police violence, the park was packed by an orderly and mournful audience, and a shrine was erected in Floyd's memory.

Here are photos of how the evening began.

The crowd of people grew as time went on. At the official start time, Peninsula Park was nearly full. (Alex Wittwer)
Pastor Roy Tate was one of the first speakers at the vigil. (Alex Wittwer)
The vigil filled Peninsula Park. (Alex Wittwer)
One of the leaders of the Portland Black Panthers spoke at the event. (Alex Wittwer)
Mariah Taylor begged for peace whenever speakers began to use abrasive rhetoric. (Alex Wittwer)
A protester sits atop the batting cage at Peninsula Park. (Alex Wittwer)
A child donates a candle to the vigil shrine in front of the speakers’ gazebo. (Alex Wittwer)
Protesters surged out of Peninsula Park and made their way to MLK Boulevard. (Alex Wittwer)

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