Go beyond keeping protests peaceful, Portland, pretend ICE headquarters is invisible. By Portland resident Hal M. Brown
If anything leave them our famous Voodoo Doughnuts.
The slogan above is derived from an American antiwar slogan from the hippie subculture during the Vietnam War era. It was popularized by Charlotte E. Keyes in her 1966 article for McCall’s magazine titled “Suppose They Gave a War and No One Came.” It was also the title of a movie.
Trump has gone beyond declaring war on American democracy, on us. He is currently engaged in waging this war. The ICE building in Portland (pictured below) has become a symbol of his war here in my city.
Because of this, our current antiwar protestors are gathering there to express their outrage.
Trump and his Gestapo couldn’t be happier about this. Here in Portland, we have a temporary reprieve as long as they abide by Judge Karin Immergut’s order.
This gives the major influencers in Portland and Oregon, the mayor, governor, police chief, and others a chance to mount a major campaign to make sure protests are small and peaceful. We must not give them reasons to claim that we are the war-torn city they want to depict us as.
Like so many people who feel strongly about an issue, Portlanders don’t want to be told not to do something. There will be those who want to be one of the “handful” of protestors at the ICE building. It should be easy to make sure those who do go there are peaceful, but keeping the group so small it could be barely called a crowd will be a challenge.
There are plenty of places to protest in and around downtown Portland. There’s no way to get around the fact that this building is symbolic. It is really tempting to protest there. I urge resisting the temptation.
In Chicago yesterday supposedly one or more people tried to ram ICE vehicles with their cars. This led to a woman being shot. This is the absolute worst way to protest. In Chicago, Portland, and elsewhere we must not to give federal agents or troops any reason to react with violence.
I think it is vital that whatever these agents of authoritarianism do is documented but mostly this happens out in the community. In what I think is an architecturally ugly building in Portland, here’s what they are doing:
The office is where ICE agents take people after they’re arrested and before they’re sent to a long-term detention facility. It also serves as a place for immigrants to do required check-ins with immigration authorities and for other immigration-related appointments.
“People go in there for various kinds of interviews,” said Robert Brown, a volunteer with the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition.
U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, a Democrat who represents portions of Portland and the rest of Oregon’s 1st Congressional District, recently toured the building with other members of Congress. They were told about 70 people go through the field office each month for processing, she said.
The building also has temporary cells where people are held while they’re being processed. (From article)
In the Portland building they are probably consuming our famous VooDoo Doughuts.
I suggest that if anyone wants to go to the ICE building they go bearing the gift of VooDoo Donuts. Leave them at the front door. Tempt the agents to eat these delicious Portland treats.
Let them feed their faces, dress up like they’re about to raid a drug kingpin’s lair, and leave the building and see
They WANT to see protestors. It gives them a thrill. It makes them feel powerful. It is best to ignore them. After all they are just coming and going into a building. It is best to make sure their activities are documented when they do their actual dirty work.
Trump and his Gestapo henchmen / henchwomen want Portland to give them a party so they can happily dance in swinging their big black assault rifles. They want that party. They want a war with us. That would be their party. I ask what would happen if they gave a party and nobody came?
Addendum:
Yesterday I also wrote about Portland:
Because of a jog in the city boundries even though I’m a half hour drive from downtown I have a Portland address. Therefore I can honestly say I am a Portlander even though I really live in a suburb.
I have a VooDoo Doughnuts strore less than a mile from where I live:
Related:
Update:
This shows how outrageously brazen Trump has become. In order toe flout the Oregon federal judges order about using Oregon National Guard in Portland he has ordered 300 California National Guard to be sent here. Newsom has sued:
Quote from Oregon’s Gov. Tina Kotek:
“My administration is aware that 101 federalized California National Guard members arrived in Oregon last night via plane, and it is our understanding that there are more on the way today. We have received no official notification or correspondence from the federal government regarding this action by the President. This action appears to intentional to circumvent yesterday’s ruling by a federal judge.”
Adendum: Thanks to my friend FN for alerting me to this. It was the cover story on Portland’s only daily print newspaper:
Click below to read:
Hi Hal, fellow psychotherapist here. I love the idea of the donuts and not protesting outside the ICE building but watching them like a hawk when they leave to go on a raid.
It’s disgusting and disturbing that we Americans have to deal with this insanity, but the best we can do is to have our own offensive plan and strategically but nonviolently respond.
Have you heard of the Liberty Vans Steve Schmidt’s group is launching? Vans full of lawyers, photographers, clergy, etc. who follow ICE to protect citizens who are being targeted.
Christopher Armitage (Substack) suggested that we call our governors to insist that when ICE breaks down doors, they are committing burglary, when they abduct people without proper federal warrants, they are kidnapping, and everything else they’re doing, comes under the heading of assault with a deadly weapon. These are state laws that these thugs are breaking, and Armitage suggests that local law enforcement in each state be enlisted to arrest, prosecute, and convict them when guilty.
What do you think of that idea? It seems to me to be an essential part of not obeying in advance.
Love the donut idea / gift.