Saturday brought no decision from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on whether President Donald Trump may send troops to Portland.
It’s unclear when the 9th Circuit will rule, but it will likely come before this Friday, when Oregon federal Judge Karin J. Immergut has set a hearing on whether to extend her restraining orders barring the National Guard from Portland for another 14 days.
In the meantime, about 200 people spent hours protesting, dancing and yelling Saturday outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office before federal officers blasted the crowd with stun grenades and chemicals including tear gas, smoke and pepper balls and pointed green lasers from the building’s lower roof.
Here’s what we know.
Hourslong protest brought Unipiper, more costumes and then a barrage of chemical munitions
The occasional downpour provided most of the drama Saturday outside the ICE office in South Portland until about 10 p.m. when federal police stationed on the roof of the building deployed a variety of crowd control munitions on the protesters standing along the sidewalk and street below.
Federal officers twice used stun grenades that generated loud bangs in the residential neighborhood. They also used tear gas, smoke and pepper balls on the people assembled.
“You’re making it a war zone,” a protester shouted as people ran for cover.
As the clouds of smoke and gas cleared, the crowd of about 200 hadn’t thinned much but many people stood farther back from the building.
It’s not clear what precipitated the onslaught. Unlike earlier in the evening, no vehicles appeared to be trying to exit or enter the building.
Until then, the protest of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement followed what has become a familiar rhythm in recent days:
Demonstrators continued to shout a stream of insults at the federal officers and stand in their way. Dance parties broke out as music blared from a portable speaker setup. Traffic passed mostly unimpeded in the street, including an ambulance and TriMet bus.
Federal officers occasionally shot pepper balls from the roof of the ICE office and came out in a phalanx to allow cars or vans to enter or exit before retreating back inside. Later in the night, it appeared a federal officer pushed a protester to the ground.
Several skirmishes broke out between people in the crowd, including a man who said someone knocked his phone out of his hand.
Portland police arrested Portland man Harold Smith on a misdemeanor assault allegation and said another person had been taken to the hospital with injuries that were not life threatening. Police later said the victim, Brian Wesley Crowell-Drogt, from Beaverton, was also an assault suspect and issued him a criminal citation in lieu of arresting him because he was in the hospital.
In the afternoon, the Unipiper created a bit of a happy stir, attracting photo ops, high fives and fist bumps from those gathered on a chilly day of drizzle and cloudbursts.
Brian Kidd, known for playing bagpipes while riding a unicycle, said he decided to make his protest debut to contribute to the “Keep Portland Weird” vibe that has taken hold at the scene for now.
This day’s cast of costumed characters included Pikachu, Patrick and SpongeBob, Garfield, a handful of frogs, Left Shark, a regular shark, a panda and a hippo. Non-inflatable costumes included Gritty, a Yip Yip Muppet, a Santa Claus and goth clowns.
“I’ve been following what’s been going on and I’ve been really impressed by how Portland has responded to this imposition from the feds,” Kidd said.
“I think that Portland right now is reacting in the best possible Portland way,” he said. “… We’re just showing them who we are and hopefully that causes them to reevaluate their motives for wanting to be here.”
As the Unipiper circled the block, federal officers emerged from the building and got into a scuffle with a small group of people outside the open gate and detained three people to cries of “Shame!” from those nearby. It wasn’t clear what triggered the confrontation.
A march through the South Waterfront promoted earlier in the day never materialized. Images promoting the event, circulated online, warned that attendees should bring personal protective equipment.
Jess O’Neill, a Portland bartender, said Saturday was the first time she’d participated in a protest at the ICE facility. She showed up in a pig costume that she’d used in a prank when picking her partner up from the airport a few months ago.
“I told her then it was the best $27 I’d ever spent,” she said. “I stand by that now.”
Standing with her partner, she said she was drawn by her frustration with the Trump administration’s policies and what she had seen of the protest scene from afar in recent days.
“We are queer. We are women. Our rights have been stomped all over in different ways. We have friends from different cultures,” she said. “We just don’t think any of this is right, and I had to just come out and deal with the rain, just stand up for what I believe in.”
PDX won’t be playing Kristi Noem video at security checkpoints
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made a video to play at airport security checkpoints across the country, but it won’t be playing at Portland International Airport.
Noem used the opportunity to blame congressional Democrats for travel delays during the federal government shutdown.
The Port of Portland, which operates PDX, said it has declined to display the video, saying it could violate state and federal laws that prohibit using public assets and employees to disseminate an explicitly partisan message.
What we’re watching for today
World Naked Bike Ride, along with several local activist groups, have planned a clothing optional ‘emergency’ demonstration Sunday.
The ride is set to begin at 3 p.m., with participants gathering at the Oregon Convention Center Plaza.
The ride was originally announced to start at 2:30 p.m. but organizers expect it to actually start at 3 p.m.
Organizers say there will be a “die-in” on the Burnside Bridge during the ride.
The full route will not be made public in advance.
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