“Occupy” protesters have been camping outside an ICE office in Portland, Oregon, leading the facility to temporarily shut down. The occupiers say that they won’t leave until the Trump administration revokes its “zero tolerance” immigration policy.
Since Sunday the agitators, whose numbers are increasing, have been engaged in activities such as blocking the entrance to the building…
Standing outside of an entrance to the ICE building where protesters have created a barrier.#OccupyICE pic.twitter.com/lvwNai9Jeq
— Mikeford “Marilyn Von Mole” Biziths (@itsmikebivins) June 20, 2018
Shouting at people as they drive by…
This person is on the PA letting people know that this is an ICE facility.#OccupyICEPDX pic.twitter.com/pK6ot7ES2k
— Mikeford “Marilyn Von Mole” Biziths (@itsmikebivins) June 20, 2018
Chanting…
Protesters now chanting “no more ice, shut down ice.” #OccupyICE #OccupyICEPDX pic.twitter.com/7ftfFDTVAB
— Mikeford “Marilyn Von Mole” Biziths (@itsmikebivins) June 21, 2018
Blocking the road…
Protesters laying down in the road. #OccupyICE pic.twitter.com/Hau3k5aVIO
— Mikeford “Marilyn Von Mole” Biziths (@itsmikebivins) June 21, 2018
Heckling ICE employees…
I’m back at the #ice occupation. Someone came out of the building and was heckled by the protesters outside. At least 50 people that I see so far, but I just got here.#OccupyICEPDX pic.twitter.com/Ww8LW91O96
— Mikeford “Marilyn Von Mole” Biziths (@itsmikebivins) June 20, 2018
Blocking employees from leaving work…
And generally stinking up the place.
According to The Hill, one person was arrested Tuesday afternoon after the occupiers surrounded the vehicle of a departing employee.
Tuesday night DHS agents were called in to escort ICE employees out of the building.
Armed DHS police just rolled up and got the people out from inside the ICE building. #occupyICEPDX pic.twitter.com/iSDHuxBP2t
— Mikeford “Marilyn Von Mole” Biziths (@itsmikebivins) June 20, 2018
VIDEO: Minutes ago, DHS police escort people out from inside of the ICE HQ in Portland. #OccupyICEPDX #OccupyICE pic.twitter.com/QMdWG74L9z
— Mikeford “Marilyn Von Mole” Biziths (@itsmikebivins) June 20, 2018
Operations at the facility have been suspended until “security concerns have been addressed,” ICE said in a statement. Antifa news aggregator “It’s Going Down” crowed in a celebratory post that the occupiers had evicted ICE.
A member of Occupy ICE PDX said, “We were able to shut down this facility. Although they say it is temporary, it will not be temporary. It’s another testament to what can happen when… regular people stop waiting for politicians and get together and actively make the change that they want to see in their community.”
The mob continued to grow and by Friday morning, there were about 40 tents and 100-150 people obstructing all entrances and exits at the facility, according to the AP.
So I stopped by the #occupyICEPDX protest and campout. Things are looking pretty low key right now. It’s still looking very full of people pic.twitter.com/wsT8jVnLVx
— Mikeford “Marilyn Von Mole” Biziths (@itsmikebivins) June 22, 2018
On Friday, someone climbed a flagpole and removed the American flag in front of the ICE building.
ICYMI: A person scaled the ICE building in Portland and removed the US flag. pic.twitter.com/n7sjlq1VWo
— Mikeford “Marilyn Von Mole” Biziths (@itsmikebivins) June 22, 2018
They replaced it with a “Refugees Welcome” flag.
https://twitter.com/HedonicRunner/status/1010266407450243072
The mayor of Portland has directed the police keep their distance from the occupiers on city property, according to KOIN 6 News. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said it’s the federal government’s job to handle this — it’s their issue and their building, according to the report.
Nearby businesses and residential properties have had to resort to hiring private security, KOIN reported.
One business had some outdoor items taken Thursday night but they were found in the camp and returned.
KOIN 6 News also spoke with protesters and supporters of the occupiers who parked in a nearby restaurant lot without permission. Some people in the South Waterfront neighborhood want the city to step in.
“We had visitors who were not comfortable as we started to walk back from a restaurant to our building, so we went back to the restaurant and called Uber,” one person told KOIN 6 News.
Another said, “The other day one of the protesters jumped out in front of my car as I was going home blocking most of the street.”
One protester said the occupiers are starting to get harassed too.
“Someone … came by and sprayed … poop,” she said. “That’s just mean.”
Occupy anarchists are also attempting to start an occupation of the New York City ICE office, but that effort appears to be still in the beginning stages.
We’re out here. Join us!
If anyone’s interested in dropping off water or snacks, we are at 201 Varick Street. #OccupyICENYC #AbolishICE #AbolishBorders pic.twitter.com/7PbgpaMpF9— Kim Kelly (@GrimKim) June 22, 2018
A scuffle broke out between the activists and police Friday night when the activists tried to block an ICE vehicle from leaving the facility.
@macc_nyc getting thrown to the ground by law enforcement as they attempt to block an I.C.E. van at 201 Varick St. #EndFamilySeparation #EndFamilyDetention #AbolishICE Filmed by Mark Apolloa pic.twitter.com/XnygOaie1l
— Rise and Resist (@riseandresistny) June 23, 2018
Some other anti-ICE actions taken this week according to “It’s Going Down” include:
- A mass rally in San Francisco blocked off streets and intersections surrounding an ICE facility.
- Mass rally in Boston outside of an ICE facility.
- Rally outside of detention facility in Richmond, Calif.
- Rally held in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, against ICE.
- March in New York on “People’s Monday” against attacks on immigrants.
- In New Orleans, a mass demonstration took place against Jeff Sessions at a sheriff’s convention.
- An anti-ICE march was held in El Paso, Texas.
- In Philadelphia, demonstrators clashed with police as mass protests took place against Mike Pence, who was speaking in front of a group of Republican governors.
Obviously, the organized left has settled on the immigration issue to rally around this summer. But protest season may be cut short this year. President Trump’s immigration zero-tolerance policy may be “effectively dead,” according to Politico. “Top officials at the Department of Homeland Security acknowledged that reality at a meeting Thursday afternoon, according to a former department official with knowledge of the meeting,” the report noted.
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