VolineTHREAD ON FRIDAY 23 JANUARY RALLY "PORTLAND STANDS WITH MINNEAPOLIS"
Held at the Battleship Oregon Memorial in Tom McCall Park, and convoked by Socialist Alternative and No Kings/50501
by Sweet Science, Savage Art (@sweetscisavart.bsky.social)
on Bluesky 2026-01-24 at 07:39
What I saw last night at the PDX anti-ICE rally hosted by @socialistalt.bsky.social [Socialist Alternative] and @pdxoregon50501.bsky.social [No Kings/50501] was one of the most cowardly, embarrassing, and dangerous things I've seen. The so-called security and organizers prioritized the safety of literal fascists over the community.
From the beginning, random lone fascists started roaming the crowd heckling the speakers, filming the crowd, and intimidating the participants. The security, some of who had Portland Resistance hi-vis vests on, never bothered to engage with them to distract, de-escalate, or create space.
Instead they followed 20 feet behind, observing and reporting like a bunch of depressed mall cops.
Emboldened by the lack of pushback, a handful of fascist live streamers showed up with megaphones to roam the crowd shouting slurs and daring people to fight them.
During this the organizers kept telling people to "ignore and engage" the fash who were actively disrupting the rally.
After 30+ mins of this the fascists were allowed to casually walk onto the stage and completely disrupt the speakers.
Comrades in the crowd who had enough of the inaction of security and organizers rushed the stage to physically remove the fash only to be set upon by the security. The security formed a protective ring around the fash in order to allow them to shout slurs at the crowd and shut down the rally early.
When comrades tried to get past, the peace police physically restrained those comrades and threatened to call the cops and press charges.
The peace police also said that the comrades who tried to get past them to remove the fash were, "just as bad as they were," as if those willing to physically remove Nazis and as bad as the Nazis disrupters themselves.
Anyone who has worked safety with me knows that I understand that there is a time and a place to throw hands and that there are many alternatives. However, none of these alternatives were used due to cowardice and prioritizing liberal peace politics over safety and common sense.
It is obvious that @socialistalt.bsky.social and @pdxoregon50501.bsky.social at best care about the more about the safety and organizing of literal fascists, and at worst can be considered to be collaborating with fascists who they essentially invited on stage due to their cowardly lack of action.
They wish to stand up to a militarized fascist police state when they can't even stand up to a handful of live streamers. Furthermore, they threaten to use the violence of said police state as a weapon against actual comrades in the name of "peace".
They repeatedly said to "not give them what they want". However, they in turn gave the fash something far more valuable than content, permission to disrupt our events without consequence.
For years the anti-fascist community has kept our cities in the PNW safe because fash knew they would be set upon instantly. My comrades have bled, served time, and died in this struggle. Now fash now know they can just casually stroll into our events and that liberals will protect them.
I am sickened and ashamed to have been in Portland last night. We need to do better and orgs like @socialistalt.bsky.social and @pdxoregon50501.bsky.social need to take a step back from organizing rallies, self crit, connect with actual safety teams, and make sure this never happens again.
Unrolled Thread:
https://skywriter.blue/pages/did:plc:mp2xbrddspm6gr7ouhpvd2w4/post/3md6kdwf2dc24
First Post:
https://bsky.app/profile/sweetscisavart.bsky.social/post/3md6kdwf2dc24
