In response to the federal goon squads sent by Donald Trump, Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland have come up with a new strategy: the "Wall of Moms," and also some dads, who stand in front of the protest line as a symbolic and moral barrier against police brutality. About 30 of the moms showed up at the federal courthouse Saturday night, chanting "Feds stay clear! Moms are here!" and "Leave our kids alone!"
A crowd of about 400 has now occupied both SW 3rd and SW Main. The moms are chanting, “Feds stay clear! Moms are… https: //t.co/sxBCoCn2vb
— Lindsey Smith (she/her) (@Lindsey Smith (she/her)) 1595131984.0
The unidentifiable goon squad, being a goon squad, allowed the women to stand for a few hours, arms locked, but eventually moved in with flash-bangs and tear gas, because clearly the protest was a threat to national security somehow.
Feds are out. They shoved the moms. Lots of tear gas and flash bangs. https: //t.co/gPsP6ZZnlo
— Lindsey Smith (she/her) (@Lindsey Smith (she/her)) 1595137464.0
It's America in 2020 and that's our federal government. The Trump administration isn't interested in doing a goddamned thing to protect us from a deadly pandemic, but by God it's got plenty of munitions to "protect" a building from people chanting rude things about cops.
The Wall of Moms got started with a Facebook post by Bev Barnum, 35, who was moved to action by social media video of unidentified federal agents hustling an unarmed protester into an unmarked minivan.
"As most of you have read and seen on the news, protestors are being hurt (without cause)," Barnum wrote on a Facebook event page , calling for moms to join Saturday's protest. "And as of late, protestors are being stripped of their rights by being placed in unmarked cars by unidentifiable law enforcement."
"We moms are often underestimated," Barnum wrote. "But we're stronger than we're given credit for. So what do you say, will you stand with me? Will you help me create a wall of moms?"
"We wanted to look like we were going to Target, like normal people," Barnum told BuzzFeed News, adding that she hoped their nonthreatening appearance would let them provide protection. However, she said that the mothers were later tear-gassed by federal officers.
Protesters got behind the moms, who stood in front:
Last night after getting gassed and shot at by the feds, I swore I wasn’t going back to protest again — but when I… https: //t.co/4X7yklF6Uw
— Julia Peattie (@Julia Peattie) 1595145041.0
But surely the use of force Saturday taught those terrible moms a lesson? It sure did: It taught them there's strength in numbers. Sunday night, there were even more moms.
The Wall of Moms is back in front of the Justice Center in downtown Portland, and they brought reinforcements. https: //t.co/7B26bCyBN6
— Nathaniel St. Clair (@Nathaniel St. Clair) 1595218352.0
LOTS more moms, and others.
This scene happening rn in front of the Justice Center is for anyone wondering whether the arrival of feds would qu… https: //t.co/PxGGWDjnPm
— Beth Nakamura (@Beth Nakamura) 1595305612.0
And lo, there were dads, too:
Moms have been joined by Dads -- organizing as "PDX Dad Pod." Here are some, seen wearing orange. The crowd is grow… https: //t.co/ORojwHlWNH
— The Oregonian (@The Oregonian) 1595304693.0
Wow, what a wild mob of radical leftist terrorists. (Some wonderful smartasses on Twitter suggested the dads bring leaf blowers to disperse tear gas, an idea whose utility seems dubious at best.)
The moms and dads didn't seem especially intimidated by the Trumpentroopers.
The crowd of protesters outside Portland's Justice Center sings "We Shall Overcome" Monday night. (video by… https: //t.co/cpWrPLDpli
— The Oregonian (@The Oregonian) 1595308816.0
But how can these be moms? They curse like a common Wonkette Editrix! More to the point, they know that sometimes you have to curse. But when they arrived at a mural commemorating the murder of George Floyd, their silence was just as eloquent:
Right fists up as thousands march last mural of George Floyd https: //t.co/uAb49KkIiF
— Beth Nakamura (@Beth Nakamura) 1595311119.0
Monday night, the Oregonian reports , there were hundreds of parents marching along with the younger Black Lives Matter demonstrators. Amazing how many complete families of dangerous terrorists there are in Portland.
By 9: 15 p.m., more than 1,000 people had gathered in the area. The crowds filled Southwest Third Avenue and the nearby park in front of the jail. Almost everyone wore masks. Some people stood on the steps of the jail and delivered speeches to rally the crowd. When one person asked how many mothers were in the crowd, several hundred people rose their hands.
Police at first stayed away from the crowd, which appeared to have grown beyond 2,000 people by 9: 45 p.m. One speaker encouraged people to vote and told them how to register, drawing a wave of cheers. Another person explained how to react to tear gas and other uses of force: "Stay together. Stay tight. We do this every night."
And once again Monday, the feds used smoke and "impact munitions" to clear away the demonstrators from the courthouse after some in the crowd "started to tear off the plywood and other materials nailed to the front of the building."
Thank heaven order was restored against those bloodthirsty anarchists. Donald Trump says the federal soldiercops are there to keep the city safe. From moms and dads with bullhorns and projectors. Go, moms and dads!
[ Oregonian / CBS News / Buzzfeed News / CNN ]
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Portland Has Own WALL — Of Moms!
I would love to see the leaf blower dads there too tho - just for the comedy factor (yes I know this isn't a joke, but if we can't have a mental moment of personal levity we may as well nuke ourselves from orbit)
TRUTH.