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After a busy Saturday saw massive ”No Kings" protests in downtown Portland and across the state, followed by federal officers using tear gas and pepper spray on protestors outside the ICE facility south of downtown Portland, the mood was low-key Sunday evening. Here’s what we know. Feds in Portland Armed ICE agents break into Gresham home, arrest wrong men, and ‘No Kings’ rallies energize Oregon: Get caught up ‘No Kings’ rallies bring thousands to 50 communities across Oregon See ‘No Kings’ photos from Boston, New York City, Birmingham and other U.S. cities A quieter evening outside ICE The scene Sunday evening outside the ICE facility in South Portland was significantly calmer than the day before. Portland police reported making no arrests. As sundown approached about 60 protesters, including a man who was painting and another who was juggling illuminated balls, were in the area. A few protesters wore inflatable animal costumes, another handed out adult onesies. “People are going to be out here all winter,” said the person handing out the onesies. “I’m a very practical person. It’s cold.” The protestor said he buys the costumes for around $10 online and has given away more than 40 in the last week. About a dozen Portland police officers were on hand, and four ICE agents monitored the crowd from the building’s roof. Protesters criticized the Trump administration and heckled the federal agents. “We live in a fascist country,” said Sean Giaretto, who protested for the first time outside the ICE building on Sunday evening. “That isn’t the perspective I had of our country I had when I was a kid. That’s been flipped upside down completely.” Earlier at Sunday’s protest, Portlander Mateo Garcia sat in the saddle on his 1,200-pound Andalusian horse named Canelo. Garcia, who carried a flagpole with a Mexican flag, said he was out to support family and friends who have been impacted the Trump administration’s immigration actions. An artist in a Bob Ross costume painted Garcia’s picture in front of the ICE building as he sat on the horse. “I came here for my people to protest for human rights,” Garcia said. “I believe in freedom. That’s what the U.S. is about.” Garcia said he hoped to return to the ICE facility on Tuesday with as many as 20 additional horses. Fed are courting disaster, Mayor Wilson warns Mayor Keith Wilson has described Portland’s ICE facility as chaotic and dangerous, highlighting concerns about a high-stress workplace environment that could lead to accidents. In a Newsweek editorial published over the weekend, Wilson criticized the Trump administration and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem for ignoring local context and worsening issues at the ICE facility, which he labeled disorganized and insecure. Noem has accused Portland’s leaders of covering up local issues, while Wilson cites instances of aggressive federal actions against demonstrators. Wilson emphasized the need for federal assistance in addressing shared problems like fentanyl distribution and human trafficking, rather than focusing on “unfounded claims of domestic terrorism.” This critique is consistent with Wilson’s previous comments, where he addressed the disconnect between national narratives and the reality of Portland in publications such as Time magazine. Get the latest on ICE protests Want an afternoon update? The Oregonian/OregonLive’s new ICE Protests in Portland newsletter is delivered to thousands of subscribers at 3 p.m. daily. To join them, simply click here to opt in.
