Trump would see people riding bikes if he came to Portland today – BikePortland

On a picture perfect early fall day in Portland, Goveror Kotek convened with Mayor Keith Wilson and a coterie of local elected officials for a press conference in Waterfront Park. The gathering was a response to President Donald Trump’s threats to unleash the full force of the American military on Portland. It’s needed, the unhinged wannabe dictator said, to put down what he believes is a “war-ravaged” city where roving gangs of Soros-funded left-wing radicals run amok.

Over the din of chattering tourists disembarking from a Willamette River cruise ship and water rushing through nearby Salmon Street Springs, Governor Tina Kotek said, “Portland is doing just fine.” The press conference was held a half-mile from a bustling Saturday Market in the shade of the historic Rose Building.

Kotek said she spoke on the phone with Trump for about 10 minutes this morning, telling him the situation at the ICE building in South Waterfront is under control and there’s no need for federal forces in Portland. “Our city is a far cry from the war-ravaged community that he has posted about on social media, ” Kotek added. “And I conveyed that directly to him.”

“If President Trump came to Portland today,” Mayor Keith Wilson said. “What he would find is people riding their bikes, playing sports, enjoying the sunshine, and buying groceries or produce from a farmers market.”

As speakers addressed the media, there was a constant stream of people walking, rolling, and bicycling on the path behind them. It was a perfect illustration of the wide gap in reality between Trump’s version of Portland and the real thing.

Despite this calm, there’s concern that Trump’s provocations will see renewed, large-scale protests at the ICE facility in the coming days and weeks. When Portland Police Chief Bob Day was asked by a reporter to speak about what his officers have learned since the 2020 protests, Day said he’s, “Really proud the way the Portland Police Bureau demonstrates its ability to be a learning organization.” Day said they’ve enacted many recommendations from critiques from both inside and outside the agency — including having “dialogue officers” that wear different uniforms and are trained to communicate directly with protest organizers. “We are in support of peace for Portland… Officers will be held accountable that do not adhere to our directives or our policies, or state law.”

Whether or not federal troops make their presence felt here in larger numbers in coming days, we’ve already had ICE agents scooping up Portlanders in deportation raids.

The group Portland Contra las Deportaciones (Portland against deportations, or PDXCD) is planning a mass protest at the ICE facility on SW Macadam tomorrow (Sunday) at 4:00 pm. “We will not stand down, we will not be quiet. Trump and his racist goons have no place in Portland! Come protest with us and show that Portland demands an end to ice and federal terror!,” reads the event description.

At today’s press conference, Governor Kotek urged folks to “not take the bait,” echoing the sentiment shared by Mayor Wilson at a press conference yesterday. “Property damage or violence of any kind will get us nowhere and will not be tolerated,” Kotek added. “If you want to stand in opposition to the Trump administration, I would ask that you lean into supporting your community, helping people, making things better here.”

Please make plans to join us this week at Bike Happy Hour. Immigrant rights activists from PDXCD and Revoke ICE Permit PDX will join us for a community discussion in the plaza. We’ll discuss their campaign, learn what to do if you see ICE agents in your neighborhood, and how bicycle riders and safe streets activists can use the tools we have to make the community stronger in the face of rising federal aggression.