Swept

The day Sue and I left Portland for the coast, the mayor of Portland issued an eviction notice to the Occupation. While we were away, most of the tents, the canopies, and the supplies were carted off by activists, and when the cops came in riot gear at 5 a.m. on Wednesday, only 8-10 people were still on site. None were arrested. By the time Sue and I came home this afternoon, our friends and comrades of OccupyICEPDX, their tents, the makeshift wooden barricades, the posters, the kitchen, the art, the portable toilets, the potted plants, medical tent, and all the life that was in that spot just a week ago had been swept away. The 7-foot high steel barricades still surround the ICE Building, but there is no life adjacent to that detention center. It is shocking to go there now and see just how thorough the erasure is. Nothing remains but the blue tape on the wall that still reads, "WHAT WUD MOM SAY?" 

The mission of the encampment is still very much alive. OccupyICEPDX has become AbolishICEPDX. It will not go away. Not while we have breath and the will to fight for a more compassionate, humane, and reasonable refugee and immigration policy. 

Thank you for all your wonderful birthday wishes, your hearts and stars and blessings. This community is like no other I've ever known. A bow of gratitude for you all.