Portland Has Risen.

"Dancing insists we take up space, and though it has no set direction, we go there together. Dance is dangerous, joyous, sexual, holy, disruptive, and contagious and it breaks the rules. It can happen anywhere, at anytime, with anyone and everyone, and it's free. Dance joins us and pushes us to go further and that is why it's at the center of ONE BILLION RISING." --Eve Ensler.

For the past twenty-four hours, Eve Ensler's V-Day project has rolled around the planet, inspiring people to dance, to celebrate women and children, and to say NO to violence against women and children.

In Portland, Oregon, the Rising joined with members of Idle No More, a Native People's movement that arose in Canada and is rapidly spreading across North America. I also saw a number of former Occupiers out in the streets. It was a great day for us in Portland. Cold, but a time of joy because so many of us have survived. 

Throughout the day many other people on Blip have posted Risings. Bantry, Ireland; Zagreb, Croatia; Minneapolis, MN; Seattle and Bellingham, WA. And probably some more I have missed. Some of those who weren't close to an organized Rising, or who were prevented from attending one because of the pesky business of making a living, have danced in their own place, on their own time. Hooray for us all.

Edit: Portland's best picture of the day, in my opinion, was shot by Randy Rasmussen, photojournalist who works for our local commercial newspaper. I got a picture of him here.