Dozens of coordinated protests against the Trump administration are set to spring up across Oregon on Saturday, including several in the Portland metro area.
The “Hands Off!” demonstrations — which are happening across the country — come in response to the Trump administration firing thousands of federal employees, implementing sweeping tariffs and moving to roll back environmental regulations, among other issues.
The Portland-area protests are expected to take place at the Japanese American Historical Plaza on the downtown waterfront at noon, at St. Johns Plaza in North Portland at 10:30 a.m. and at the south end of Westmoreland Park in Southeast Portland at 9:30 a.m.
Other related demonstrations will take place in Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard and Milwaukie — as well as throughout the state.
Demonstrators at the downtown Portland event will march along a planned two-mile loop, according to the event’s webpage. It’s unclear how many people will show up or what the traffic impact will be.
Portland Bureau of Transportation spokesperson Dylan Rivera said in an email that the bureau has not yet received any calls or emails from demonstrators asking for a permit to march in the street.
Kevin Allen, spokesperson for the Portland Police Bureau, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that the bureau will have extra officers available on the day of the event, and that it’s encouraging demonstration organizers to apply for a permit to march.
The Portland event’s webpage says that the organizers expect all participants to “seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.”
— Tatum Todd is a breaking news reporter who covers public safety, crime and community news. Reach them at [email protected] or 503-221-4313.