By Shamus Cooke Like the Occupy movement before it, the “fight for $15” came to Portland as a transplant. Portland activists watched events in Seattle with a skeptical eye, but Seattle’s “fantasy” of $15 was transformed into an emerging reality, now replete with the support of the Mayor and City Council who are working on a plan to…
Category: Headlines
ICE Protesters Boiling Over For-Profit Detentions
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Story and photos by Pete Shaw Chanting “No More Deportations!” a crowd of 30 people gathered outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in NW Portland to express solidarity with hunger strikers and other detainees in ICE prisons throughout the country. Over 1200 people jailed by ICE at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma,…
Justice Delay for Local Houseless Leader; Arrest Reflects Racial Bias, Says Ally
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Story and photos by Pete Shaw Ibrahim Mubarak, co-founder of Right 2 Dream Too (R2DToo), the rest area serving people without housing, has had his court appearance rescheduled for April 4 at 9 AM. Mubarak was arrested on February 28 for trespassing and interfering with a police officer as he spoke with people without housing…
Portland Houseless Storms Show No Sign of Abating
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Story by Pete Shaw Troy, a person without housing who sleeps outside near St. Francis Church on SE 12th Avenue, was assaulted on the night of March 2. “Last night I was sleeping in my sleeping bag. Had been there for a few hours when suddenly I hear someone say, ‘Hey, wake up. Get up’,”…
City Rampage Against Houseless Ramps Up With Arrest of R2DToo Co-Founder
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Story and photos by Pete Shaw Mayor Charlie Hales’ war against people without housing has taken an unexpected turn with the arrest of Right 2 Dream Too (R2DToo) co-founder Ibrahim Mubarak, on the night of February 27. Mubarak was arrested while questioning increased police and security surveillance underneath the west side of the Burnside Bridge…
Justice For All? Public Demands Police Accountability
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Story by Pete Shaw A TALE OF TWO PORTLANDS TAKE ONE On Tuesday February 18th Federal Judge Michael Simon began hearing testimony regarding the proposed settlement agreement between the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the City of Portland. The agreement concerns the DOJ finding that the Police Bureau (PPB) “engaged in an unconstitutional pattern…
Will R2DToo Come in from the Cold? City Council Deliberates Financial Option
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Story and photo by Pete Shaw A few steps forward, one back. That was again the story for Right 2 Dream Too (R2DToo), the rest area for people without housing that has been located at the corner of Burnside and NW 4th for over two years. At a City Council meeting on February 12, it…
Portland Trade Union Nixes City Proposal; Holding Out for Deal That Works
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Story and photos by Pete Shaw The members of the unions making up Portland’s District Council of Trade Unions (DCTU) have soundly rejected the contract tentatively agreed to between the City of Portland and the DCTU bargaining team. In doing so, they have sent a message to both the City as well as the leaders…
TPP Fast Tracking Off the Rails; Activists Remain Cautious
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Story and photos by Pete Shaw What a difference a month makes. Back on January 9th when Senators Max Baucus and Orrin Hatch, and Representative Dave Camp introduced legislation that would give President Obama “Fast Track” authority over trade negotiations, it seemed a pretty good bet that it would breeze through Congress and be signed…
Court to Judge “Fairness” of Department of Justice Settlement Agreement with City of Portland
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Story by Pete Shaw • Photos by Bette Lee A “Fairness Hearing” about the Settlement Agreement resolving the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) lawsuit against the City of Portland is scheduled for February 18th. The agreement arose out the the DOJ’s yearlong investigation that found the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) had “engaged in an unconstitutional pattern…
