Photos & Video: Protesters Shut Down Pearl District Block and Pass Out Food and Clothes to Houseless

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Portland cops tried unsuccessfully to get people to move from the intersection. Protesters handed out food and clothes to the houselessDoug Brown

Dozens of Portlanders shut down a block in the Pearl District this afternoon to feed and give clothes to the houseless while protesting the police in the area where James Chasse was brutalized by Portland cops in 2006.

The Black Friday protest—dubbed "Not One Dime" and organized by Don't Shoot Portland at the NW 13th and Everett intersection—had a block party vibe to it, with music and dancing. It started at 1 p.m. and lasted for four hours. Activists and folks from Sisters of the Road nonprofit cafe brought turkey, bagged sandwhiches and other food to hand out to houseless folks. Clothes available for houseless people were stacked on folding tables in the intersection.

Police were mostly hands-off except for an early confrontation by officers on bicycles, who retreated after a few minutes, and a few times where they announced via loudspeakers a block away that the protest was illegal because of the blocked traffic. Cops blocked traffic on all four sides from the intersection and didn't arrest anybody. Portland police officers confirmed to me that they were preventing people from bringing in more food or clothes to the event and people said they were threatened with arrest if they tried, which is almost certainly illegal for the police to do.

Here are my pictures and video:

Crowds growing, they blocked the Everett/13th intersection. Cars honking. pic.twitter.com/9rZ4OnSOLy

— doug brown (@dougbrown8) November 25, 2016

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Piles of clothes for houseless people to takeDoug Brown

A @BIKETOWNpdx driver is furious and not turning around pic.twitter.com/0em3vKysyR

— doug brown (@dougbrown8) November 25, 2016

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Soon after protesters set up in the intersection, bike cops tried to get people to move. Doug Brown

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Bike cops in front of a table of donated clothesDoug Brown

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The police then retreated, blocking traffic from a block awayDoug Brown

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Don't Shoot Portland's Teressa Raiford talking about James Chasse and the Portland Police BureauDoug Brown

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Food for the houselessDoug Brown

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Cops blocking traffic (and preventing people from bringing in more food)Doug Brown

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The protestDoug Brown

Police preventing people from bringing more food in and threatened arrests (but didn't end up arresting anybody):

Video: cops starting to crack down on folks in the street. pic.twitter.com/WWul5WEErd

— doug brown (@dougbrown8) November 25, 2016

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Somebody who's not pleased with Portland Mayor Charlie HalesDoug Brown

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Sandwiches for the houselessDoug Brown

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Food. Doug Brown

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Doug Brown

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Doug Brown

Music. Dancing. Rain. I have the feeling police may wait this one out pic.twitter.com/8ZTaaXNjIL

— doug brown (@dougbrown8) November 26, 2016

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Ibrahim Mubarak, the co-founder of Right 2 Dream TooDoug Brown

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Looking at the copsDoug Brown

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Responding to the copsDoug Brown

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Don't Shoot Portland's Teressa RaifordDoug Brown

Don’t Shoot Portland’s @Teressa_Raiford again takes the mic. pic.twitter.com/Fln18BBm2H

— doug brown (@dougbrown8) November 26, 2016

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