Story and photos by Pete Shaw Rights activists, labor leaders, faith leaders, and lawyers gathered at the Federal Building in downtown Portland on October 1 to rally for Francisco Aguirre and deliver a letter signed by 118 organizations nationwide asking the US Attorney General to dismiss criminal charges of re-entry into the United States against…
Category: News & Current Events
Portland Renter State of Emergency Called in Wake of Runaway Real Estate Market
• 5 Comments
Story and photos by Pete Shaw The Community Alliance of Tenants (CAT) declared a renter state of emergency in Portland at a September 15 press conference in Peninsula Park. The CAT–a grassroots, tenant-controlled, tenants rights organization that educates, organizes, and develops the leadership of low-income tenants–called on local officials and landlords to agree to immediate…
A-APRP Free Breakfast Program Aims to Nourish Students, Develop New Kind of Community
• 0 Comments
Story and photos by Pete Shaw Jazz moves. Good jazz swings. Great jazz transcends. Charles is transcending, and he is taking the crowd of children and adults in Columbia International Cup in New Columbia with him. I’ve seen him in Brian’s coffee shop here on North Newman Avenue, but I’ve never seen him sit down…
Vigil Organizers See Hope in Large Turnout for Transgender Women of Color Violence Victims and Survivors
• 0 Comments
Story and photos by Pete Shaw Say their names. Lamia Beard. Keyshia Blige. Kandis Capri. Say their names because their lives mattered. London Chanel. India Clarke. Taja DeJesus. Tamara Dominguez. Say their names for their memories and for their friends, families, and lovers. Papi Edwards. K.C. Haggard. Mya Hall. Amber Monroe. Say their names because they…
Black Lives Matter Rally Reaffirms Commitment to Stand Against Threat of Police Brutality
• 1 Comment
Story and photos by Pete Shaw “They think we’re stupid and we’re just going to accept community court and stop struggling.” Don’t Shoot Portland organizer Teressa Raiford uttered these words a few minutes after pleading not guilty to two misdemeanor charges stemming from her August 9 arrest after a rally marking one year since Michael…
Shell No! Action Rolls On As Protestors Stymie Arctic Support Ship, Delay Departure
• 0 Comments
Story and photos by Pete Shaw “It looks like a festival out here!” That cry came from one of the 75 kayakers Wednesday evening on the Willamette River, off the shore of Cathedral Park. Over 350 people had gathered in the park in support of those kayakers and the 13 Greenpeace climbers suspended from the…
Shell NO! Local Activists Delay Drilling Support Rig in Effort to Halt Arctic Oil Exploration
• 0 Comments
Story and photos by Pete Shaw A flotilla of kayaks and motorcraft took the Willamette River at 2:30 AM this morning to prevent Shell Oil from sending the icebreaking boat Fennica from Portland to the Chukchi Sea in the Arctic where it would help the petroleum company explore for oil. The boat is in Portland…
Opponents Doubling Down Against TPP in Wake of Fast Track
• 0 Comments
Story and photos by Pete Shaw While Congress has given President Obama Fast Track authority for negotiating trade laws, the fight against the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) continues with a tighter focus. Prior to Fast Track’s approval, opponents were concentrating on both it and the TPP, understanding that Fast Track was the linchpin since it…
Activism Results in Easing of Restrictive and Inhumane Mother, Child Detentions at US Border
• 0 Comments
Story by Pete Shaw Early 2014 saw a marked upsurge in the number of mothers and children fleeing violence in Central America. Troubles with family, gangs and drug cartels (to name a few) in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala has pushed these families to seek asylum in the United States–the country ultimately responsible for much of…
Torturous Path of the Trans Pacific Partnership: Legislation Creeping Toward Passage
• 0 Comments
Story and photos by Pete Shaw The good news is that Senator Ron Wyden keeps backtracking on his support for Fast Track legislation that would let the Congress abdicate its constitutionally mandated authority over trade and give that power to President Obama. The bad news is that he is backtracking further toward the multinational corporations…