Portland Police Prepare For “No Kings” March Saturday – KXL

Portland, Ore. – “No Kings” protest marches are planned around the country Saturday, to show opposition to President Trump’s policies, including his use of the military in U.S. cities. Several events are planned for the Portland-metro area. 

Portland Police estimate the downtown crowd could swell to anywhere from a few thousand to 50,000 people. “We’ve seen a number of protests, they’ve been very peaceful. And there are no indicators that we’re going to see anything different here from this,” Assistant Chief Craig Dobson said Friday.

Portland’s Bureau of Transportation confirms it approved permits for three marches, starting at 11 a.m.:  At the Convention Center, east end of the Hawthorne Bridge and Pioneer Courthouse Square. 

Multiple agencies will be involved in safety and traffic patrols, including State Police and Portland Fire. “We’re working with TriMet to ensure, as they close the roads, we’ll be able to redirect some of the bus routes,” says Dobson, “We’re working with ODOT to ensure some of the offramps and onramps are okay for people to be able to safely participate in this event.”

Dobson added Friday, “It’s billed as a family-friendly event, so we’re expecting it to be much like the ones that we’ve seen in the summer. We’re not anticipating any issues; it’s just going to be a large, friendly event, where we anticipate people to be able to exercise their First Amendment rights. And we’re hoping that at the end of the event, they can take advantage of the decent weather and go into downtown and southeast Portland, and visit the businesses in those areas.” 

In mid-June, an estimated 50,000 people marched through downtown Portland in the first “No Kings” demonstration (pictured). Portland Police say officers managed the event without any reports of violence or vandalism.