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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — After President Donald Trump formally announced his intent to deploy federal troops to Portland, the community is set to rally downtown Sunday afternoon over what organizers are calling “a federal abuse of power.”
Sunday’s rally, organized by the Protect Oregon coalition – which includes the ACLU of Oregon, labor unions and other community organizations – will convene at the Battleship Waterfront Memorial along Southwest Naito Parkway to reaffirm the message, “No military takeover of our communities.”
“This is an abuse of power and a misuse of the military,” said Sandy Chung, Executive Director, ACLU of Oregon. “Oregon is home, not a military target. Violence has no place in our politics or our communities. The military should not come to Oregon.”
Around the same time, another separate protest is set to gather at Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Southwest Portland.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he is sending the federal troops to “protect” the city and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities from antifa and other “domestic terrorists.”
The president also said he was “also authorizing Full Force, if necessary,” though it was unclear exactly what he meant.
Numerous local leaders at the city, state and federal levels denounced the message, leading to a press conference held by Gov. Tina Kotek and Portland Mayor Keith Wilson on the banks of the Willamette River.
It was there Kotek said she spoke with the president Saturday and told him in no uncertain terms that there was no need for federal troops to be sent to Portland.
But she added, “We had no proactive communication from the White House until I reached out.”
Saturday night, dozens of protesters maintained a spot on the sidewalks in front of the ICE facility as large helicopters and drones buzzed the skies over the area.
Before dark, about 100 of the protesters came from the Portland peace team with different religious leaders and families with flowers. They marched peacefully in front of the building on SW Macadam as drones — believed to be operated by authorities inside the ICE building — flew overhead.
It appeared that at least one protester was arrested by ICE agents, but there has been no confirmation of that by officials at this time.
Stay with KOIN 6 News as we continue to follow this story.
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Jenna Deml
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