NAACP says protests ‘have become diluted’ as demonstrators gather again in Portland
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PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) — Protests continued against systemic racism and police violence in Portland on Thursday, a day after Mayor Ted Wheeler made national headlines after being tear gassed by federal officers.
The Portland National Association for the Advancement of Colored People held an event in front of the Justice Center to bring focus back to the Black Lives Matter movement called, Portland: Let’s Get Protests Back on Track.
“With the arrival of anarchists and the Feds, the Black Lives Matter protests have become diluted by those who have either forgotten why we are demonstrating or purposely coopted the BLM message,” said Portland NAACP president E.D. Mondainé in a press release.
They called the actions by federal law officers “reprehensible” and “actions made by mostly white anarchists.”
“After midnight a new type of ‘protestor’ has been descending on downtown, intent on breaking things and damaging BLM’s credibility with the public,” Antjuan Tolbert, Portland NAACP board secretary, pointed out. “Unrest is not an endorsement of anarchy. These protests are demanding changes to the state, not its abolition.”
On Thursday, the NAACP aimed to show that “The Black Lives Matter movement is just getting started, but for it to survive we must re-center our efforts and consolidate our message,” said Mr. Mondainé. “Our lives depend on it.”
“I think it’s important for them to know to help us, to help what’s going on, is for them to realize, together we’re gonna stand, but divided we’re gonna fall,” said Pastor Roy L. Tate of Christ Memorial Community Church. “So we’re coming together to help spread the message that black lives do matter. That we’re not for racism. We gotta make sure that people understand that what we see, what’s going on, its not helping us, its hurtful.”
At about 9 p.m., the crowd marched over to the Justice Center and was joined by the Wall of Moms.
The crowd listened to speakers. By late Thursday night, the crowd had remained peaceful as a line of protesters stood facing the fence near the federal courthouse, though there were no federal officers in sight.
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