Activist, cousin of George Floyd speaks in support of ‘Red House’ protest in Portland
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PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) — For the third straight night Thursday, a group camped out behind barricades blocking the streets as part of the “Red House” eviction protest in north Portland.
At the same time, there appeared to be conversations happening between protest leaders and city leaders toward some sort of resolution.
One of the activists in Portland working toward that goal is Gary Floyd, the cousin of George Floyd.
Gary Floyd said he has gotten to know the Kinney family, the family that owned and was evicted from the Red House, through his activism in Portland.
“Staying here and doing what we’re doing is the only way to achieve that for the family. There have been tons of discourse, there have been meetings, there have been Zoom calls, there have been city councils, there have been forums. Nothing has worked for the Kinney family,” Gary Floyd told FOX 12 on Thursday night.
Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell has expressed safety concerns about the protest, while also stating the goal is for a peaceful resolution.
The Portland Police Bureau previously stated people in the group have “stockpiled weapons.”
Gary Floyd addressed that statement.
“There’s no one here that are not without their legal rights to carry. There’s no one here with loaded weapons. There are no bombs in here, there are no Molotov cocktails in here,” he said.
Gabriel Johnson, who founded the “Coalition to Save Portland,” during summer protests after the death of George Floyd in Minnesota, said he went to the occupation in north Portland in hopes of helping to bridge the gap between protesters, the city and police.
“I’m just glad that I could link them together and pass some phone numbers along. A little bit of dialogue, so hopefully they’ll be able to come to a peaceful place to resolve this,” Johnson told FOX 12.
Johnson said taking over the street isn’t the way, and he’d like to see more from the city, but Gary Floyd said this is exactly what it takes for the group to get what they want.
“This is what has to be done just to get an ear. This protest has been going on for months now, voices have been screaming out to be heard for years, so we have an ear now and let’s see exactly what they’re willing to hear, because we have so much to say,” he said.
A police presence was not seen in the area of the Red House on Thursday night, and hasn’t been seen since Tuesday morning, when officers and deputies initially tried to clear the area.
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