Tomorrow is the "No Kings" protest. How will Portland React?

...And who is behind it...

About a week ago, I received a random email in our PDX Real account regarding the “No Kings” protest scheduled in Portland and around the country for tomorrow, June 14^th. In the email, there was an opportunity to sign up for the protest, which sounds like a potentially really bad idea, especially with how paranoid most of the left is about the Trump Administration. Once I signed up for the event, I was informed that over 1.5 million others had done so as well. At least the Feds now have the fake name I used along with 1.5 million others.

“No Kings” is obviously a highly organized and marketed event, perhaps due to the financing that it received. Right wing sources attributed the financing to George Soros and his apparently unending supply of cash that he is able to commit to leftist policies such as drug decriminalization and police abolition.

Once I signed up for the protest here is the email I received shortly afterwards.

Since that first email, I’ve received no fewer than five others, either demanding that I either re-confirm my attendance and/or providing me with information about the events that are planned for the day. To my amazement, there are no fewer than six events planned in Portland under the “No Kings” moniker on June 14^th alone, all coordinated by the non-profit Indivisible. Here is their mission statement as stated on their website.

Here is the list of events:

They are apparently very serious about rooting out fascism in America, and their efforts are directed squarely at Donald Trump and anyone who may even vaguely agree with the President about any of his policies. According to their website, Indivisible was formed by a supposedly dynamic team: married couple Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg, who according to Google are in their mid to late-thirties, but look to my old eyes to be fresh out of a privileged liberal arts education. Both went to Carleton College in Minnesota, which is one of the highest ranked liberal arts college in America, which is to say, they are well versed in every possible boilerplate lefty-indoctrinated dogmatic position that nearly anyone in the West could name off the top of his or her head.

The primary event of protest appears to be put on by 50501, which takes place starting at noon on the SW Waterfront (Tom McCall Park). 50501 is yet another leftist non-profit, like Indivisible, that was founded “to protest the policies and actions of the 2^nd Trump administration.” The name means, “50 protests, 50 states, 1 day” and the group began organizing protests back in February, which concentrated on the left’s concern, or rather obsession, with Elon Musk. The non-profit is described as grassroots and was supposedly founded by an unknown (by name) Reddit user, and organizer Kay Evert, a trans TikTok influencer. Angelita Morillo, also a TikTok influencer of note, must be just a little jealous that she didn’t come up with the idea herself.

Kay Every - Founder of 50501

Even with all the “grassroots” and organic origination claims, the truth is this: In our investigation, the protests actually involve many organizations at of the highest levels of DNC influence. Involved are 16 Democratic PACs, including Friends of Bernie Sanders, Progressive Democrats of America, and Vote Blue. Also involved are 18 progressive-aligned unions, including the American Federation of Teachers, United Auto Workers, and Communications Workers of America, which have over a billion dollars in political contributions in their war chests.

Of course, we would be remiss in not mentioning the over 100 non-profits involved, including the ACLU, Sierra Club, League of Conservation Voters, Working Families Organization, Human Rights Campaign, and Planned Parenthood.

This list goes on and on. Which leads us to our next point:

There are speakers at the event, including three of the four DSA city council members: Angelita Morillo, “Teacher” Tiffany Koyama-Lane, Sameer Kanal, and Portland City Council President (or Madam President) Elana Pirtle-Guiney. Mitch Green must have had a camping trip previously planned. Also speaking is Legislative House Rep Travis Nelson, from district 44 in North and NE Portland. (Look through their campaign finance in Orestar and match more than a handful to the list above.)

Travis is a nurse, who also works for the Teacher's Union in Washington under his first and middle name - as a last name. Nelson was appointed to Governor Kotek’s old district when she ran for Governor. Some speculate his appointment was a friendly gesture to the teacher’s union following their campaign support. Why lobby when you can take the seat.

We got more examples where that came from let us know in comments if you want a story on that topic.

Afterwards, the crowd will be entertained by drag queens and clowns. Perhaps the clowns are actually the electeds who are speaking during the protest?

The emails I received include a “Know Your Rights” pdf put out by the ACLU, just in case you get arrested for smashing the windows of your local businesses and capitalist oppressors. Another pdf includes the chants that are sure to be the greatest hits of the protest. There are also several recommendations of what slogans protestors should put on their signs, including “No Kings in America!” “The People United,” and “Not Your Piggybank!”

Really, this is the best they could come up with? There are also some warnings about what to do if “agitators” show up, which they don’t name by name, but probably refer to the Orc-like MAGA’s that might have the audacity to bring an American flag on Flag Day.

Yes, tomorrow is flag day.

The organizers claim that this will be a non-violent protest, and that they don’t condone vandalism, “at least for this protest.” The organizers are also selling merch for the event, including shirts and bandanas, which can be bought at the mixer, which starts at 9 am.

Last night in a small protest, Portland’s ICE offices were predictably vandalized as a warm up of what is undoubtedly to come, and what Portland leftists do best: the old smashy/burny. And although the organizers of No Kings say they are non-violent, even they must know that this expectation is a pipe dream once the afternoon turns into evening. The r/Portland sub-Reddit is full of threats and plans for what the usual suspects are really planning, and they don’t involve chanting and waving signs.

Interestingly enough, this morning, I got an email from a neighbor about the protest. We have an email group of those who live on our street which is used to plan occasional block parties and other events. The email came from an elderly woman who was asking whether anyone would be going to the protest. If I had to characterize the cross-section of individuals who live on our street, I would call them definitely left-leaning, liberal, and probably at least marginally progressive.

Crickets. Not one person answered this neighbor’s call to action. Perhaps nowadays, Portlanders are less concerned with these actions because so many of us are simply trying to get through the next month, or even week, due to the overwhelming financial burden this city oppresses its residents with. Perhaps, they are frightened about what might actually materialize once the protests begin.