PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – As Oregon awaits the ruling from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to decide whether President Trump can legally deploy the National Guard in Portland, an “emergency” protest — a naked bike ride through the city — continued as planned in spite of the cold and rain on Sunday afternoon.
The event, organized by World Naked Bike Ride Portland began at the Oregon Convention Center Plaza in Northeast Portland in an effort to protest the “militarization” of the city. The route eventually made its way past Portland’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building.
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“The Military are being sent to protect ICE agents and their efforts in kidnapping indigenous, Latino and Hispanic people,” the group announced in a joint Instagram post along with local activism groups Rainbow Bloc, Revoke the ICE Permit PDX and NakedHearts:PDX. “Migrant workers are being targeted as are indigenous women and Palestine protesters. This event is to bring attention to these issues and to give voice for local protestors to speak at the start.”
Although the ride was clothing-optional, many attendees showed up in costumes, and most wore only their undergarments.
“I strongly believe in the message behind it,” said cyclist Daniel March. “The naked bike ride is always about showing the vulnerability of the cyclists. Really, this time it’s showing the vulnerability of our citizens.”
“Our democracy and our freedom is at stake here,” added Millie Phillips. “[Portland is] not on fire, we are not burning. It’s just a peaceful protest.”
Many participants also carried signs or painted anti-ICE messages on their own skin.
The event comes after President Donald Trump announced plans to deploy hundreds of National Guard troops to Portland, where he claims “Antifa and the radical left anarchists” have been attacking federal officers outside of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.
On two occasions, a federal judge has blocked these efforts to deploy troops, with a judge ruling on Oct. 4 that the Trump administration could not deploy the Oregon National Guard in Portland.
“This country has a longstanding and foundational tradition of resistance to government overreach, especially in the form of military intrusion into civil affairs,” Judge Karin Immergut wrote in the ruling. She later added, “This historical tradition boils down to a simple proposition: This is a nation of constitutional law, not martial law.”
The same judge again blocked another effort to deploy National Guard troops from out of the state into Portland.
The Trump administration filed an appeal, which is awaiting a ruling from a federal appeals court judge. But as of right now, troops from both Oregon and California are at guard bases in the area.
