Timothy J. Gonzalez/ZUMA
It’s much more difficult, in fact, well nigh impossible, to call Portland, Oregon, a war zone when ICE agents are forced to stare down an inflatable bunny rabbit. Portlanders have deployed a new tactic to address the Trump administration’s attempted takeover and its false and inflammatory claims about their city: don’t fight, but mock, and dress up in ridiculous, adorable, instantly recognizable inflatable costumes.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen something like this. Kristi Noem’s photo-op at the Portland ICE facility, during which she stood atop the facility’s roof leering at protesters below, was awkwardly interrupted by the appearance of a person wearing a chicken suit. Apparently outraged by the insubordination, she then appeared at the White House and accused elected leaders of “covering up terrorism,” an accusation that has been denied by both Portland’s Mayor Keith Wilson and Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, both of whom happen to be Democrats.
As the Antifa terrorist allegations escalate and fail to make any impression, federal agents have stepped up their use of force against protesters outside of the Portland ICE facility. While inflatable chickens, dogs, and frogs have a dance party, agents respond with tear gas, shooting pepper balls, and dragging people into the ICE facility. Often, they film these violent encounters as they are taking place.
Saturday, October 11, marked another major escalation of force by the feds on peaceful protesters in Portland. At least ten arrests were made, and hundreds of less-lethal munitions were fired. Nonetheless, the ever-more creative Portland demonstrators were undeterred. From the Portland Frog Brigade to an emergency naked bike ride—which Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson found threatening—Portland is determined to put Trump on his heels by keeping Portland weird.
“I’ve just never been more proud of Portland,” the SpongeBob Squarepants inflatable told me. “There is power in mockery…It’s a pretty effective tool to combat, I mean, overt fascism.”