Portland Residents Initiate Patrols to Protect Homeless

In recent months, the homeless community in Portland have been terrorized by an arsonist or arsonists who have been torching their tents and RVs. The following is a reportback from a group of residents that want to remain anonymous that are working to prevent future attacks. 

The houseless community in Portland is under constant attack but to add to the collective stress an arsonist has been attacking and threatening camps and RVs across the city. This comes on the heels of NIMBY (Not In My BackYard) outrage over a proposed shelter that would help hundreds of folks receive aid and shelter. These attacks on the most vulnerable folks in our communities cannot and will not go unchallenged.

On the night of Sunday, March 11, a coalition of anarchists, antifascists, and otherwise concerned citizens implemented a plan to assist our neighbors in feeling safer and at the same time making the arsonist feel unsafe. Our first step was to form community defense patrols with dozens of local activists who will monitor camps and check in with houseless neighbors.

These patrols are being coupled with a press release letting the community know that it’s time to be vigilant, we also hope the arsonist will see it and understand that we are watching. The coalition visited camps to hand out cards with an emergency number monitored by our team that is ready to act on threats. This same team also stickered, flyered, handed out security whistles, fire suppressants, food, and supplies in a number of neighborhoods. This action will continue until these arsonists are found or the fires stop. We are fully aware the state, and more specifically the cops, aren’t going to do shit, so as always community defense is up to all of us.

-solidarity with our neighbors

-anonymous folks struggling for liberation.