Rural Organizing In Defense of Black Lives

Upcoming Trainings and Strategy Sessions:

De-escalation for Organizers with Ahjamu Umi.

This training has passed, but you can watch a recording HERE

Join us to learn de-escalation skills for organizers from Ahjamu Umi, long-time activist and organizer with the All African People’s Revolutionary Party. Across the state of Oregon, communities are responding to the Movement for Black Lives’ call to action, planning protests and vigils in parks and on street corners! There have been over 60 actions in at least 28 counties over the last week! And in many places, white supremacist counter-protesters have been threatening, harassing, and intimidating peaceful protesters. In this training, we’ll learn tools to plan for and navigate threatening situations and keep our people as safe as possible. We have each other’s backs and we refuse to be intimidated out of taking action for justice together!

Organizing for Everyone: Build your Skills!

This training has passed, but you can watch a recording HERE

In this participatory online workshop, we’ll dive into the tried and true organizing tools and skills to build a movement (and your local group!). Together we’ll put together an organizer’s toolbox, including how to pull together a group, identify opportunities to strategically organize in your community, create a campaign, and the tactics you’ll need to organize for change! Join us by phone or computer, but let us know if you’ll be calling in so we can share the slides with you in advance.

Black Lives Matter: Rural Strategy Session.

This training has passed, but you can watch a recording HERE

After last week’s Black Lives Matter: Rural Strategy Session, it was clear there are so many conversations we want to continue having as a network right now. From creating a culture of safety and security in the face of white supremacist counter-protesters to holding city council and local police accountable to a standard of human dignity, we’ll continue to strategize around how we carry forward the Movement for Black Lives’ demands across rural Oregon to win real change for our communities!

Statewide Action in Defense of Black Lives

Rural Oregon is showing up in Defense of Black Lives. Around the state, people are gathering on street corners, in churches and parks, and in socially-distanced car caravans to protest and hold vigil for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and the many other Black and brown people killed by police. In Columbia County tomorrow morning, community members are calling in to their county commissioner’s virtual meeting to ask their county commissioners what they plan to do to address systemic racism in Columbia County and asking them to create a real plan to share with the community. And as this ROPnet goes out, people in Monmouth, McMinnville, Oregon City and Tualatin are gathering to demand justice! Scroll down to see photos from the past few days of actions around the state and details for upcoming events across rural Oregon. Are you interested in planning a protest or vigil in your town and need help getting started? Email us at hannah@rop.org to get connected with your local ROP organizer and we can support you!

In many communities, white supremacist counter-protesters have been threatening, harassing, and intimidating peaceful protesters. We are courageous rural people who will exercise our right to speak freely about creating safe and welcoming communities for all. And we are a network of literally thousands of Oregonians committed to building a grassroots movement for economic, racial, and social justice! ROP and local human dignity groups have been around for decades and we’ve faced our share of opposition and challenges. We will not be silenced. If you’re planning an vigil, protest, or other event and have strategies to share or want support creating a safety and security plan to keep our folks as safe as possible while still turning out for racial justice, reach out to us at hannah@rop.org

We know that plans are evolving really rapidly right now! Did we miss your community in the list below? Send us links to upcoming events or photos from past events and we’ll update the round-up on our website and share on social media! We can’t wait to hear from you.

**Action list last updated on 6/12

Baker County

Past Actions:
Baker City – Tuesday, June 9th at 5pm.

Benton County

Past Action: Justice for Black Lives- Corvallis 

Upcoming Action: 

Corvallis Anti-Racism Workshops hosted virtually by Haus of Dharma. Begins Saturday, June 6th.

Clackamas County

Past Actions:

Oregon City- Tuesday, June 2nd

Happy Valley- Wednesday, June 3rd.

Sandy- Peaceful March Against Racism. Friday, June 5th from 5:30-8:30 PM in Centennial Plaza.

Molalla – Tuesday, June 9

Upcoming Actions: 

Welches Walk for Justice – June 13th, 2020 

Clatsop County 

Past Action: Vigil for George Floyd– Astoria

Astoria- June 4th from 11-5 PM. Meet at 750 commercial st, And June 6th from 12-5 PM. Meet at 750 commercial st,

Seaside – Protest for BLM 

Warrenton- June 5th from 11-5 PM. At the Warrenton Fire Dept- 225 S Main Ave. 

Columbia County

Past Actions:

Vernonia 

Columbia County- Join local leaders tomorrow at 10 am to call into the County Commissioner’s meeting to ask the commissioners what they plan to do to address systemic racism in Columbia County!

St. Helens- Peaceful sit-in and march. Wednesday, June 3rd at 5 pm. Meet at Sunrise Pizza to proceed to the waterfront next to the courthouse. Free parking is available at Lewis and Clark Elementary.

Upcoming Action:
Vernonia- Juneteenth! Friday, June 19th from 6 – 8 pm at Spencer Park.

Coos County

Past Actions:

Standing in Solidarity Against Injustice. Coos Bay– Sunday, June 7th from 12-3pm on the Coos Bay Boardwalk.

Crook County

Past Action: Peaceful Black Lives Matter Protest- Prineville

Deschutes County

Past Action: Solidarity Rally: Justice for George Floyd- Bend

Past Action: Vigil for George Floyd- Redmond

Past Action: Peaceful “Bend Against Police Brutality” Protest- Bend

Bend- Black Lives Matter Community Vigil – Troy Field, Saturday, June 6, 5-7 PM

Redmond- Black Lives Matter Peaceful Gathering – Centennial Park Saturday, June 6th, 2- 3:30 PM

Bend- Bend 4 Black Lives Matter- Drake Park, Sunday, June 7th, 12 PM

Upcoming Actions:

Sisters- BLM Protest – 6/20- 10:30 on Larch and Hwy 20

Douglas County

Past Action: Silent Protest in Solidarity for George Floyd- Roseburg

Peaceful Protest for BLM – Roseburg

Grant County

Past Action: John Day, OR – Tuesday, June 9th

Harney County

Upcoming Action: Juneteenth for Justice Rally- Hines- June 19th

Hines- PRIDE Picnic Parade- 6/26

Past Action: March in Honor of George Floyd- Burns

Hood River County

Past Action: Vigil for George Floyd at Riverside UCC- Hood River

Hood River- Queers Stand Up Against Police Violence. Wednesday, June 3rd at 5 PM. Meet at the Fish Fountain.

Past Action: White Salmon (Klickitat County, WA- Our neighbors just across the river!)

Jackson County

Past Action: Stand of Solidarity with Minneapolis for George FloydMedford

Past Action: Black Lives Matter Protest- Ashland

Upcoming Action: 

Medford- Candlelight vigil and march, from 8-10 p.m on Friday, 6/19

Jefferson County

Past Action: Madras- BLM Peaceful Protest– Saturday, June 6th at 5 pm- meet on the sidewalk outside sonic 

Josephine County

Past Action: Vigil and Stand of Solidarity for Black Lives Matter– Grants Pass

Williams, OR – 6/13 BLM Rally

Upcoming Actions:

Grants Pass – Juneteenth Solidarity March from 1-3 p.m Saturday at Riverside Park gazebo

Klamath County

Past Action:

Klamath Falls

Upcoming Action: 

Klamath Falls, 6/14 at 12:30 in Commons Park

Lake County

Past Action: Lakeview, Tuesday June 9th at 3pm

Lane County

Past Action: Protest for George Floyd- Cottage Grove

Cottage Grove- Protest for George Floyd. Friday, June 5th from 5-7 PM. Meet in Opal Whitley Park.

Past Action: Justice for George Floyd- Eugene

Past Action: Justice for George Floyd – Florence 

Lincoln County

Past Action: Newport- #BlackLivesMatter Peaceful Protest. Wednesday, June 3rd at 12pm. Meet at Newport City Hall.

Linn County

Past Action: Albany Protest for Racial Justice. 

Malheur County

Past Action:


Ontario – Peaceful Protest for BLM

Marion County

Past Action: Salem

Silverton- George Floyd Memorial Protest. Saturday, June 6th, 3-5 pm. Meet at Town Square Park.

Salem- March For Floyd. Saturday, June 6th at 12 pm. Meet at the State Capitol building.

Upcoming Actions:

Woodburn – Black Lives Matter Protest and March – June 10, 5-10 pm

Salem- End White Silence – White People For Black Lives. Saturday, June 13th at 12pm. Meet at the State Capitol building.

Morrow County

Past Action: Boardman- Demonstration Against Police Brutality, Friday, June 5th, 12 PM. Gathering at the “Welcome to Boardman” sign near Sinclair. [Demostración Pacífica Contra la Brutalidad Policial, Viernes 5 de junio, a las 12 PM. Reuniremos en el letrero de “Bienvenido a Boardman” cerca de Sinclair]

Multnomah County

Troutdale

Polk County

Past Action:

Monmouth- Protest Tuesday, June 2nd, 6 pm.

Dallas – BLM Protest – 6/10, 5:30 PM

Upcoming Action: 

Independence – Community Vigil in Defense of Black Lives – June 20th, 6:30-9:30 PM, Independence Riverview Park

Dallas- Weekly protests on Wednesday at 6 pm at the courthouse.

Sherman County 

Upcoming Action:

Moro, Oregon- 6/9

Tillamook County

Past Action: Tillamook- Rally for Justice and Equality on Saturday, June 6th from Noon-1 PM, Gather at Marine Park on US 101 and Front Street. Peaceful protest in support of our brothers and sisters of color, and the injustices they face. In Memory of George Floyd. For info – contact sonyakazen@gmail.com.

 

Saturday 6/12 The rally is scheduled for noon-1 p.m., HWY 101 and Front Street in Tillamook. Parking limited.

Upcoming Action:
Nehalam- Solidairty W/ Black Lives- Saturday 6/20

Umatilla County

Past Action: Hermiston

Past Action: Black Lives Matter Protest Pendleton

Hermiston- Black Lives Matter. Corner of Hwy 395 and E Elm St, Saturday, June 6th at 12pm.

Umatilla – BLM Protest – Tuesday, June 9th

Upcoming Action:

Union County

Past Actions:

La Grande – Racial Equity Protest 

Wallowa County

Past Action: Enterprise- Peaceful Protest for Black Lives Matter. Friday, June 5th at 6 pm at the Enterprise Courthouse.

Wasco County

Past Action: The Dalles

The Dalles- Peacefully Protesting Against Police Brutality. Saturday, June 6th at 3 pm. Meet at 602 W 2nd.

The Dalles- BLM Youth Solidarity Rally – June 10

Upcoming Action:

The Dalles- BLM in The Gorge– June 14, 2pm

Mosier- Black Lives Matter Queer Pride Rally- June 20, Mosier Community School, 6:30 PM

Washington County

Past Actions:

Tualatin- Tuesday, June 2nd.

Forest Grove- Peaceful Black Lives Matter protest at the Forest Grove Flagpole 2-5 pm Tuesday, June 2nd and Monday, June 8th

Banks- Black Lives Matter, Protesting Racial Injustices in Our Society,  Friday, 6/12 at 5 pm at Greenville City Park.

Wheeler County

Past Actions: 

Fossil- Peaceful Assembly (BLM)– 6/12 11-1

Yamhill County

Past Actions:

McMinnville- Peaceful Protest For The Black Lives Matter Movement & Against Police Brutality– McMinnville

Newberg Stands Against Racism. Thursday, June 4th at 4:30 PM at the Chehalem Cultural Center Plaza.

Upcoming Events:

Newberg – Juneteenth Jubilee Celebration

Out of State- Washington

Kennewick- Protest Justice for George Floyd. Saturday, June 6th. Meet at Winco.

Mt. Shasta- Peaceful protest: Justice for George Floyd. Tuesday June 2nd at 6 PM. Meeting at Parker Plaza – walking to city hall and back.

Vancouver- Protest for George Floyd & Black Lives Matter. Clark County Superior Court, Friday, June 5th 6 PM.

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