Portland is rolling out its long-planned “Safe Rest Villages” scheme to house the homeless in pods, led by city councilman Dan Ryan. Today homeless are moving into a “queer affinity” SRV in the city’s southwest that’s already lost the support of its “housed neighbors” who’ve said their concerns about conditions around the park haven’t been addressed–requests such as establishing a no-camping zone around the village have been dismissed out of hand. I don’t know if anyone has challenged the “queer affinity” model’s discriminatory nature–which I think the city has already applied in some of its traditional low-income housing, where a given building will be dedicated to aging queers. The village will be located near an elementary school.
How queer-hood is established I don’t know.
Portland held a rally and march on behalf of abortion Saturday, of course, that was well attended with only a small BLM and antifa presence.
Carjacking suspects led police on a high-speed chase that was abandoned due to safety concerns. Then police lost another wanted suspect who fled a traffic stop. Meanwhile gun violence continues to creep into the previously quiet southwest. Two women were shot last week outside one of the city’s public housing apartments (I think for recovering addicts); one died. This came after a young woman was shot and killed by a former lover just outside of Portland State University in downtown’s south end. A young security guard was found dead from gunshot wounds outside a Marriott hotel on the south waterfront. No suspect has been found in that case. The city’s murder rate for the year is excelling last year’s record numbers.
A trailer loaded with guns and ammo intended for a gun show was stolen from a parking lot and days later was jackknifed on the Interstate Bridge into Washington state as its 19 year-old female driver was trying to escape police. Women drivers, you know. Not all the guns were recovered.
This is Portland.
untethered 