PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — As protests continued over the weekend, the 66th night is showing new signs and symbols of the Black Lives Matter movement in downtown Portland.
A memorial for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor now rests in the place where the Thompson Elk Fountain Statue once stood. The people who set up this display say this area used to be a place where other protesters lit fires.
One protester, Casey Donovan, says they wanted to recreate this space and change the conversation.
“We felt that the fire starting here was sort of sending the wrong message. I feel that this protest is evolving and this next phase needs to be a more peaceful phase,” Donovan said. “I think it’s important that people come out now more than ever”
Donovan said he and his friends wanted to transform the tenor from antagonistic to memorializing. He says the messages surrounding the memorial are all written contributions from the community.
Protesters congregated in downtown Portland for a 66th straight night of demonstrations against police, racism and other causes Sunday evening, on the heels of three days of relative calm following the withdrawal of federal agents.
Discussions between Oregon Governor Kate Brown and Vice President Mike Pence resulted in Oregon State Police troopers taking over for federal officers last Thursday. Since then, tear gas has not been deployed in downtown Portland.