PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — In a surprise twist late Tuesday night, Joey Gibson and Patriot Prayer showed up at the Occupy ICE camp and went face-to-face with those refusing to leave the camp.
Gibson, who heads a right-winged group based out of Vancouver, left the area around 12:30 a.m. in a yellow school bus after causing some disruption but without any violence.
Tuesday’s midnight deadline passed with protesters still at the camp despite requests for them to “peacefully disengage.” Portland Police officers didn’t show up to cite or remove the protesters until Wednesday morning around 4:30 a.m.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler had said that would happen at midnight. No one was arrested or cited when officers eventually did show up on Wednesday to clear the camp.
A delivery person from Dominos did show up late Tuesday, however, and went to the police-tape line to drop off a multiple pizzas to a Dept of Homeland security officer.
Ultimately, as of early Wednesday morning, the few that stayed throughout the day, willing to test Mayor Wheelers deadline, remained.
Watch: Patriot Prayer arrives as OccupyICE’s deadline approaches.
After Mayor Ted Wheeler encouraged ICE occupiers to “peacefully” leave the facility during a press conference Monday afternoon, police officers posted notices around 9 p.m. Wheeler’s office said there will be citations and arrests if campers don’t leave by the end of Tuesday.
The Occupy ICE protesters had been at the facility for more than a month.
While a number of people from the group Abolish ICE packed up shortly after the notices were posted, other protesters told KOIN 6 that they wouldn’t leave willingly. However, they seemed to have a change of heart Tuesday afternoon as more packed up and left. They added that majority of protesters will be gone by midnight — saying it’s not worth getting arrested.
“We had our opinions and our stance when we felt like the city gave up on us,” protester Vince told KOIN 6 News. “We will take it to where we will be heard.”
Several protesters said they’ll head to go to other cities and join the anti-ICE protests there: Tacoma and even as far as Boston and New York. Although most will be gone by midnight, some said they will stay and face arrest.
Earlier Tuesday, protesters reinforced their wall of tarps and wooden barricades — blocking off the public pathway through the camp.
Wheeler called the camp “not sustainable.” He met with local business owners and residents who fear for their safety. He also added that part of the road blocked has caused cancer patients to have some trouble getting to OHSU for treatment.
In the posting at the OccupyICE site, the City of Portland said:
“All campsites at the identified locations below will be cleared beginning July 24, 2018 and continuing until complete.”
The locations are the intersection of SW Bancroft and Moody, SW Bancroft and Macadam, SW Macadam and Moodyu and the property at 4330 SW Macadam.
The City also said: “Persons who have not vacated any campsite will be subject to citation or arrest by police.”