Well, I’m a smidgeon closer to downtown Portland than David, and a bit more
paranoid. I alsoI made the mistake of checking on the NYTimes after bingeing
some odd little indie movie last night. Seems about a hundred vehicles, loaded
with pro-Trumpers, barrelled into previously quiet protesters. Lots more people
than had been around, and waving guns, vehicles decorated in Confederate flags
and all that stuff. The streets of downtown Portland are rather narrow and not
car-friendly in the most peaceful of times. Some group calling themselves the
“pride boys” (not a band, btw) were picked out by police, who took over. After
that, one person, a male, presumably one of those “pride boys” (they wear caps)
was shot dead. Police were dispersing and arresting for hours. David, do you
know that Ted Wheeler, our invisible mayor, actually wrote Trump a letter that
was delivered the night before, asking Trump to please desist from singling out
Portland in his speeches? He said he feared an escalation if this continued. So
we know for sure that Ted Wheeler is still in Portland, according to people
picketing his house, and Trump either doesn’t read his mail (it’s reading,
after all) or got what he wanted. The demonstrations (now two-sided) are
expected to continue every night. And I’m not going to read the NYT at night
for a while.
On Aug 30, 2020, at 9:28 AM, david ritchie <profdritchie@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Aug 30, 2020, at 4:52 AM, adriano paolo shaul gershom palma
<palmaadriano@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:palmaadriano@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
Dear David Ritchie,
here (europe) the papers claim that the situation is rapidly degenerating
Seattle, and with already one (new) victim of a firefight between M. Trump
supporters and 'Blm".
1 are you ok?
Yes. I was asleep during the latest incidents. With chickens, I don’t live
downtown.
2. is it that bad?
I knew that a large rally of Trump supporters was planned and that to some
this would be red flag to a bull. I have no further information yet.
David
