Portlanders march in honor of MLK Jr., and in protest of second Trump administration

About 1,000 people brought their signs, their dogs and their kids to march under a crisp winter sun in North Portland on Monday.

For many demonstrators, this was their first time marching on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Some said they were driven by what they were seeing in the news across the country: Federal agents with the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement violently detaining people off the street, President Donald Trump’s attempts at erasing parts of Black history, and his general crackdown on all things related to diversity, equity and inclusion.

“We see the atrocities that ICE is committing, we see the atrocities that the billionaire class is committing,” said Camille McDaniel, as she walked among the crowd down North Rosa Parks Way. “It’s been encouraging for me to see more people becoming conscious of that and feeling moved to get out.”

This year, Trump removed MLK Day and Juneteenth from the list of fee-free days at national parks, and added his own birthday to that list.

“It feels like things are being taken away from us,” said Yvonne Tyler, who took the MAX Light Rail from Milwaukie to participate in the march. “We need to all come together and stand for what we believe in.”

This was the 12th annual Reclaim MLK March organized by Don’t Shoot PDX, a grassroots civil rights organization. The group leads the march every year through Portland’s historically Black neighborhoods in North and Northeast Portland.

Portland’s District 2 Councilor Sameer Kanal, who represents many of these neighborhoods, was with the marchers from start to finish. He said this year, the mood struck two notes: One of joy and gathering, and one of determination, particularly after a year under the second Trump administration.

During that year, Trump attempted to deploy National Guard troops to Portland, calling it “war-ravaged” and a city with “out-of-control violence.”

“This is a march about Dr. King, but everything he stood for is being challenged every single day by the federal government right now,” Kanal said. “So you’re seeing people come out in more costumes, but it’s really about that level of commitment to fighting back against what we’re seeing coming from the federal administration.”

Many kids took the helm Monday, leading chants as people moved from Peninsula Park to the Martin Luther King Jr. statue outside the Oregon Convention Center.

Those kids kept the energy going on this three-mile journey.

“What’s going on here is we’re having an MLK march for the people,” said 9-year-old Terrace, who led the front of the crowd alongside his aunt and little brother.

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Toward the back, 10-year-old Benjamin and his friends complained about the cold.

“But no matter what, we keep walking!” they chanted in unison.

Benjamin said the day was important, because it was honoring King, a pivotal leader and organizer during the American civil rights movement of the 1950s and ‘60s.

“He was a really good person,” Benjamin said. “He helped a lot of people.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, demonstrators at first lined both sides of the street, then later blocked the entire road. That angered a few motorists.

One man drove quickly out of a fast-food restaurant driveway, nearly hitting Benjamin and attempting to drive toward more people. Organizers appeared to convince the driver to reverse and take a different route.

“I’m glad I didn’t get hit,” the 10-year-old later reflected.

Another driver sped past multiple barriers set up by organizers, narrowly missing a crowd of people. The incident left many demonstrators shaken.

But they continued on, not stopping until they reached “The Dream,” the 8-foot bronze sculpture of King. People gathered around the statue, listening to speeches as the sun slowly disappeared.