A voter drops off her ballot at the East County Library during the fourth iteration of “No Kings” protests in Gresham, Ore., on Oct. 17, 2026.
Jireh Deng / OPB
Protesters across Oregon rallied Saturday for the fourth iteration of the “No Kings” protest since President Donald Trump returned to office. The focus was to get out the vote.
In Oregon’s fourth-most populous city, Gresham, Latino civic leaders spoke to constituents, particularly addressing fears of voter intimidation at the polls. The week prior, OPB reported a jump in immigration arrests in East Multnomah County. About one in five residents in Gresham identify as Hispanic.
¡Sí se puede! ¡Sí se puede!” said State Rep. Ricki Ruiz, D-Gresham, as he led a crowd of over 300 people in a chant outside Gresham City Hall. People brought colorful hand-drawn signs with anti-Trump and anti-Elon Musk slogans while sporting pins that stated, “I voted.”
Clave 503, a local Mexican-American band, plays while walking with a contingent of Latino voters towards Gresham City Hall during the fourth “No Kings” protest in Gresham, Ore., on Oct. 17, 2026.
Jireh Deng / OPB
Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson shared her pride at being the first Latina elected to her position, telling the rally that her grandfather immigrated to the United States from Mexico to realize his American dream. “There is so much fear because of the intimidation that is happening,” Vega Pederson said of ICE’s aggressive tactics in profiling and arresting people.
She hopes that by speaking out about her identity and family’s immigration story, residents will see themselves reflected in her experiences. “I want people in the community to understand that folks are welcome here.”
A handful of counterprotesters, one wearing a sweater that read “King Trump,” carried selfie sticks as they chanted “God Bless Donald Trump” and “God Bless ICE.” But neither the heated confrontations nor the rainy weather deterred the festivities of the Latino cohort that had gathered at Gresham City Hall.
All images: Jireh Deng / OPB.
The main contingent of “No Kings” demonstrators marched into the intersection of Eastman Parkway and Division Street to raise their protest signage as a group of Latina joggers finished a 5K run to the cheers of onlookers and live music by a Portland-based Mexican band.
“More than ever our community is feeling unsafe being out and about,” said Saray Garcia, a Gresham resident who is part of the running crew, Latinas Run Across Portland.
Garcia said running together carries safety in numbers as women of color take up space together. On the running club’s pink T-shirts was the phrase in Spanish, “juntas somos más fuertes,” or “together we are stronger.” At least two people Garcia knew stopped coming to the running meetups because of recent ICE activity in the Portland metro area, she told OPB.
“We’re representing our culture, and we’re showing up for the community that’s not able to vote,” she said. Garcia and others celebrated the end of the 5K by dropping off their mail-in ballots at the nearby East County Library. “We want to be the voice for them.”
Saray Garcia, center, stands with members of her run club, Latinas Run Across Portland, as they cheer on joggers who finished their five-kilometer run.
Jireh Deng / OPB
Ruiz’s office had organized the performance by the band Clave 503 as well as the vendor Sabor Valdex, who served up infused Red Bulls and bagels with cream cheese. Heavy on Ruiz’s mind was the recent school shooting in Bend, where three children and a teacher had been killed. To him, it felt all the more important to get out the vote in this upcoming midterm to create change.
“A lot of these things that we’ve seen happening across the state and across this nation are policy decisions that are made at the congressional level,” Ruiz said. “We do our best to respond with action, and I think part of that is turning out to vote.”
U.S. Rep. Maxine Dexter, who is up for reelection, also spoke at the protest, encouraging people to make sure their voices were heard through their votes.
She told OPB that she visited Portland’s ICE detention center with her colleagues Sen. Jeff Merkley and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici last week, trying to track down one of her constituents who was arrested.
U.S. House Rep. Maxine Dexter addresses protestors, encouraging them to vote in the upcoming midterm elections.
Jireh Deng / OPB
“They’re going straight to Tacoma,” she said of detainees picked up in the Portland metro area. She called it a denial of due process.
“People are feeling targeted,” Dexter said. “The worst part of this, though, is that people are afraid to reach out to the government right now.”
Dexter said she was committed to challenging the Trump administration’s immigration campaigns and to visiting immigration detention facilities to oversee them as her right as a member of Congress.
