Laura Jedeed (Misanthrophile)

The moms are back and up front! You gotta hand it to them. I admit I wondered initially if the come back after their first taste of gas. The answer? Absolutely, and right up front #PortlandMoms #MOMTIFA #MomsAreHere

Sparkling gold confetti bursts from very mild fireworks just within the fence. Feds respond with pepper balls, obviously Moms crouch behind the shield wall

I literally do not understand what is going on. Fed line is here. Smoke deployed. Absolutely no provocation that I saw Next to me, a trombone plays "America the Beautiful" It really isn't right now

Feds order us not to tamper with the fence. Whatever tampering is happening must be subtle or non-existent: I'm not seeing it A barrage of pepper balls hits the crowd where I am and I promise you, no one is doing anything here

Someone shoots silly string over the fence and a moment later pepper balls retort

An actual firework explodes within the fence. This is literally the first thing that could even remotely be called provocation tonight It seems my respirators lower strap has broken and I am displeased. It's not a good time More pepper balls, why not

A pepper ball just hit me in the foot. Probably ten feet away. It hurts like a bitch. A few centimeters over and j think it would be broken. As it is, I can feel it swelling up As always I am wearing a yellow press vest, a press helmet and a press badge

I can't get a good picture of these fuckers because they have killed the lights and are shining lights at us when we try to film

There was a time when I worried I'd get hurt at these and now I just wonder how badly I'm gonna get hurt. Not a single night had gone by when I haven't been hit by something: usually small, occasionally large

The moms are still here. All the lights are out. There's something so sinister about that. If we can't capture it, did it happen? Will America believe us, or them? A protester plays "what a wonderful world" on the trombone. It doesn't seem incongruous. It seems mournful

First gassing at the intersection of 3rd and Main. Two fireworks retort. Another canister. The sound of leaf blowers

Unlawful assembly declared. More gas, obviously

There's a strong wind tonight and the gas is everywhere Retreating up the street

Ok. I have adjusted my goggles so they're uncomfortably tight and rigged a bottom strap for my mask. I feel claustrophobic so that means I've probably done it right A lot of the crowd seems to be making themselves comfortable between 4th and 5th street, but many head back

If the feds wanted the protesters to not fuck with their fence, they're doing it wrong. This crowd, which--and I cannot state this enough--was almost docile before they started their aggression, is pounding on the fence

I love that "Turn Down for What?" by Lil Jon has become a protest staple at this point

The fed line has retreated for now. I'm sure they'll be back soon. Randomly. Whenever they decide to

Mom bloc--and i say this with love--has left. That's ok. Them showing up at the beginning is enough. We'll see them tomorrow The people who are left? All the "punks" the Portland Protest Bureau accuses of antagonizing the police and running The ones willing to eat gas all night

I'm sorry my mistake: MOM BLOC IS STILL HERE God I love you Portlandhttps://twitter.com/shitnataliesays/status/1287280238540361728?s=19 …

Another warning. Unlawful assembly. Yawn A firework interrupts the speech. Cheers

I make my way to the intersection of 3rd and Salmon, where the crowd is enormous and cameras bristle. This is the only well-lit area of the entire street The desire to be seen: not for clout but because the eyes of the world are our only real defense against these ghouls

As if listening to my inner monologue, a single lamp lights in the middle of the street

The feds deliver another one of their arbitrary warnings. I guess it's nice of them to let us know they're thinking of paying us a visit