Monday, Aug 3
The group American Descendants of Slavery — or ADOS — held a rally with approximately 70 people in attendance at the Wayne Lyman Morse Federal Courthouse in Eugene starting at 5 p.m.
After starting with a prayer, the rally — with Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis, Eugene City Manager Sarah Medary and Eugene Police Department Chief Chris Skinner in attendance — included both music and speeches.
Some who spoke included those within the group, such as Andiel Brown, local community members like Lyllye Reynolds-Parker and former Eugene School District superintendent George Russell and Vinis.
While the majority of the speeches focused on the Black Lives Matter movement, Brown brought up some of the group’s demands.
Brown said he was concerned about how ADOS are now under the umbrella of terms like BIPOC and minority. He said those groups don’t “suffer the same fates that ADOS do.”
Just over two hours after starting, the rally came to a close, with the speakers thanking everyone as they left.
Wednesday, Aug 5
Eugene Police arrested 11 on Wednesday. The arrestees were allegedly connected to a protest on May 29 that the police declared a riot. Many face felony riot, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct charges among others.
Related: “EPD makes arrests after May 29 riot in downtown Eugene”
Later that day, The United Communists and Anarchists of Eugene, Oregon hosted a protest starting at 8 p.m. The protest started at the federal courthouse in solidarity with both the 14-year-old girl who EPD violently arrested a few weeks ago, as well as those arrested earlier in the day.
Whole Foods and other local businesses around the courthouse closed earlier than usual amidst the planned protest on Wednesday.
More than half-an-hour after the rally began, a leader of UCA EUG announced that unless the snack van from Portland arrived soon, the event would end for safety reasons. Approximately 50 counter-protesters — many open carrying firearms — were grouping up at Elk Horn Brewery down the street.
The protest of approximately 25 people started marching anyway. Almost immediately, counter-protesters appeared from behind the empty garage across the courthouse and followed closely behind while chanting, “Whose streets? Our streets.”
The protesters marched with little confrontation to the Lane County Jail and throughout downtown.
Around 10 p.m., August, a Black man who was not initially part of the protest, confronted the group. He grabbed the leader’s microphone and began asking for clarity as to the protest’s motives and whether the group had a unified message.
Without warning, he took off marching and chanting. The group followed.
He led the group back near the jail to “confront the Nazis.” There, counter-protesters confronted the anti-racists again, but more aggressively, with some making Nazi salutes.
An assault of a protester by a counter-protester captured on live-stream down the street occurred but, otherwise, the night ended peacefully after the group marched back to the courthouse.
