The Trump Parade coming into town. I shared this on Facebook. Trying to be neutral, I didn’t give my opinion on video. The video has gone viral and I guess thousands of trump supporters have shared it and many of them assume I’m like minded and have tried to friend me on. * Vietnam Veteran Joe Cantrell at the Oregon Vietnam Veterans Living Memorial by the Zoo in Portland. * Me talking to John Dupuis, a marine and combat veteran who studied for a degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management. We spoke about how the Dept. of Homeland Security was meant to be used and how it is being used today. * Long day, a lot of walking, but we were getting the shots we needed. * We stopped to interview John at Powell Butte. Such a beautiful part of Portland, right in the middle of the city. * A new elk was dropped off at the site of the old elk statue. Portland artists being a part of the movement. * Black Lives Matter protestors across from Blue Lives Matter protestors right by the Federal Courthouse downtown. * * Too true * It was a beautiful day in Portland. We got some drone footage on the Burnside Bridge. * Street art downtown. * This is where the shooting occurred downtown. * This is hard to see, but it’s the elk head on the new statue. * A block away from the shooting the food carts were busy. * * The only evidence of the shooting was a burnt trump flag in the street. * * Andy Mingo helped us get some drone footage. This is amazing. It really ups the production value of our doc. Andy is so awesome. * Andy and Lucas getting some more awesome drone footage. * * * Most of the building are boarded up, but the businesses are empty because of COVID, not protesting. There are marches and BLM events during the day. We went to a bunch, but they are all peaceful during the day. *

From August 27 to Aug 31 our documentary team came to Portland to film the second half of our Portland interviews. Kase drove from Ogden, Utah, and Jessi came up from LA. We were expecting to get a few interviews but we ended up getting a lot more than we thought.

While much of the world believes Portland is a Battleground, we fought against this idea, but after the invasion of the hundreds of people who support this president poured in the city, we found that Portland is a Battleground in a way. Mayor Wheeler and President Trump have been going back and forth, insulting each other. The president sent federal troops to Portland to gas and arrest protestors.

The morning after the shooting, where the Patriot Prayer member was shot and killed, there was nothing left but a burnt Trump flag. People were eating at the Food Carts on Washington only a block away. During the daytime, businesses are coming back. We had lunch many times downtown at the Independent, a sports bar close to the hotel. But every night and throughout the day, there are marches, concerts, and protests.

The Trump Parade came out of nowhere and we just happened to be right there. When they drove into town, many were on top of their cars or hanging out the windows. Right when they got into town there was a bi-racial couple walking down the street. The young, high school or early college aged kids in the cars started in on them, yelling at them. No one used the N word, but they were shouting derogatory words at them. The Black man flipped them off.

Two young Portlanders on bikes drove close to one of the trucks and stole one of their MAGA hats and gave it to the Black man from the bi-racial couple.

These trump supporters came in looking for a fight. They came from Idaho, Washington, and Eastern Oregon and drove into Portland, encouraged to conceal carry weapons, looking to poke Portland in the eye, and it ended in someone getting shot And killed.

I didn’t like it, honestly, because I could tell they were looking down on who they saw as lawless hippies, and they hated the people of Portland without knowing the residents or the city. At the same time, I felt if they could keep it from being violent they were peacefully protesting. I encourage peaceful protest. I think that’s what this documentary is all about. But then I saw the trump supporters were shooting random bystanders with paint balls and bear spray, running through them with their big trucks, and finally walking the streets looking for trouble.

We may be done filming in Portland, but maybe not. Someone reached out to me and just told me that the federal troops are on their way back. We’ll see.