Portland Protests and National Guard Deployment: A City’s Struggle with Perception
Portland, Oregon, has been at the center of attention in recent months due to ongoing protests outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facility in the downtown South Waterfront neighborhood. The protests, although largely contained to a single block, have created a ripple effect across the city, impacting local businesses and residents. According to Lisa Schroeder, owner of Mother’s Bistro and Bar in downtown Portland, the perception of Portland as an unsafe city has been detrimental to her business.
Schroeder stated that since the 2020 pandemic and social justice protests, her business has struggled to recover. The recent deployment of National Guard troops to Portland has only exacerbated the issue. On September 28, President Trump announced the deployment of 200 Oregon National Guard troops to quell opposition to ICE activity in the city, describing Portland as “war-ravaged” in a social media post. This rhetoric has been damaging to local businesses, with Schroeder claiming that her business is now only half of what it was before.
The Impact of Federal Troop Deployment on Local Businesses
The deployment of National Guard troops to Portland has been met with resistance from the state of Oregon, with a lawsuit filed to block the federalization and deployment of troops. On October 5, a Trump-appointed federal judge issued a temporary restraining order blocking the deployment of Oregon National Guard troops, and later blocked the deployment of National Guard troops from other states. However, an appeals court temporarily granted a White House request to keep the 200 Oregon National Guard troops under federal control.
Business owners, including Schroeder, have submitted legal declarations of support for the state’s lawsuit, citing the damaging effects of the president’s rhetoric on their businesses. Diners at Mother’s Bistro and Bar also feel the impact, with one customer stating that the city is not a “war zone” and that the protests do not represent the majority of Portland residents.
The Reality of Crime in Portland
Despite the perception of Portland as a city in crisis, data from the Portland Police Bureau shows that total crime was down 19% in 2024 compared to 2022. However, the ongoing protests and deployment of National Guard troops have created an “image problem” for the city, according to Schroeder. The city is still recovering from the pandemic and social justice protests, and the added attention from the federal government has only made it harder for businesses to recover.
Schroeder emphasized that the deployment of troops is not only unnecessary but also a waste of government resources. “This does not help,” she said. “It does not help at all. We don’t need this. And certainly to spend our money on troops to come here for this… This is what our government is spending money on? It’s a shame, a crying shame. And I’m crying.”
A City in Recovery
Portland is a city in recovery, still struggling to come to terms with the impact of the pandemic and social justice protests. The deployment of National Guard troops has only added to the city’s challenges, creating a perception of Portland as an unsafe city. However, as Schroeder and other business owners attest, this perception is not entirely accurate. The city is working to recover, and the support of local residents and businesses is crucial to its success.
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