Black Lives Matter Portland “Calls Out” Don’t Shoot PDX

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Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Brendan Murray, GoLocalPDX Contributor

While the Oregon Department of Justice conducts internal audits regarding accusations of illegal surveillance of residents using the #BlackLivesMatter, two of Portland’s largest groups associated with the national black lives matter movement are fighting amongst themselves. Members of Black Lives Matter Portland told GoLocal they are “calling out” Don’t Shoot PDX for “dangerous” and “violent” behavior.

“We can not accept organizations that engage in ways that are violent and which put members of our organization in danger,” reads a statement from Black Lives Matter Portland. “We can not accept a lack of accountability for behavior that amounts to abuse. We are not taking this step lightly. We are taking it only after multiple attempts to arrange mediation or reach a place of understanding were refused while antagonistic behavior has escalated. We must prioritize the safety of our members. We are calling out Don’t Shoot PDX.”

Specifically, Black Lives Matter accused Don’t Shoot PDX of “threats of physical violence, accusations of state affiliation, unsafe escalated actions conducted without the consent of participants that have directly put marginalized folks in danger, oppressive and at times violent organizing spaces, public attacks on our character, openly racist white allies, members of Don’t Shoot Portland presenting themselves as Black Lives Matter PDX in inflammatory correspondence to other Black organizers and telling continuous lies about our actions and intentions.”

Organizers with Black Lives Matter Portland told GoLocal that the behavior of Don’t Shoot PDX could no longer be tolerated.

“We are publicly requesting that this behavior stop: Do not threaten us with violence,” a member of the organization said. “Do not allow white folks or any allies affiliated with your organization to threaten us with violence. Do not represent yourselves as members of our organization. Do not call members of our organization collaborators, federal agents, or police. Do not spread falsehoods about our behavior or organizing. Do not attempt to co-opt the name or work of our organization.”

via Black Lives Matter Portland on Facebook

“We Must Hold Each Other Accountable”

Organizers with Black Lives Matter Portland said that while they and Don’t Shoot PDX are fighting for the same cause, it is important to hold each other to a high standard.

“We respect the right of all Black folks to organize for self-determination in ways that suit their capacity, ability, and politics,” organizers with Black Lives Matter Portland said. “In building this new world, we are learning how to engage with each other in ways that colonialism, capitalism, imperialism, and the violence of white supremacy have forced us to forget. We are learning to treat each other in ways that are principled, honest, transformational, and liberating. And if we love each other, if we believe in each other, if we want every person to be free: we must hold each other accountable.”

Phoenix Singer, an activist with Black Lives Matter Portland, said that Don’t Shoot PDX’s previous actions shows that the group cannot be trusted.

“Don't Shoot PDX has in the past, employed white male rapists to lead their organization, such as Hart Noecker and white man Jesse Sponberg, who shut down other people of color talking about white supremacy,” Singer said in a Facebook post.

Jocelyn Adele Thomas, a fellow activist with Black Lives Matter Portland, said that the time for action was long past due.

“It’s about time,” Thomas said in a Facebook.

via Don't Shoot PDX on Facebook

Don’t Shoot PDX Responds

Alyssa Pagan, an organizer with Don’t Shoot PDX, told GoLocal the call out is nothing more than personal in-fighting.

“My reaction to the callout was immediate exhaustion,” Pagan said. “This feels like an old squabble between Teressa Raiford and Adrienne Cabouet that has mutated over time. This is the latest mutation. Adrienne was a member of Don’t Shoot Portland until February 2015. She had a fallout and left to establish BLMPDX. The back and forth ensued endlessly, but we all managed to keep it mostly under wraps in the name of the movement, until now.”

Pagan also said that calling out Don’t Shoot while both organizations are dealing with alleged surveillance from the Oregon Department of Justice makes it seem as though Don’t Shoot PDX is not being watched by the DOJ.

“The illegal probe by the Oregon Department of Justice of people who have used the #blacklivesmatter hashtag is likely fueled by the confrontational street tactics used throughout the history of Don’t Shoot Portland,” Pagan said. “Not by internal discussions in bookstores and parks. Public outrage for activists implicated by the illegal probe would do well to know that despite BLMPDX’s nod from a consolidating network organization, Don’t Shoot Portland is implicated here, and needs support.”

Editor's Note: This story was updated to reflect that some quotes used were obtained from Facebook posts.

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