So sad that propaganda is so pervasive that this poor girl believes in false narratives.
23
Being "brave" and "passionate" will not help Daria get a decent job. Skills and credentials will help her far more in our competitive society.
She'll be able to help causes she is committed to if she can stand on her own feet.
Maintain perspective, Daria, and do your best in school.
29
@Rusty Yes to education and doing well in school. However, being brave and passionate will absolutely help her to get a job and keep a job.
Cheers, Daria. What you're doing out there takes courage and the world needs courage and conviction now more than ever. Be safe!
-From a brave, passionate, educated, employed female who stands on her own two feet.
66
I can understand both why protestors resent expansion of 'BLM' to 'all lives matter', and why others resent the unique identification of Black lives in what matters.
A broadening that might be more acceptable, or at least less unacceptable, to both groups would be 'Suspects Lives Matter'.
After all, more unarmed white suspects are killed by police every year than unarmed black suspects. And, we need to unite ourselves, not divide.
13
@NLG
I also didn't get why All Lives Matter was a problem till the analogy of breast cancer awareness. If you're getting support for breast cancer you don't want the concerns over prostate cancer to override your cause. Of course All Lives Matter. There are shooting of unarmed white men but when you look at population it is disproportionate. A friend told me there were 9 unarmed black men killed by police and 20 unarmed white men. Given the differences in population that made a black man almost 3 times more likely to be killed. I'm not really sure what the statistics are. We need national data bases, so we can rationally assess what's going on.
10
@Sharon It's an interesting analogy. I understand that breast and prostate cancer research have a lot of overlap, but as you say, advocates dislike dilution of their advocacy.
That said, the core problem here seems to be that police dislike and fear uncooperative suspects, and are willing to kill them to prevent many (most?) types of disobedience, especially flight. That's particularly unacceptable in the case of unarmed, nonviolent suspects, although the fear and adrenaline that motivate it are at least not entirely unsympathetic.
The statistics are hard. Blacks are disproportionately killed by police, but blacks also commit violent crime disproportionately (objective verifiable data is not racist) and when you adjust for the rate of violent crime association, the disproportionality tends to disappear.
However, Blacks are also disproportionately poor, poor people disproportionately commit violent crime, and, again, when you adjust for being poor, the disproportional association with violent crime tends to disappear.
The conclusion from the data is therefore (a) if Black Americans' economic status can improve to the mean, many problems with crime and police violence should reduce dramatically and (b) police need to be trained not to fear Black people irrationally, especially Black men, or if they can't be trained, replaced with other government representatives who can. That may be harder than it sounds, but certainly not impossible.
14
The NYT is bending over backwards to deny the violent and destructive nature of these protests. I think this young lady has class, and I understand her sadness and rage. But that does not give license to arson, destruction of property, throwing bricks at the police, shining laser beams in people’s eyes, etc.
42
@John
most of them arent doing that. umbrella man in minneapolis was going around randomly breaking windows was a member of an alt-right group. and the security officer killed in oakland was killed by an alt-right person boogaloo boys.
32
@John, I didn't read the part of the article that said she did any of that.
42
The mayors and the FBI report that most of the violence has been instigated by white nationalists such as the Proud Boys and the boogaloos
34
She will eventually be all right and understand what is going on in the US as long as she does not get arrested and, thereby, obtain a record, get hurt or killed or get pregnant.
17
The kids are alright. Daria makes me proud to be an American when some who should be setting a good example conduct themselves with shameless disregard for others.
I'm just one more old voter who supports those young, healthy and daring enough to be in the streets for justice.
41
@W.F. wrote a fair response to my comment that got flagged for some reason, so I'm reposting @W.F.'s comment here:
@common sense advocate Yes, voting is important. It is VITAL, a matter of literal life and death, that we get Trump out of office. But to suggest that black people should not be taking to the streets to protest because they can simply win their equality by voting is absurd. If that worked, it would have been done by now.
26
donald trump paid for a full page ad in the NYT before Daria was born that called for the execution of five young black men who had not committed the crime in question. They were cleared but he never apologized for this hideous lapse in judgement. And this is not his only diabolical offence against people of color.
The point is we have got to remove him from the office that allows him to manipulate peaceful protesters to his advantage. As well meaning as BLM protests are, the best those passionate people can do right now is go quiet until after the election and stop providing cover for the destructive faction that is taking advantage of these honest ad dedicated people and giving the trump campaign an excuse to vilify the people who may actually be able to enact the change they seek.
13
Thanks, Daria. I've worked with young people for fifty years and I'm glad there is still the desire to make things just.
23
Somebody needs to educate this girl on the statistics regarding the chances of her being shot by a police officer vs. by another black person. You know; kind of like those regarding being hit by lightning vs. catching a cold.
15
@Longtime Japan
No one needs to educate "this girl." How condescending. Your argument boils down to this: since there are murders committed by criminals, it's perfectly okay with you to tolerate murders committed by police officers. We're tired of dealing with all the excuses racists have not to pay attention to what is going on, but whatever.
57
@Longtime Japan
She's what, 16? I'm guessing math and statistics are not her strong point.
5
@Longtime Japan
So your argument is that because there are bad things done by people who are not police, she should keep quiet about bad things done by the police? This makes for thin gruel as an argument.
39
Go Daria go! I love how your pink wig combines function and fashion. You don't owe the naysayers any attention! Wishing you safety.
41
The threats and assaults from Trump supporters are clear and incontrovertible evidence that the Ku Klux Klan is still alive in fact, if not always in name. Racism is at the heart and root of support for Trump, which is why it nearly impossible to convert the core of his support by rational argument or by the facts of reality. They no longer wear white peaked hoods, they wear red MAGA hats.
22
I can't help thinking that the situation in Portland is being badly mishandled by almost everyone - the politicians, the police, the protesters and the media.
Unlike with the leaders of past mass movements like Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis, it is unclear that the Portland crowd has clear objectives and strategies to achieve them. (Or perhaps the media has just failed to report adequately on this.) They have not curbed the violence that is being used to discredit their cause of racial justice. They have not achieved any substantial results or brought broader public opinion to their side.
The local politicians have failed to calm the situation.
The police have failed to prevent harm and property damage, while using indiscriminate tactics which inevitably inflame.
The media have simply shown pictures of violence which arouses anger on all sides I have not seen protest leaders articulate and defend their positions, nor the politicians or police explain what they are trying to achieve.
Contrast the civil rights marches of the 1960s, where the images of disciplined peaceful protesters being beaten and attacked by dogs horrified and galvanized the nation while eloquent spokespeople like Martin Luther King explained what the stakes and goals were
Today we have a cycle of action and reaction leading nowhere. Everyone needs to reflect and reconsider.
21
@Jeffrey Gallup The police have had their hands tied by the mayor and city council.
10
@Mike
Or are the mayor's and city council's hands tied by the police?
10
Please be safe, Daria. I am so sorry it has come to this. You are a wonderful young woman. I pray for you.
24
What a wonderful young woman, as long as she protests to promote issues I agree with.
4
Thank you Daria for your bravery. I cannot imagine what it must be like for you to be out protesting and witnessing every night. We are all hoping for change, voting for change. And I hope you get to see that change come (I am 71 and have zero hope of seeing change in my lifetime around systemic racism- but that does not mean I won’t work toward that). You are young and have a long life ahead of you and I suspect you will continue the fight and one day....maybe you can feel safe and life can feel ordinary, the way it feels for those of us who do not have to worry about traffic stops or jogging while Black. Bless you and your family.
23
@MaryAnn
Zero chance of seeing systematic racism change in your lifetime? At 71? I don't know your life's expiration date, nor mine (today I am 72). I do think that with sufficient will, we can make inroads into finally repairing the civil war that's been ongoing for generations. We have the help of communication now, of an educated citizenry. Do we have the will? We could. Perseverance and the willingness to engage in uncomfortable skirmishes is a big part of it.
9
Out of the darkness, sometimes hope appears. This young woman is part of our hope; a rational and thinking person who sees the problem and steps up to add her voice to the cry.
She sees the way to protest injustice without succumbing to the temptation of reacting with more violence.
This is the attitude that gives me hope.
You go girl. Things will improve, and soon we hope.I admire your courage, Ms. Allen---and love the wig!
21
Daria needs to keep her eye on the ball by doing well in school.
Otherwise, she might end up impoverished or homeless.
Black leaders need to address the issue posed by school-age kids' spending so much time at "protests" which are essentially social get-togethers with great appeal as so many of us have been unable to socialize for months.
13
400 years of this.
I commend Black people for their patience.
I'm an old white fella.
If I were Black, I'd be among the angriest.
No person--or government--on Earth has the moral right to wield power over any other, for any reason, without their permission.
Daria, you're a princess.
Stay safe. The USA needs you.
40
Daria sounds like an extremely smart young lady who sees wrong and stands up for the ones whom have no voice. Bless you sweet girl!!
25
Activist marching and protesting while 16 years old Black African female Daria Allen is more bravely honorable and patriotic than any member of the Trump family has or will ever be.
From before the birth of the nation to the present Black African blood, sweat and tears has been shed for an American nation that has mostly historically denied their humanity as persons during their enslavement and their separate and unequal sojourn after their emancipation from their inhuman bondage.
George Stinney, Jr. and Emmett Louis Tlll were both only 14 years old when they were lynched. Addie Mae Collins , Carole Robertson and Cynthia Wesley were all 14 years old when they were lynched. Carol Denise McNair was 11 years old and Tamir Rice was 12 years old when they were lynched. John Robert Lewis was only 14 years old when he first started making 'good trouble' at his Troy Alabama Public Library.
Black Lives Matter was founded by three wise young activist African American females Alicia Garza, Opel Tometi and Patrisse Cullors.
37
It’s shameful enough that a young Black person has to worry about possibly encountering state-sponsored death or other brutality from the police; add to that the need for vigilance against the very real threat of racial violence from some Whites.
BTW, does anyone still believe that Blacks, with suicide rates lower than Whites, and never favoring self-hanging during a moment of ultimate despair, are not being lynched?:
“If I see you on the street, you will be the next Black person hanging from a tree,” the woman wrote.”
Peace, and continued strength, courage, and hope to Ms. Allen.
After all: "This is America."
15
The woman speaking of lynching is an example of the stain in our country that needs to be washed away.
18
@Albert Petersen
I disagree. If "the stain" is washed away, there'll be no collective memory of it. Rather, show it. Make the perpetrators pay for having done such atrocities. Help them to understand that committing atrocities like lynching is not just "not acceptable," to use an anodyne, popular term. It's inhumane and deeply wrong. It should not happen here. Or anywhere else.
9
If you are spraying mace you aren’t’ a “counter protester”. You are engaging in a riot and assault. Further, if you are doing this to non-violent peaceful protesters. You are engaged in a violent act to suppress another persons political freedoms with a wider goal to chill other people’s willingness to engage in political action peacefully.
That is a terrorist. It doesn’t matter if they are white men claiming to be acting as Christians. It doesn’t matter if their fascist nationalism tries to chant USA. They are criminals and terrorists.
To call them counter protesters is to lie. And it has not been the position of the Times to refer to violent black people under those terms. Then you go looter and rioter.
It is inherently racist coverage for the NYT not to call a spade a spade. And these counter protesters are terrorists in spades.
20
I've lived in Portland for 47 years. I now know that I have been (unknowningly) protesting with Ms. Allen countless nights. Most of us bought our first gas masks, special goggles and even helmets. The dress code is always long pants and sleeves because first our police department, and then for a period DHS stormtroopers, were shooting pepper gas balls from paint ball guns, throwing stun and tear gas grenades, and then when near enough, would brutalize protesters nightly. Ms. Allen went the full distance and got protective headgear and a shield. Forget any weak attempt to label her Antifa. My daughter is 26 and experienced police brutality and tear gas for the first time in our first trip to see the protests in May. We both became immediate activists. I am glad we shared that together so we could discuss it properly. But I have pushed her and my spouse back from the protests for their protection. Injuries have been common. Ms. Allen represents the growth of commitment to build a better and more just world and we should all join her in protest.
32
Thank you for all the support. If you’re in Portland message me so we could connect. My Instagram is @princessdapopstar and my Facebook is Daria Allen. I’m looking for friends, and “comrades”.
44
Please do some research of relevant statistics. You are being woefully mislead.
6
The schooling that this young woman has received to date may or may not be an adequate education preparing her to discern facts from fictions and fantasies. Truths, which can and do change, as conditions and realties change from lies and fabrications. To be able to go beyond the luxury of answers and their all-too-often, too-early-closures, into the never-ending, necessary questing inherent in questions which needed to be asked. Repeated. Dimensionalized. Not the kinds which we have learned and know by heart: 1 2=?
What has enabled the seeding, nurturing and harvesting of a WE-THEY culture in America, from the Colonial period until now? Violating by words and deeds created, selected and targeted “ the other(s)?”
How many Americans studying in school were educated about Puritans “indicting” Quakers, during the 1660s, in Boston. Finding them guilty and hanging them. One of them was a woman. White Christians vs White Christians. Both exploiting the indigenous populations.
This courageous, personally accountable, young woman has experienced an additional, enriching,
challenging EDUCATION. America will be blessed for that ongoing opportunity. And for the many like her!
4
What matters to most people is their individual future, not the form of government they live under. If somebody with the mentality of a Putin or Mussolini or Roy Moore or Sheriff Joe can keep the country prosperous and individual futures promising, more power to them. If they are made to appear to be trashing the Constitution, that is just fake news and politics as usual these days. What matters in politics is projecting an image of safety and prosperity, and both our candidates are projecting as hard as they can.
2
Just how does Ms. Allen plan to focus on her schoolwork if she is frequently at protests?
Attending school is already more difficult due to current circumstances. Young people of every background need to try their best to make the academic year productive, and not allow themselves to be constantly distracted by a variety of gatherings which are themselves worrisome due to the contagious nature of the coronavirus.
Overly frequent gatherings will impede young people's academic focus and achievement and will ultimately have only a destructive impact.
10
Um.. have you not heard of online school? Plus it’s summer and then is no school at the moment, I don’t know how many times I have to say it😂
34
@H2O It is very sad that we live in a country where a 16-year-old girl feels the need to be participating in racial justice/criminal justice protests over a period of months. It is very sad that she feels the need to brave coronavirus, potential danger from other protesters or the police, and distraction from her schooling. It is very sad that she might feel as if her presence at these protests might someday lead to less danger from the police for her and her family. But that is the country we live in . These protests are not frivolous.
13
No need to say it to people who understand and no good trying with people who choose not to. God bless you
7
MY advice? spend the time and resources on getting out the vote. Thats the real protest. Blacks are a minority but have a dismal voting record. Imagine if 40% of blacks and latinos voted they could control politics.
In Miss, La, etc. if the black communities would organize and vote as af group they could control state and local and Federal elections.
VOTING is the most effective protest.
9
Thank you for this article. I Think most of us can remember back when we were 16, and the risks we were eager to take for what we passionately believed in and knew was right. I had been having a really hard time understanding the persistence of all these protesters, knowing how dangerous it is, because of all the guns, fringe group nuts, to say nothing of COVID-19.
Bravo Daria! ...and please stay safe - May luck stay with you.
15
Follow your passions and remember Nothing is as it ever appears.
2
Dear Ms. Allen,
Thank you for this moving personal statement. As a fellow Portlander, I salute you and thank you for everything that you do.
16
So we’re still left with no reason why men in the back of pickups driving through crowds spraying mace at protestors are not being arrested.
The informal alliance between the police and dangerous right wing vigilantes is the scariest part about this.
25
@NYT why are we celebrating a 16 year old who is putting her young self in harm's way? What led up to that "altercation" with a federal agent? How is her grandmother allowing her to spend every day protesting? Stop using young people as props. Your recent story on Jamie Margolin in the NYT Magazine no less, was just as appalling. I sincerely hope this passionate young woman channels the same type of energy in her studies so she really can effect change when she gets older.
9
The altercation happened because I was on the sidewalk like the feds told us to be and I was trying to get a lady to come on and a fed came out of nowhere and hit me. For no reason. So stop trying to look into it more than what it is, I’ve got the video. Also my grandma makes sure I stay safe. Don’t speak on her just because you’re family failed you. I’m going to do what I have to do to live.
29
@Daria Allen
Sorry, but I think that claim of being hit is a flat out lie.
5
Because that never happens?! You are complete out of touch. With reality.
5
I admire this young woman for being so brave. I cant go out to protest as I used to due to my age and auto-immune system. I protested the vietnam war at UB in buffalo and have been to many rallies for reproductive rights.
6
We learn that tear gas burns your eyes and police beat people who don't move out of range of their batons when they give an order to disperse or just show up in force.
Mob action depends on losing individual identity and personal judgment in exchange for common cause. Mobs succeed at damaging property and hurting people. They don't make a better world for participants, the community, or the country.
Trump can divert attention from his many lies and failures by doubling down on opposition to mob violence. Protest is not only useless, but counterproductive.
5
Ms Allen is the type of person Trump really has to fear. He is lucky she is too young to vote.
12
No one asserts by word or deed that White lives don’t matter, whereas, in this country particularly, there is a long, horrific history and plenty of contemporary evidence showing that Black lives don’t.
Ms. Allen and all the BLM protesters in The Movement 2.0 are heroes.
12
Here is something that rarely seems to be addressed.
Your great- and great- great-grandchildren will likely not know you. Still, fair or not, upon hearing about you, or seeing your picture, they will group you in with that historical mass of Americans who perpetrated, ignored, benefited from, or tolerated racial violence and other forms of injustice against Blacks.
Unless there are drastic changes, and soon, THAT, will be your legacy.
5
I don’t think you guys understand, I’m doing this for me. I don’t care what everyone else thinks.
8
Then why be part of national news coverage?
7
To all of the fellow commentators who cannot abide a 16 year old merely showing up just to show up and make her presence a statement without criticizing her in some way she and other demonstrators are somehow insufficient in their pursuits I say, you too must be unhappy and alarmed by what you see, why aren’t we all walking beside her?
11
I wept as I read this account of a young women standing for what is right in a world going wrong. I'm seventy now, but I still remember the protest and riots in Berkeley in the sixties.
The Free Speech Movement, Support the Freedom Riders, Stop the War in Vietnam and Laos. I could not and still don't see the value in fighting the police though very many UC Berkeley students and the community went out at every opportunity to fight hard with anything and everything.
I remember being shocked in the early morning light, standing at Telegraph and Dwight way after the People's Park Riot. The asphalt on the street adjacent the Park was gone. Torn up and thrown at the police. The parking meters gone too.
Over fifty years later I don't see that the American right has evolved a wit, can't say much for so-called moderate Democrats either. Still too cowed to stand up for what is indisputably right.
What's it going to be people, stupid and in conflict is taking us nowhere? Or a shared acknowledgment of the principals our country was founded on?
Vote Blue all down the ticket no matter what!
9
Can the Facebook message she received be charged as threat of a hate crime? Or something similar? She was very clearly threatened with death based on her race.
9
"The main thing she is worried about is how her class schedule will conflict with protests.". All I needed to read right there. Great priorities.
9
@John
"Great priorities." I hope you're sincere, and not sarcastic.
3
@John If that's all you read right there, you missed the point entirely.
7
@John Spoken from a position of white privilege, no doubt.
5
Go Daria!! I feel encouraged, being in my 30s, to see such enthusiasm & persistence from the younger generation... I'm also slightly shocked to see the overly critical comments in this section. I wish I was as tuned into current events and issues when I was 15/16. We need strong leaders who are willing to go the extra mile, peacefully protesting & helping others, to protect what we have, not shying away from challenges.
23
Thank you!
9
Ms. Allen is too young to be going to protests which can suddenly and unexpectedly spiral out of control into a riot, not to mention a 12-year-old brother who "tagged along" a few times. It was a 16-year-old who was killed in the Seattle CHOP zone this summer, and another 16-year-old youngster was seriously bashed in a New York protest. Does Ms. Allen's family really want to risk those consequences? That these demonstrations are not places for minors cannot be more plainly stated. I would suggest to the guardians of teenagers who want to get involved to find safer venues to protest, at sit-ins or with a school group and during the daytime.
11
I know what I’m doing. Thanks for the concern.
11
Don’t tell people who are oppressed how to go about getting un-oppressed.
Don’t tell Black people how to protest.
Stay in your lane. You are not her parent or guardian. The youth are always part of the protest movement and there’s always people like you that tell them to knock it off.
16
I see many comments on here referencing personal experience protesting for various causes in the past, yet expressing concerns that these protests are somehow less valid. Comments include statements to the effect that these protests are without demands, a distraction from voting, and violent.
As someone who has been to the protests in Portland, I'd like to comment. There are demands, although you may not want to hear them. Specifically, but not comprehensively, a 50% defunding of police and the resignation of the mayor. Second, it is not a binary choice between voting and protests - we can, and many will, do both.
Most importantly though, as much as I appreciate the article, it is frustrating to see a phrase or two stand in as boogeymen for concerns of violence. I have never felt unsafe around other protesters, and have seen no incidents of violence among them. What I have seen is the results of mild and symbol property destruction limited to a few blocks. What I have experienced is the ongoing nightly violence of lawless, violent street gangs that are various local, state, and national policing organizations. They literally make up "laws" on the spot (e.g., no holding each other), violate civil liberties nightly, and break bones on a weekly basis. Their actions are a demonstration of the very problem we protest: disproportionate violence in response to minor infractions and profiling an entire group.
These are the civil rights protests of today. Please stand with us.
40
@Tyson R
I absolutely agree. Voting and protesting can and should go hand-in-hand. I’ve been down at the protests in Portland many nights, too. My young adult children are watching to see what Mom does in 2020, and the world is watching, too. We MUST show up, and we must speak out. This is America, and while she’s been broken for a long time, I’m still ready to fight for her. She can be better if we can envision what “justice for all” looks like and then demand the necessary changes (50%!)
It makes me cringe when well-meaning family or friends from outside Portland say “please stay safe!” “Don’t put yourself in harm’s way!” “This isn’t worth dying for.” Protesting with a sign and your voice should NEVER be seen as a daring, dangerous act for an American citizen. What the hell country are we living in if that’s the case? And why do we worry so much about white people “getting hurt” protesting? It’s our turn to take some hits. I may not have created the racist system, but I feel a duty to my country to try to dismantle it.
12
Kudos to this brave young woman. I respect her actions and want the justice for black people that she wants. But I do think it’s time to stop this round of protests. Gandhi knew effective tactics required ending what was no longer working and trying a new tactic. I’m not creative enough to know what that should be. But I know getting the census filled out and all voters registered is crucial right now. Perhaps pay attention to that until Nov.?
5
I don't know if Joe Biden is the national leader America needs at this time, but I'm quite sure Donald Trump is not. Protesting, by its very nature is confrontative and uncomfortable, even threatening. A mature response to such behavior would not escalate protest into destructive behavior. Maturity might even lead to dialogue.
I've read too much history not to understand what a dangerous precipice America is approaching. Protesting is one thing. Destruction of property is another. And the America public really isn't patient or careful enough to sort through these differences.
I may not be getting this right, but I see a parallel between the "protestors" and the NRA. The NRA wishes to keep their guns, but offer no solution to the wonton misuse of guns. Basicly, the NRA is saying, it's not my problem. Similarly, the protestors claim to have nothing to do with the destruction of property, but share the streets with the people who are burning down storefronts and federal buildings. And the protestors solution is to "defund" the police. Huh?
The Trump campaign has now successfully focused the election on destruction of property...and violence. If the Biden campaign can not untwist the issues of violence, destruction, and protests from one another, they run the risk of losing the election. That would be a shame.
8
This young woman is remarkable and it going to be her generation that makes the change to end systematic racism in this country and unite us all as Americans. I just want to hug her, I'm a mother of 3 and my oldest is 24 and joined the movement. My two youngest are 4 and 2 and they just do not understand when they see these images. Being a Paralegal and long time advocate for voting rights education and criminal justice reform, I'm involved by trying to change legislation. There is bias in this country we need to admit it and confront it. BLM is not against police, but against police brutality, we are not against the justice system, but against systematic injustice. Every person that has been shot by the police is not a "victim" in many cases the use of lethal force was justified and necessary, the issue is that lethal force is too often the first choice of force used against people of color.
121
@asdfj Actually, I think what you wrote is exceedingly superficial--and to the extreme. Why does anyone have to pick between "BLM is not against the police" and "Defund the police"??? BLM is a slogan that characterizes opposition to and protest against systematic racism in our country, especially among police forces in the U.S.; the all-too-common unnecessary and excessive use of force by police (instead of deescalation); and the current culture of lying or silence in our police forces that enables violent, corrupt and racist police officers to stay on a force. As far as I know, all Americans--including the police--can and should support those aims. "Defund the police" is a policy proposal that seeks to alter the way we currently address certain societal problems by shifting some of the funding that currently goes to police forces in our country to other programs, groups or entities (such as mental health professionals, outreach workers, social workers, drug counselors, etc.). The idea is that everyone--including police--would be better served if we attempted to tackle certain societal problems (such as dealing with the mentally ill) with something other than an armed officer trained for authority/command/force/protection instead of a professional trained specifically for the situation at hand. You may not agree with the policy proposal, but it's not a hard concept to grasp, and there certainly is no reason why it must be interpreted as anti-police.
8
@asdfj, you're taking the phrase "defend the police" literally when it's just a poor choice of words for a more nuanced argument about what the role of the police should be.
You may not agree that part of the money used to fund police departments would be better spent on social services that are specifically geared to address some of the tasks that the police are currently expected to handle-- like mental health crisis for example-- but not everyone who does is against the police.
7
@Leonard
I understand the point of BLM, and also the police. I understand, in principle, that shifting monies from one central agency (like the police) and distributing funds to other, ancillary agencies (social services) makes sense. What I don't understand is how a person trained in social work or mental health counseling, or teaching, would be able to take over a situation involving a person with schizophrenia, having a violent episode involving a domestic dispute and armed with what looks like a weapon. This is not what social workers are trained to do! And who's going to train them? The police, in all likelihood. Think about the reality of this bizarre battle we've constructed.
6
I admire this young lady. She is peacefully protesting and exercising her first amendment right to do so. Unfortunately, other protesters do not remain peaceful and seek to destroy. This just gives Trump fuel for his campaign. It is my hope that authorities in Portland can differentiate between the 2 groups. People who advocate violence should be arrested when they cross the line between a protest and a riot.
7
I agree with @jerrybrown go register people to vote, go turn out the vote, go explain the difference between trump and Biden. What have they accomplished other than help Mr. Trump distort their cause and instill fear in middle America that they are agents of chaos? You have to play chess with a full vision of the board, not your own next movement. Your vote has more power than anything.
55
It’s protestors fault that Trump has distorted their message? I should think blame for that would rest entirely on Trump. Seeing how Trump projects blame and shifts away from accountability should motivate more people to vote against him.
23
@DS
Your final sentence should be true again someday. I pray.
2
@DS
I agree, but more than just registering to vote is needed now. If you turn in your ballot to the USPS, will it count? If you go to vote in one of those Diebold machines, will it flip your vote as it has done in the past? I’ve had the RNC controlled county election office challenge me, illegallyI might add, for my ID and the dates that I apply for absentee ballot. We need vigilance. We need a full vision of the board, as you say.
3
You are a brave girl. I’m so sorry that in this country, you have to protest at all. Please stay safe.
236
@Laurie
Ms. Allen clearly has a high degree of energy, motivation and commitment.
Now that school is about to resume, I hope Ms. Allen will put as much time and effort into her education as she has into protesting. However, the fact that she says she is worried about how her class schedule will fit in with protesting does not bode well for her future.
It will be hard to get a decent job, or to get into college, if her only extracurricular/work experience is being a protester.
13
@TEF It is not a privilege - it is a right guaranteed by our constitution.
10
@Mon Ray She will do fine - my experience as a teacher shows me that he students who are committed, disciplined and passionate about a worthy cause also do well in their studies.
Just admit that you don't care about the cause she is protesting about.
9
Ms. Allen words about why “Black Lives Matter” rather than “All Lives Matter” is a truly cogent rebuttal to much of the Right’s attack on the statement. The comparison to the two types of cancer is spot on. Also, if “All Lives Matter”, why do we see many of those that represent authority remaining deaf to “I can’t breathe”?
I think back to when Gov. Reagan changed his tune on guns when Black Panthers started carrying them. All of a sudden, the right to go about armed, which he supported previously, changed to the need to regulate guns.
These, and hundreds of other actions against people of color by those in power, demonstrate the hypocrisy in their saying “All Lives Matter”. If people actually believed “All Lives Matter”, there would be fewer statements like, “If I see you on the street, you will be the next Black person hanging from a tree...”
Thank you for an truly enlightening article.
131
What a timely and wonderful response to the vilification of BLM and the protesters and the constant argument that Portland and all of our cities are being destroyed, if only those who believe that would read this.
65
The best thing Daria can do for herself and her community is finish school, go on to higher education if possible, remain child-free until she is absolutely financially prepared for parenting, and get a job in the mean time.
This piece does not really identify "What a 16-Year-Old Learned in Three Months of Portland Protests" except that it is simply what she does now and everything else must make room for it. Excitement, danger and social life all rolled into one long adventure. Yet she is participating in turmoil that will only prolong her and our problems with our world, not to mention the advantage it offers trump and his minions in November.
My profound hope for her is that this does not turn out to be her most cherished time of life later on and that she comes out of it having truly learned that an individual can often be more powerful than a mob in bringing positive change into being.
22
@Nadia Daria is not the problem by protesting! It is wonderful that she is so perceptive about why it is important. Peaceful protest is legal and an important civil right as per the first amendment to the Constitution. Being part of a protest of injustice and violence is not being part of a mob.
My experience from a long time ago is that it is hard for one individual to effect change and that being part of a larger group works better.
Save your disapproval for the violent counter-protesters from the far right who are terrifying with their weapons and racist rhetoric.
96
I’m still getting an education, it’s summertime but thanks.
14
@bse
If the peaceful protesters would stand down for a time, the violent counter-protesters, of whom I do indeed disapprove, would be without cover. I live in a protest prone town up the road from Portland. I've seen this all before. However well-meaning, legal and important the cause is, the unintended consequences may defeat the overall purpose. That's the issue. Not Daria. She's lovely, smart, and deserves a brilliant future.
4
Daria's energy and passion, unfortunately, is getting used by President Trump to support his "law and order" and "suburbs under threat" platform.
If a protest is no longer really YOUR protest, if it has been co-opted by others, then you need to get the word out in another way.
Young people could get creative, perhaps come up with massive street art demonstrations, or something similar that can be done in the daytime so those who like to use the cover of dark to stir up violence can't interfere.
Take back your protests!
8
As a fellow native Portlander (old enough to be Ms Allen’s mother), I appreciate and applaud her involvement in the efforts to draw attention to the disparate treatment of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) by law enforcement agencies. That’s what we’re talking about here, folks. And guess what? Politely asking for the officer to take his knee off your neck isn’t going to do it. Change only happens when behaviors are challenged.
33
But seriously, people need to stop living a life of drunk disorderliness and high as a kite crazy. Those lives matter? You deal with it!
3
The videos are awful but...
The data just doesn’t support the level of protesting.
I urge people to go through the Washington post Police shooting data yourself.
The percentage of things going bad compared to the daily interactions the police have is super low. Unarmed shooting even lower. And a mix of all races.
I want to see Democrats always on the side of rational truth based on facts.
And I hate seeing young people getting hurt without having a clear view of the data.
And I hate seeing Trump using this issue as a way to get re-elected.
In this case, Barr is correct.
And that is bad when he’s on the side of facts and Dems are not.
The videos are awful.
But the data just doesn’t support this level of protesting.
Protest Trump careless and incompetent handling of the virus.
180000 dead.
That is the real major thing to protest.
31
@Jane
hard to focus on covid and the deaths when trump says things like "it is what it is" and telling people to get herd immunity.
4
@Jane, What I think you just said is that there aren't enough police killings to justify the protests. How many should there be?
You also suggested that we should believe Barr's data. Do you suppose it's not being massaged to fit his narrative.
The existence of the awful videos are maybe an indication of what's been going on when there are no videos, or before they became ubiquitous.
There's plenty of protest abut the way the virus response is being mishandled, and plenty of protest over climate change, just not in the streets.
By the time police shootings achieve the body count of Covid 19, it will probably be too late to protest.
5
@michaeltide
All killings are bad. Just by the data there aren't really that many, especially to justify diverting attention away from virus, and helping to get Trump re-elected.
It isn't Barr's data, it just is the data. Washington Post has a great site that lets you view it yourself.
So I view this as a lose lose lose right now.
Diverts attention from virus.
Helps Trump gets elected.
Trump and team has the data on their side. (This usually isn't the case)
6
I believe the sincerity of Ms. Allen. I believe she is doing what she thinks will help prevent another George Floyd. But her getting her education will help more.
Barack H. Obama & Thurgood Marshall accomplished more with a law degree than all those protests across the country this summer.
What protests do is affirm that you are not alone in your outrage, that others are hurting like you are. The outrage that a black man can be executed in the full glare of the public by a cop who never hesitated to be judge, jury and executioner.
Therefore, please Ms. Allen, finish your education, but never lose your spirit. There is no telling what you can accomplish with both.
16
Many commenters have asked when the Portland protests will end. Perhaps Ms. Allen and her fellow protesters will stop taking to the streets when police stop killing Blacks. After George Floyd's nine minute knee-to-the-neck death, Jacob Blake was shot in the back by one policeman seven times, leaving him paralyzed. Today, we learned that five months ago, Daniel Prude, also Black, died from suffocation when police pushed his head, face down, against the street. His death was evidently so egregious that the Rochester, NY, coroner's office recorded it as a homicide, yet the officers involved are still on active duty. Daria Allen is right to question whether Black Lives Matter.
17
My dear sister! You stand on the shoulders of giants and luminaries! You embody Harriet Tubman! Sojourner Truth! Ida B. Wells! Mary Church Terrell! Pauli Murray! Rosa Parks! Fannie Lou Hamer! Maya Angelou! Never ever forget the ancestors who came before you! They are smiling as you carry forward the tradition of standing tall for our people! I send you love and healing energy, my dear! You are not the future, you are the NOW and we will continue this struggle for justice.
17
“If I see you on the street, you will be the next Black person hanging from a tree,” the woman wrote.
I hope Ms. Allen reported this death threat to the police. She could also take a screen shot of the message and inform the rest of her neighborhood Facebook group that she's gotten a death threat from one of her neighbors.
She can also print out that screen shot and distribute it all over the neighborhood so people are forewarned about a potential racist killer living nearby. Local businesses might want to know. Every person of color will want to know. Her local news stations will likely want to know.
This is what she's up against. Horrible, racist people who will kill people of color who are protesting when police kill people of color.
21
So much paternal and maternal bleating from adults who believe their pearls of wisdom for this young woman is so much more important than her protests against her real fears for her life and for the lives of other black people at the hands of the police. I do not support violence or burning or looting and she has not said she engaged in any of that, as most people demonstrating have not. This is a very scary time in our nation as everything is on the line, especially the very lives of non-white people. The woman who threatened this young woman with hanging should be investigated; the older woman, a possible neighbor underscores the endemic racism that is part of the rot in our nation. Those commenters saying she should be in school or at work instead of protesting lack the understanding of the imperative that black and brown people face. The protests will continue until there is real justice for all in our nation. We must all vote like all of our lives depend on the outcome!
148
Does she realize that she is only helping Trump get reelected, and that will only make things worse?
10
This is great reporting about what is really happening on the ground during these protests. I feel for this brave young woman and honor her for her efforts. I know if she were my daughter I would try to help her, and would also be terrified for her safety. There is a part of me that thinks all the peaceful protesters should go home. That might make the destructive factions go home too. Those truly seeking justice could put their efforts elsewhere, and live to see the day when justice will prevail.
13
@Mary Magee Yes protest during the day, the violence usually at night. The biggest most effective protest is your vote.
2
@Mary Magee
If they go home, the destructive factions WILL go home too...and then nothing changes. The destructive factions, like the Boogaloo Bois, will have won the day by getting the people protesting for real justice to be quiet and accept/wait. Acceptance of the status quo is NOT an option. Accountability for all, and equal justice for all is the goal.
3
At this point, the net effect of these protests continuing is to energize Trump’s base and increase his chances at re-election. She is 16 so her naïveté is understandable. But she and her fellow protesters are unwittingly aiding Trump as much as those progressive writers hired by a mysterious website that turns out to be run run by Russia.
32
@Brock Landers
You are wrong Mr. Landers. She and those who are angry because of the way blacks are treated by police are NOT responsible for the racist, fear-mongering, idiocy of those who support Trump. Your position is the equivalent of victim shaming.
3
Ms Allen and her fellow protesters give me a glimmer of hope. As a white male of over 70 yrs old, and living in an area that is largely (so far) free of violence, I remember walking in similar, but shorter lived events. This year I am in quarantine. If events come my way, I will don armor and go out. It's nice to have some hope.
9
Daria's bravery and passion are awe inspiring. Thank you Daria and those other peaceful protestors trying to get our nation to a more perfect union. We need more Darias and less hypocrites cloaking themselves in Patriotism while actually trying to destroy democracy in order to win elections.
13
When protests turn to vandalism and violence, e.g. window smashing, looting, burning, throwing things at cops, then it becomes a riot and only serves to help Trump. Already people in Portland, Minneapolis and here in Seattle have transformed the election from being about Trump's incompetence and lies to being about whether or not people want rioters in their neighborhood. If these protesters are unable or unwilling to restrain the criminality within their ranks then they should go home until election day +1.
20
Civil unrest is the hallmark of the Trump administration. Anthony Huber tried to disarm a teenage white nationalist who crossed state lines with an illegally obtained AR15 and shot and killed an unarmed protestor. The teenager killed Anthony and injured another. Now he is Trump’s hero.
2
To the objectors to my comment - I suspect it is the work of trolls, but will address your comments anyway. Our vote this November is our responsibility. It is a binary choice between two candidates who won primaries. There is no one more progressive on the ballot - our responsibility, as voters, is to choose the better of the two candidates. Joe Biden is the candidate who will rescue our democracy, safeguard our right to vote and freedom of the press. Joe Biden will work towards improved access to healthcare, he will battle coronavirus to save our economy AND hundreds of thousands of lives, he will take strides to lift up our poorest of the poor, and he will safeguard our land, air, and water from an immoral freeloader who feeds off the American people, who freely allows bounties on the heads of American soldiers, who not only allows, he accelerates, the spread of coronavirus, and who preaches violence and hatred from what used to be the highest office in the land.
The choice could not be more stark. The future of our country lies in the balance.
Please vote.
21
Ms. Allen, you inspire me and I am near tears reading this. Thank you for being such a strong and focused young leader.
If you ever need a protest buddy or auntie vibes or just a pep talk, this is my real name and I’m in Portland. Hit me up sis.
15
Thank you so much. I’d love that.
3
Thank you so much
2
Stories like this are the number one reason to end the lockdowns and get people back in the workforce and back to school.
A young and passionate student lost her summer job at a zoo (I assume because of COVID), felt compelled to march in the streets upon learning of George Floyd’s death (completely understandable), got tear-gassed on the fringes of what was almost certainly a legally declared riot (not fun, admittedly), then found a sense of purpose and belonging hanging out with a bunch of rowdy, sometimes violent activists. She’s gone all-in and is photographed wearing black bloc gear (all black clothes plus goggles, a respirator, and what looks to be a homemade shield), and has participated in these chaotic nightly protests (not the daytime ones!) for nearly three straight months.
This is a recipe for radicalism. Instead of building a resume, this high school student is hanging out with anarchists. Instead of earning money, she’s soliciting it for riot gear. Instead of building her community, she’s become part of a mob that often trashes and desecrates it.
This young woman’s talents would be better spent in almost any pursuit other than antifa-lite. I sincerely hope she can rise above other people’s hate and angst and make something of herself. But with a deficit of jobs and a surplus of self-righteousness, what 16-year-old wouldn’t be tempted to hang out with rioters and fight the law?
22
It is well known that the vast majority of protestors are nonviolent and peaceful as this young women is. It amazes me that you have read the same words and have come up with a completely different and totally inaccurate picture. I presume it’s because that was your preconceived perception prior to reading the article. This young woman isn’t Antifa. Most of the demonstrators aren’t Antifa. They are like her, sincere agents of change.
If there was a way to remove those fringe elements who are there for the excitement of throwing firecrackers and making messes on the streets, I would be the first to advocate for it. The problem is, the federal agents didn’t make an effort to discriminate the difference between those who are simply exercising their constitutional rights to peacefully assemble and neither are you,. I applaud this young woman’s call to social activism and wish her well. The education she is getting is far more useful than a summer job working at a zoo. I hope she will continue her education, both in school and on the streets of Portland, and that one day we will see her name on a ballot.
19
Actually no, I’m still working and doing my schoolwork, while out at night looking out for my fellow peaceful protesters. Not once have I been near someone that was damaging things and if I ever did I’d check them. I am perfectly aware of why I’m going out there and I could multitask but thanks for the concern.
215
@Daria
I have great respect for Ms Allen and the other young people who are honestly and passionately trying to make society just and equal for everyone. It is unfortunate that destruction and violence caused late-night agitators are diluting their efforts and message. Most people in Portland are good and want to see police reformed and justice applied equally and fairly to everyone. Things are changing, and with voices and visions like Daria’s, our systems will improve.
10
The Democrats had one job to do this year. Come off as the lesser evil compared to Trump. One would think this was a fair site easier than falling off a greased log, yet you seem determined to fail. The country understands that a protest is either entirely peaceful or a riot. There is no in between, and rioting completely delegitimizes any movement that doesn’t work overtime to stop it. The more you attempt to rationalize the left wing violence that’s been plaguing our cities all summer the less bad Trump looks in comparison. Spare me the “it’s on his watch” nonsense. He’s clearly trying to stop it. The Portland mayor’s recent letter to Trump combined with the rioting showing up in middle America will do more to insure his re-election than any add his campaign might dream up.
9
@I want another option Say whatever else you will, but saying Trump is "clearly trying to stop it" is frightfully wrongheaded.
7
Civil unrest is the hallmark of the Trump administration.
3
@I want another option
'He’s clearly trying to stop it.' Clearly, you are a Trump fan.
His reaction to the protestors is something like a policeman screaming 'Gun!' just before he shoots an unarmed man.
The worse he makes the protests seem, the bigger his adrenaline rush.
3
It's good to see so many Trump supporters are (based on many comments on this article) reading the NYT, even if they are missing the point.
13
Bravo Daria! We need everyone raising their voices and fighting for change, through protest and all other avenues. Stay safe. Pace yourself -- this is a marathon, not a sprint.
12
I am proud of this young woman. Reminds me of myself protesting Vietnam Nam. For whatever reason, we had hope then that the world could improve. So I vote always and I march always. And I am sick and tired of marching for the same things all these decades later (if not Vietnam nam, some other conflict; marching for poor people, marching for Black people, marching for women) but I still have to hold on to hope. I do believe that other white people are finally getting it and I do believe that a change in leadership has to happen to keep any hope alive.
54
Remember when President Obama encouraged armed vigilantes to attack Tea Party protesters, and attacked them with national guard troops? I don't either.
179
@Steve Acho
Remember when Tea Party protesters (or 2nd Amendment rights supporters) burned down their own towns, looting/burning storefronts and hurling missiles at the police that risk their lives every day to protect them?
I don't either.
What these rioters are doing is a far cry from peacefully assembling and chanting slogans.
16
@Steve Acho
The Tea Party got permits for their entirely peaceful protests, and cleaned up after themselves so well they gained a reputation for leaving the sites of their protests nicer than when they arrived.
BLM has been destroying buildings, looting stores, harassing and attacking bystanders, and generally leaving the places where they riot looking like a war zone.
13
@Steve Acho
He didn't tell people to vote twice, either.
12
At fifteen my biggest worry was whether the guy I would ask to take me to my junior prom would say yes...
17
@asdfj Thanks for the simple.
1
Maybe the news should stop trying to convince the rest of us that lawbreaking is OK. If she got tear gas it probably was because she or people around here were breaking the law and that's a fact not conjecture. Of course like Nancy Pelosi's wash and blow dry, you rather blame the rest of us and make her the victim. Where is the article on Nancy, so lots of no mask and no rule following on Republicans. In Washington State only the state seems exempt from Governor's order, as ferry system provides mask free service.
22
@History Ms Allen is attending protests as a voice and a witness. She is not shooting off a long gun and murdering. She is not punching back after being whacked. This may make you uncomfortable to hear her voice or to really pay attention to the injustice. However, It’s a false equivalent to equate coverage of protests in response to systemic racism, and police brutality as less important than covering a political indiscretion by Pelosi. And wearing a mask helps you help others who in turn, by their actions, help you. That, in most minds, is non-political and thoughtful.
18
@History it’s a conjecture actually, not a fact, and it’s wrong moreover. How do Republicans fall for a “law and order” narrative from a man who is constantly breaking the law? How many members of his administration are in jail now? In Portland (and I have been witness to it over and over again) the police, local and federal, have attacked people unprovoked and indiscriminately. Day in and day out, for months now.
14
@History Our Constitution guarantees the right to peaceable assembly. If you read this story, you'll note that this young woman remained peaceful, tried to avoid all confrontations. Possibly, if more people had protested, legal or no, Hitler would not have gotten away with all that he did.
8
I don't know which concerns me more, Daria Allen or the comments of people who support her.
Why is she concerned about driving and being stopped by the police? Most of the confrontations between the police seem to start with a failure to comply with the police.
Daria Allen and the people who support you, wake up. You are nothing but a tool of the Republicans and will help Trump get re-elected. I realize this may come as a shock, but most of the people in the US do not support the continue Portland Protests. What is the purpose of the protests? Do you want mob rule in Portland?
My advice is to stay in school, go to college and then run for office.
One final note, I am so glad I moved from Portland.
35
@Arizona Cool "Most of the confrontations between the police seem to start with a failure to comply with the police." So what did Tamir Rice fail to comply with? Or Breonna Taylor? Or Amadou Diallo? Or Abner Louima?
see for statistics on people killed by law enforcement
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6080222/
"Victims were majority white (52%) but disproportionately black (32%) with a fatality rate 2.8 times higher among blacks than whites. Most victims were reported to be armed (83%); however, black victims were more likely to be unarmed (14.8%) than white (9.4%) or Hispanic (5.8%) victims."
28
@Arizona Cool Willful ignorance must keep your mind blissfully serene. Read about Sandra Bland in Texas ending up dead in a jail cell - her crime? A broken tail light. Then multiply this by many thousands over many decades and then you might have some slight idea of why Daria fears the police.
28
@Arizona Cool
"One final note, I am so glad I moved from Portland."
So are we.
33
People now honored as civil rights icons were considered lawless agitators in their day. They were beaten and jailed (Dr. King and Representative Lewis), they were murdered and buried in Mississippi by officers of the law (Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner, James Chaney). This young woman is demonstrating for a future in which she will not be executed for the “crime” of DWB ( driving while Black) or even worse, SWB (sleeping while Black). Hold the criticisms and understand that in our country not all teens can afford to spend their summers safe at home, or scheduling brewskis with Squig.
53
Let's not romanticize too much here people. We're reading the morning paper hoping this will all go away. Sure go fund Daria's college tuition, yes - please do - and then get a minivan, that will turn to a caravan and visit your disaffected white countrymen/women/they and promise our democratic party will work for them; and don't leave their doorstep until you have also handed over some of our classist (your race) privilege to them. I am also just reading the morning paper.
7
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.oregonlive.com/portland/2020/06/portland-officials-vow-bold-meaningful-police-reforms-after-protests-of-george-floyds-killing.html%3FoutputType%3Damp
This article made me ask the question; what is happening in Portland regarding protesters’ demands and police reform for that city?
2
More stories like this, please. It is important to hear from people brave enough to be in the streets and make their voices heard. I only wish Ms. Allen were old enough to vote this November. She represents hope for the future.
58
The BLM movement has created change in some cities but in other cities no change or even talk of change is happening.
Police dont need tanks, tear gas and other things to be used against civilians. We dont want to pay for this with our tax dollars.
Police dont have the time or the patience for mental illness issues. There should be Doctors or therapists to brought in.
18
America has a strong history of highly commendable labor, civil rights, and anti-war protests that actually got things done. There were leaders who led and put themselves in the public eye and thinkers who wrote position papers and built organizational structures to train people to be civilly disobedient and to be arrested and challenge their arrests. They made change happen and captured the support of the public. And they paid some price, going to jail & acquiring records. Labor, civil rights, and anti-war movements in America stand out as impressive actions by ethical people for the common good. I am not getting that sense here today re police brutality. Where are the lawsuits, the class actions, the written body of social theory, the training of protesters, the legal wrenches thrown at the entities being protested?
Assembling in a mixed crowd and carrying a sign where certain liberal local governments allow wilding & mayhem while peaceful demonstrators watch is not meaningful protest, it's play acting for self gratification that appears to be accomplishing nothing while dismaying rather than rallying the public. If certain cops are not found guilty of certain acts, the precedent for tearing the place up is already in place, which is a shame because it will obscure any movement for change.
15
Love your passion and dedication. Put that into getting young people out to VOTE this election. Please VOTE!
20
@E Portland's mayor and Oregon's governor are Dems. The police force that has been tear gassing and beating people in the streets is controlled by Dems. Who exactly is she supposed to vote for (even if she was 18)? Voting is important, yes, but it's not nearly enough.
@Alex
You are naive if you think the police department is controlled by 'Dems'.
They are 'supposed' to listen to the mayor, but refuse.
In truth the police union president is a proud Trump supporter.
4
@Alex There's a fallacy in your post. Most police organizations tend to be paramilitary and do not always share the priorities of a state's elected governance. In fact police will often act in defiance of regulations meant to limit their use of force. The actions of police are the result of their own priorities.
3
One of the constants appears to be the violent response of the police. Why is it always tear gas, batons, rubber bullets? I do not condone violent actions by people purported to be with the protesters BUT they should be the targets of the police. Also it is clear from this article and others that right wing groups are there also instigating violence by assaulting the protesters. The Trump caravan through Portland is a glaring example. It was OK for them to use mace, bear spray and paint guns to assault the protesters. Were they arrested? NO. In the end one of them is killed for his actions. Protest is apparently to be violently put down while blaming the protesters for the violence.
All the while our President encourages it so that he can have "American carnage" for his re-election ads. One problem Trump is president and it is happening on his watch, not Biden's. Trump is responsible.
26
@DRTmunich
Right On!
2
Now what? When will the protesters direct their energy into strategies that will lead to change? There seems to be a lack of leaders emerging from the ranks of the protesters to take the energy to the next steps - legislative change, increased accountability by government agencies, and social change in the broad sense.
27
In Daria’s case she isn’t yet old enough to vote or run for office. Hopefully academics and continued discourse in civics will be her focus. Rather than just leaving it up to her, Randy, how about you and I actively look for opportunities in which we can hold elected leaders and businesses accountable for ending systemic racism, and encourage those whose values better reflect the interests of society to run for office and support them?
27
I hope she is keeping a good diary of this experience...and if not...she takes the time NOW to begin in’s and assemble whatever she has from these past months from notes, memoirs, social media, emails, texts and photos...whatever.
This has the makings of a notable memoir of historic significance.
25
@Acme Joe
I disagree, I don't think many adults would be proud to watch recorded video of themselves as children throwing impotent self-harming tantrums.
5
@asdfj
But this is not about Daria, it is about events during this protest.
She is not the one who should be ashamed of her actions.
If our democracy is lost, the video will be of historic significance.
2
i matched for civil rights in the 60s and il proud. Our marches were also hijacked by white nationalists trying to start trouble. We were spit on and pushed and beaten and gassed. People hated MLK.
4
I hope that Ms. Allen can use her experiences to form a positive view that progress will come from her Summer of Protest in Portland.
It will be tough for a sixteen year old to apply critical thinking to nightly protests of more than 100 days. What are the means and ends being sought by charismatic leaders? Are the protests going to lead to a positive outcome or do they become the only rationale for being there each night?
Stay safe, Ms. Allen. I hope that one day as a result of your experiences, you can become a decision maker as Mayor of Portland or maybe representing a District in Congress. Then you can apply what was learned this Summer to continue to improve this imperfect but potentially good home we call America.
38
Ms. Allen is a role model whom I am proud to be working "along side" of. Her civics work is a valuable component of her and our education.
42
@Jennie Traschen - she is a role model for what? Young street protesters who do not even know what they are protesting.
10
@Arizona Cool How do we know what the young protesters are protesting against? Do we know and/or talk to any of them? Does Fox entertainment do any in depth (or any shallow) analysis of their goals? Does Fox even interview them?
My one criticism of this article is that it does not even touch on the goals of the protesters. The goals are vaguely implied, but more would have been better.
4
@Arizona Cool
Read the piece again. She seems to understand quite well.
7
Daria, I like your commitment and energy for a better society. Being a teen today is harder than it ever was. Involving yourself in this tug of war is tiring and I thank you for it. It is essential that you also consider that in a few years you may wish to become involved in the policy making aspect of the contest which will demand a new level of energy and commitment from you. Be safe, take care of yourself and others around you as we all seek soon that better society.
56
Thank you for protesting Daria! Thank you for hanging in there and representing sanity and humanity. Be careful out there.
26
You go girl. I dont know you but you make me proud to be an American.
52
What are the demands of the protesters in Portland? After three months, isn't long past time to present a coherent set of demands to the city government, so that if the demands are met, the protests will stop? Maybe the problem is not with the protesters but with the reporting that has never addressed any specific demands. Certainly, from this article, it is not clear what the demands are, and how what this young protester is doing relates to demanding action from the government to correct the problem of police violence.
It seems from this article that what this young woman has learned is how to protect herself and her fellow protesters, which is valuable in itself, but there is nothing here about how to organize in a way that actually makes change. In Connecticut, we recently passed a police accountability law with restrictions on the police use of force, setting up Civilian Review Boards with investigatory powers, and ending the qualified immunity that often protects police (and other government agencies) from the consequences of their actions. These are specific things the protesters could demand. I don't know if they are demanding them.
As @alan haigh said, police violence is only one part of the larger problem of economic and structural racism. There is much more to do, but achieving specific legislation with regard to police violence would be a victory to build upon.
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@Kim Because they have no demands. They have stated they want destruction of the status quoted, period. The only way to stop them is by severe government sanctioned violence. But the left sees them as a valuable political tool against a Trump so innocent people suffer.
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@Kim Totally agree. Some of the remaining “protestors” have demands, but they are extreme positions that don’t represent what the vast majority of Portlanders want. Many of the hardcore groups in Portland are also openly averse to working with city leaders or seeking compromise. (You’ll see demands for Mayor Wheeler to both resign and abolish the police department. There is an unfortunate lack of political or economic literacy that I feel tarnishes the movement). It’s a shame the Times is still legitimizing whatever is happening in the streets here now—it’s insurrectionist role play that doesn’t reflect the productive, civic spirit of the events the young woman and thousands of others attended earlier this summer. I wish more Portlanders had the courage to say they’re sick of this, especially since our progressive city leaders are devoted to strong reforms—those just take time, like all important change.
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There have been demands for police finding changes and a myriad other actions related to policing in Portland. We chant the names of many local blacks who have been killed. Don’t assume there isn’t leadership here when the huge marches were organized - extremely well organized and peaceful. Not every night is the same, and fringe elements are problematic. The federal invasion here and the influx of aggressive MAGA and white supremacy caravans have been the true disruptive forces. Celebrate the young people standing up for justice.
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The young Ms Allen was born after those who fought for the right to vote. She was born after those who fought for a woman's right to choose. She was born after those who fought to sit freely on a bus, at a lunch counter, and attend school. Today's protestors, with no clear aim other than being seen - justifiably in pain - and having officials "say his name" refuse to recognize that we have an election in 62 days. And by continuing aimless marching and shouting - these protesters will singlehandedly reelect a dictator who will continue to destroy our economy and their families' financial survival, will leave hundreds of thousands more black and brown people dead from COVID-19, destroy our clean air, land, and water, take away a woman's right to choose entirely, tear away healthcare from the vulnerable, and steal the rights of democrats, in particular, to vote, and stack the judiciary with young alt right candidates to ensure that these rights are gone for all of our lifetimes. All for the aimless 'goal' of exhorting officials 'say his name'?
We have an election in 62 days that threatens the lives of all black people in our country. Black lives really DO matter, and getting the racist president out of the top office in the land is the first, and most important thing we need to do to start healing, rebuilding, and ensuring the rights of Black people to live safely in our country.
Please - make your vote your protest - because Black Lives Matter. VOTE.
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@common sense advocate
Absolutely spot on. Police violence, Many long time Democratic voters got it and have always been concerned about it.
We would also like to see the ERA finally become law of the land and have Congress codify abortion rights. And some common sense restrictions on unlimited ownership of firearms. But we don’t hear that.
Democratic leadership that continues to cheer for this dragged out pattern of dissent are not true Progressives that try to achieve something concrete, they are some sort of hyper-liberals just spinning their wheels.
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@common sense advocate Yes, voting is important. It is VITAL, a matter of literal life and death, that we get Trump out of office. But to suggest that black people should not be taking to the streets to protest because they can simply win their equality by voting is absurd. If that worked, it would have been done by now.
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@common sense advocate We have a Democratic mayor in Portland. A Democratic governor too. Yes, voting is important, but how exactly is that going to help on this issue, where both parties support the ability of cops to continue to riot and brutalize protestors? Voting matters, but it's not enough - politicians need to face unrelenting pressure or they'll continue to uphold the status quo.
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courageous? Or merely confused? The tragic death of Mr. Flyod is not representative of the entire Police, no more than any other horrendous crime should implicate a whole group of people.
Pre-judging is wrong
Prejudice is wrong. Even against white people. Even against police officers.
Prejudging is simply wrong.
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@Frank T Agree, generalizing is wrong. But, the number of clearly inappropriate actions, the proven existence of racist and / or overly aggressive officers, the over reactions, the inappropriate tactics all demand change to ensure equality. Policing must be reimagined starting with hiring practices. It isn't defunding, it is re-strategizing when, who and how each situations should be addressed. Starting today there should never again be a George Floyd incident.
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@Frank T
Hi Frank, Did you know that a black man is 2000 times more likely to be killed by a policeman than by a terrorist?
And me, a white man, it is only 500 times more likely.
This tells me that something important needs to be fixed.
For the police:
Hiring practices.
Training.
Consequences.
For society:
Equal justice
Equal opportunity
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@Exhausted by it. , your straw man analogy to terror attacks is not relevant given the massive rarity of that. What is more relevant is the very few blacks killed by police especially if they are Not armed or resisting; then it is near zero. Near zero. Facts matter.
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Out of the mouths of babes. Although I live in a relatively progressive city, I am surrounded at work by conservatives (or at least people that used to be conservative before Donald Trump, and are now simply Republicans without any principles). I frequently hear their comment about how all lives matter. I have struggled with attempting to get them to understand that white lives have always mattered. Stating that black lives matter is merely a different way of stating that all lives matter. I will be using her analogy about cancer to point out that when you elevate one, it is not downgrading another. It is bringing everyone up to an equal level. What depraved heart could deny that?
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@Ntellya
What immature naive heart could pretend that any of these riots (oops, I mean "peaceful protests") are productive in any way whatsoever?
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When change finally does happen in this country, it will be on the backs of our youth. Thank you, Daria. You show us how we should be.
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You are a hero Daria. Keeping standing up for what you think is right and speaking your truths. You give me hope for our future!
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I think it's great that a 16 year old is involved.. However, it seems pretty clear this movement is accomplishing little besides some protests & social disturbance..
-- If they really want to change police behavior (for starters).. then some state & local laws regarding the police must be changed.. This means legislative action. This means understanding the system & being able to focus on making legal changes.
..- These protests seem to have none of that.
-- MLK focused on changing laws.. and he succeeded. Congess passed legislation (and the President signed it).. because King knew that making legal changes was key.
-- What are the objectives of today's protests.? And how are they going to make them happen.?
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@mike You make a lot of weird and objectively incorrect assumptions. You seem to be exactly the white moderate that MLK condemned from the Birmingham jail, prizing order over justice. The OR legislature has taken up a number of police reform bills, limiting use of force among other things, and plans to do more. This is a direct result of public pressure. Similar things are happening at a city level. Continuing protests are the best way we have to ensure they follow through and pass the strongest reforms possible.
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@mike Actually, these protests have resulted in a number of police reforms being enacted and instigated in a number of cities and state legislatures.
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@mike You write: "MLK focused on changing laws.. and he succeeded." This is simply factually inaccurate. I would encourage you to read King's famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail, in which he clearly and methodically lays out his justification of and approach to nonviolent direct action. https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html
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Ms. Allen clearly has a high degree of energy, motivation and commitment.
Now that school is about to resume, I hope Ms. Allen will put as much time and effort into her education as she has into protesting. However, the fact that she says she is worried about how her class schedule will fit in with protesting does not bode well for her future.
It will be hard to get a decent job, or to get into college, if her only extracurricular experience is being a protester.
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Your condescension doesn’t belong here. She is a highly motivated student whose summer job (highly competitive for her age) dried up. She was a member of her drill team - a big commitment. Most of her fellow protesters are passionate, caring people who want to see a better future. I’ve no doubt of her ability to succeed in school. Rest is what she’ll need soon - and opportunity that won’t be stampeded by racist and sexist forces which crush initiative.
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@Lauren Johnson
This is simply practical advice coming from someone who is intimately familiar with the college admissions and selection process.
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My comments are simply practical advice from someone who is intimately familiar with the college admissions process.
I find it worrisome that Ms. Allen has expressed concern that her classes may interfere with her protesting; after all, she is a minor just turned 16 who needs to be focusing on doing well in the job of most teenagers, which is going to school.
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This is a classic illustration of the Naïveté of so many BLM Protesters and the BLM Movement. This individual while well intentioned should be focused on School. The Protests in Portland have lost their focus over shadowed by Violence.
Blaming Law Enforcement for the issues Black citizens face is surely misplaced.
The Republicans and Democrats have had over 50 years to address these issues and both Parties have failed.
Their is a change happening where young men and women are being elected to Congress to challenge those who haven’t supported change.
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@Ntellya I agree - as a teacher I find that students who are activists are usually excellent students also - they have discipline and focus, and bring that to their studies, even though they have very busy schedules.
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BLM protestors are blaming law enforcement for law enforcement killing unarmed black people, not just a general “issues Black citizens face.”
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@HPS
I respectfully disagree. There is no reason why she cannot continue to be a good student while also pursuing justice. This is the same criticism that has been leveled against Greta Thunberg, who was nominated for the Nobel Prize and has done as much to elevate the climate crisis as anyone else.
Additionally, I find it ironic that someone who cannot use the proper spelling of "there" is criticizing someone else's focus on education.
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The riots in Portland, Seattle and numerous other US cities, and the inability or unwillingness of Democratic mayors and governors to control or stop the riots, will get Trump re-reflected.
Why don’t people understand that?
Freedom of speech and protesting are and accepted and valued part of American life, but no sensible person condones—much less encourages—arson, looting, violence and destruction of property.
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& what is being done about the white supremacists who have been coming into these places to instigate violence in order to accelerate a race war?
Sounds crazy as I write it but there have been plenty of reports of these people being apprehended by police.
And the Feds do not call them terrorist?
Trump calls them good people.
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@mel; exactly and this is why Trump needs to be defeated in November.
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@Mon Ray --- Your term riots immediately misrepresents the vast majority of protests and protesters. As we saw in Portland and Kenosha there is a right wing element out there fomenting confrontation and violence. The police appear to standby. Were the yahoos in their pickups spraying the protesters with mace and bear spray and firing paintball guns stopped and arrested for assault which it is? No. Do the protesters get beaten, gassed, sprayed, and shot with rubber bullets? YES.
This is Trumps problem, on his watch and he is unable and unwilling to do anything to calm the situation rather he with his comments and actions makes it worse. So who is going to end the American carnage? Not Trump. It is his pandemic response, his broken economy. Trump and the Republicans take no responsibility and at the same time offer no solutions, ideas or programs, just "enthusiastically support Trump". So they are the problem and need to be removed, all of them.
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What a courageous young woman. This article gives me hope for our nation’s future.
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@Joey Floyd is not an isolated incident. This has been going on for years and there are many Floyds. Floyd’s murder is representative of a systemic issue. It’s not that police are murderers, it’s that police are citizens in a country with systemic racism and then they are trained work within structures that, coupled with that systemic racism, perpetuate murder of people of color.
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@Jill courageous? Or merely confused? The tragic death of Mr.Flyod is not representative of the entire Police, no more than any other horrendous crime should implicate a whole group of people.
Pre-judging is wrong
Prejudice is wrong. Even against white people. Even against police officers.
Prejudging is simply wrong.
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@Referencegirl
Many Floyds, like Michael Brown who was painted as a martyr despite savagely beating a cop and attempting to shoot him dead with his own service weapon? Like Trayvon Martin, who savagely beat a man who was simply talking to him?
I'm seeing a trend here, and the true innocents like Eric Garner are the exception not the rule. Nearly every one of these recent videos involves the "victim" refusing to follow police instructions or resisting arrest.
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Very brave, courageous, passionate, and selfless young woman. I hope that she finds a good balance between her attendance of continuing protests and her school work that will insure her success (with the latter).
I suspect that this will make her a great achiever in the future, perhaps as an elected official.
Lastly, if she needs financial help to insure her safety, she can rely on me and, I'm certain, countless others.
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Worried that her high school classes will interfere with her protests? I’m speechless.
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@Shamrock. Is that "Speechless" in that she has little regard for her future (I think she is aware that doing well in HS is a given) or that a "kid" would care enough about others and our areas of society that must change to trully reflect our current inequality and racism?
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I was shocked to read that too.
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@Shamrock in Westfield: I recall walking out of Westfield High after the Kent State massacre. I’m not shocked that Ms Allen feels that (online) school needs to fit around protests and not the other way around.
I don’t disagree that it’s time for Portland protesters to move on to the harder work of community organizing and effecting systemic change by attending meetings and all that boring stuff...
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Such a lovely piece- thank you Ms Konger and Ms Allen for such a heart-felt article.
My concern is that Daria seems focused solely on police racist violence which I believe to be a symptom of the broader and even more difficult problem.
Economic racism it the issue we need to focus on and if we don't solve that I don't think we can train the police to not develop racist attitudes when they face extreme levels of violence in mostly black and brown neighborhoods.
People of color are not more prone to violence, but people living in poverty are, especially in urban neighborhoods where communities tend to be socially fragmented (mass incarceration obviously doesn't help) and there is a level of anonymity.
If you look at the Eric Garner video, you can see that black and white officers are equally indifferent to the dying man as they mill around his body like it was a bag of rotten potatoes. No one tries to resuscitate him.
Either we integrate poverty or we work to vastly reduce it. The latter sounds like a better solution, but it will be expensive and those with plenty will all have to give up something. There's no sacrifice in piling on the police.
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You are an inspiration to us all. Never tire of fighting for what is right.
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@alan haigh
A majority of Americans living below the federal poverty line are white. Yet white Americans make up a minority of violent crime convictions.
Clearly poverty is not the only factor.
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@asdfj Agreed, and one of those factors, ironically hinted at in your reasoning, is that when comparing conviction (and arrest) rates for similar crimes, Black Americans are convicted at a higher rate than whites.
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Thank you Kate Conger and NY Times- this is great journalism. The writing didn't get in the way of Daria Allen sharing her world with us- perfect.
My concern from Daria's communication is that her entire focus is on violent policing- when the policing is really a symptom of the broader problem. As long as poverty is concentrated in black and brown neighborhoods so will be crime. As long as a vastly disproportionate number of violent criminals are black or brown, police will develop racist attitudes.
I watched the Eric Garner video several times, and black and white cops were equally indifferent to his death. No one tended to the man or tried to resuscitate him.
The solution is either to integrate poverty or vastly reduce it (racial economic justice) and that's a much heavier lift than reforming our policing, which also needs to be done, but won't in itself put a major dent in the core of the problem, race based poverty and wealth distribution.
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@alan haigh
A majority of Americans living below the federal poverty line are white. That is why race-blind transfer payment frameworks are ironically accused of being racist, because they're not having the intended effect on non-white crime rates despite successfully uplifting white demographics. The data suggests that culture is an even stronger factor than economic status w.r.t. crime.
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@asdfj or, just perhaps, they're not being administered fairly.
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Isnt the point of non-violent protest to make people aware of your cause? Now that people are aware, what are the next steps? Are you registering people to vote? Demanding certain legislation be passed? Encouraging people to run for office? These protests are starting to seem like thrill-seeking for its own sake.
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@jerry brown The protests are designed to motivate people, you included, to take action to establish change. So the question is, what are you doing today to take action? Are you registering people to vote? Are you demanding legislation be passed? Are you encouraging people to run for office?
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@Jerry. You have made a good point and proposed meaningful questions concerning the protests and possible next steps. I do question the idea that these protests are a "thrill". To a few they may be. But the protests I have attended since January 2017 are not a "thrill ". They are very inconvenient, it seems to be either too warm or it is cold and rainy. They are loud, not totally free, take several hours of the valuable time of participants. But they are inspiring and restorative to our thoughts and hopes for our fellow citizens and our future. Hiwever, there has been a serious and dangerous turn, not from the vast majority of marchers, but from angry un-American thugs with cave man views and actions who are in a rage about the idea that Democracy and equality are for all. The purpose of the Marches have now turned to confront the ideas that some hold that aa portion of Americans lives, hopes, and dreams are not worthwhile or valuable. Confronting these last two ideas is not a thrill.
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@jerry brown
Martin Luther King spoke eloquently and at length about the purpose of non-violent protest. The purpose is to disrupt so people will be forced to deal with your issue because otherwise, the comfortable will continue to ignore your plight. It's not thrill seeking to demand justice. Until police are held accountable for acts of violence-- these protests will continue.
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