Portlanders Speak Out and March Against Sexual Assault

At 2 p.m. this Saturday, Jan. 20,  supporters of the #MeToo movement will converge on Pioneer Square in downtown Portland to march and “speak out” against sexual assault.  

The event falls on the anniversary weekend of both Trump’s inauguration and last year’s Women’s March, the largest demonstration in Portland’s history.

Initially called by the local branch of Socialist Alternative, this weekend’s action promises to “bring #MeToo into the streets” and has since earned prominent endorsements, including most notably from Portland Jobs With Justice, a coalition representing over 120 social justice organizations in the area.

Of the purpose and significance of the demonstration, PSU student Olivia Pace, one of the lead organizers of the event, said, “We know that the vast majority of sexual assault allegations are true, but a culture of silence has been imposed on us around this issue."

"In this crucial moment, that silence is finally being broken, and we must seize this opportunity to organize and fight for a culture that does not accept sexual violence in any form, and that empowers survivors to stand up and fight back," Pace continued. "The #MeToo movement has been critical in fostering a new level of consciousness across our society about the prevalence of sexual violence. It’s time to take that consciousness - and our voices - into the streets.”

On the program for the event, organizer Rosemary Dodd said: “We’ll be sharing our stories, linking those individual stories to larger issues at hand, and then marching to show this city, this country, and our broken system that enough is enough.”

For more information and updates on the event, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/378762632535903/