“These Walls Don’t Lie”: Defending Portland’s Social and Political Prisoners in the Era of Domestic Urban Counterinsurgency

OREGON JERICHO & RIGHT 2 SURVIVE PRESENT

“These Walls Don’t Lie”: Defending Portland’s Social and Political Prisoners in the
Era of Domestic Urban Counterinsurgency

Friday January 14th
6-8 pm
The Variant
4810 NE Garfield Ave, Portland, Oregon

*This event is free, open to the public and disability friendly
U.S. cities have experienced an increase in political repression and the
militarization of daily urban life. Since the “global war on terror” urban centers
have been targeted potential hotspots for “home grown terrorists” and
“insurgencies”.  Pannelists will identify the connection between the FBI’s targeting
of Portland’s Black Panther Party chapter & the case of local political prisoner
Lumuba Ford. In addition to the expanding role US counterinsurgency theory is having
in shaping low income housing policy, urban renewal and the criminalization of the
houseless.

Unraveling the Strands of the Portland Seven Case

Martha Gies
Bio: Gies has written for dozens of publications and is a frequent contributor to
Women’s Review of Books, where she writes about Mexican and Latin American issues,
and, locally, to Street Roots and the Eliot News.  Gies has worked to find housing
for tenants as they are evicted from hotels and apartments scheduled for
gentrification in Portland’s downtown. While the relocation work is intermittent,
her activism in behalf of low-income housing and her journalism and guest
editorials, intended to create public understanding and sympathy with the stresses
on the poor, the disabled, and the elderly, are ongoing. Martha is also a long time
advocate for the release of local Political Prisoner Patrice Lumumba Ford.

Social Segregation and Prisoners

Ibrahim Mubarak
Bio: Co-founder of Dignity Village (a homeless tent city), and a now renowned
grassroots direct action organization called Right 2 Survive.  Right 2 Survive, or
R2S, is a grassroots collection of homeless people, formerly homeless, and their
allies. R2S is working to ensure that everyone can exercise their RIGHT to sleep, to
safety, to shelter, and to self-support. For over a decade Ibrahim has advocated for
the rights of the houseless in Portland and is a foundation of support in the
community.

Counter-insurgency Theory and Portland

Will Munger
Bio: Will, a housing activist and student at Reed College will present his ongoing
research into the domestic application of counterinsurgency theory within US cities
and its relation to urban geography, policing, and housing policy.