North Portland protesters use 'Chad Wolf listens to Nickelback' banner to mock acting DHS chief after arrests
Protests across Portland continued for the 52nd night as demonstrators in North Portland lit dumpsters on fire and the police declared a riot on July 18. The demonstrations began in late May after the death of African-American man George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, who knelt on his neck for over eight minutes. In North Portland, the PNW Youth Liberation, an organized group, has been at the forefront of the protests over the last two months. On July 18, they hosted a protest to demand the abolition of the Portland Police Bureau and condemn violence against people of color. They first gathered at Peninsula Park and then headed south on Interstate Avenue spanning about five blocks, according to an Oregon Live report.
The highlight of the protest, however, was a banner held up by some of the demonstrators leading the march that read: "Chad Wolf listens to Nickelback." The banner is supposed to be a direct insult thrown at Chad Wolf, the Acting Secretary, Department of Homeland Security, who deemed the protesters to be "violent anarchists and rioters" when deploying federal agents in the city to suppress the protests. Twitterverse, although uncertain as to why the rock band was sullied, was reeling with laughter at the sight of the banner. "CHAD WOLF LISTENS TO NICKELBACK may be the 2020est banner I’ve seen yet, tbh," a user quipped. "History books are going to include videos of a protest with 'CHAD WOLF LISTENS TO NICKELBACK' as one of the four signs at the front of the march," another added.
"Don’t besmirch Nickelback’s name by grouping them with that fascist!" a user chastised in a tweet. "Hey now! #Nickelback didn't commit any war crimes. I won't turn down the radio if they come on," said another. "Lol! Is that why @DHS_Wolf is attacking these protesters? Cuz his secret about Nickelback is out? He looks just like that type too," a user commented. "Nothing says Portland like a 'Chad Wolf listens to Nickelback' banner. #PortlandProtest #PDXprotests," another tweeted. Alleging that Wolf's taste in music is probably terrible and claiming that Nickelback's music is just as bad, one user commented: "Nickelback will probably sue the Portland protesters for defamation now because even they know that nobody listens to Nickelback." Another added, "Nickelback is a remarkably bad band. It’s the perfect music for Chad."
Investigative journalist Robert Evans posted frequent updates about the demonstration on his Twitter handle. The protesters comprised a crowd of more than 500, per Evans. "This is a great crowd. Large, motivated, and organized," he described it. "A week ago it felt like the movement in Portland was dying. Large actions like this had become rare. Now there are several ongoing right now in the city. President Trump and the feds revitalized this uprising."
Last week videos of federal agents snatching protesters off of streets into unmarked vehicles in Portland surfaced on the internet. The US Customs and Border Protection confirmed that the federal law enforcement officers had been deployed by them along with the DHS and US Marshals Sevice. Protecting American Communities Task Force (PACT) was created in response to President Trump's executive order to protect monuments and memorials from damage by protesters.
On July 18, the crows of protesters stopped outside the Portland North Precinct, chanting, “Quit your job," as they faced-off against a small squadron of officers who were waiting to confront them. The majority of the crowd dispersed later that evening after officers arrived at the scene and announced that they would be arrested if they continued to gather. Portland police then declared the event a riot and threatened to use munitions for crowd control if they tried to enter the Portland Police Association building. As per Oregon Live, the police then charged at protesters, threw some to the ground and took multiple people into custody.