Inside the minivan, the same four or five men were seated all around me. Someone pulled my beanie over my eyes so I couldn’t see anything. They grabbed my hands and held them over the top of my head while keeping pressure on my head and neck to keep my head down.

My mind was racing. Black Lives Matter demonstrations have been met with counteractions by far-right extremist groups in the past. Was I being abducted by them or police officers?

We drove for what felt like an eternity. Eventually the minivan stopped and the men pulled me out. I pushed my hat above my eyes and saw a large garage, filled with militarized vehicles and more people wearing similar camouflage uniforms. As strange as it sounds, I felt a sense of relief — I had been abducted by law enforcement, not one of Oregon’s right-wing militias…

The Trump administration thought it could silence us with its chemical weapons, rubber bullets, and police state tactics. But the spirit of liberty and racial justice here in Portland remains resilient and strong. We won’t be scared into silence. Nor will we rest until the Trump administration is held accountable for its lawless actions in Portland.