The title question, asked of me over cocktails in Brooklyn in July 2020, by Tablet’s Jake Siegel. I was back in my former city within 24 hours and reported for many months about the protests and the mayhem, as many of you here know.

I have continued reporting on various issues in Portland, including Measure 110 and murder. I don’t think I’ll ever be off the Portland beat, nor do I want to be.

Four months ago, a small contingent of Portlanders began demonstrating in front of ICE headquarters. The behavior has not always been great - lots of noise disturbing local residents, people in all-black bear-spraying videographers they feel are on the “other side.” That said, the numbers have been dwindling. Maxine Bernstein at the Oregonian posted a solid data-driven piece about that today.

Messaging and optics often count, alas, more than data. Want “the number of necessary troops in Portland is zero”?

Want Portland as “war-ravaged”?

The only thing I can is give you the story as I find it and as people tell it to me, which I will be doing starting Tuesday. I can tell you now what I was just told: that several hundred National Guard will be moving in tonight or tomorrow. I was further told the action last night in front of ICE was subdued. Will it stay this way? I’ll let you know.

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