Taylor Griggs
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taylorgriggs.bsky.social
Taylor Griggs
@taylorgriggs.bsky.social
5.5K followers 960 following 870 posts
Portlander, journalist, bicyclist

Writing about transportation/climate/city stuff @portlandmercury.com

tgriggs @ portlandmercury dot com
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taylorgriggs.bsky.social
I have written a lot about the perils of poorly maintained (and leaf-filled) bike lanes. That didn’t stop me from wiping out in one just now, falling on my face and scraping up my knee pretty badly. This is a truly hazardous situation, @pbotinfo.bsky.social. When are you going to do something?
Leaves piled up in Portland bike lane
November 18, 2025 at 11:12 PM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
We may not have their influence on local elections (I’d argue no one Portland newspaper does) but I’m grateful for the shoutout in this article about The Stranger’s endorsements. Also so glad the Mercury’s news team has grown since last fall!!!

Gift link:

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/14/t...
It’s part of his vision as he looks to acquire other publications. Last fall, when Portland, Ore., overhauled the structure of its government, the news staff of three at The Stranger’s sibling publication, The Portland Mercury, sifted through 120 candidates to provide a voting guide.
November 14, 2025 at 9:53 PM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
Been raining hard for a while and I’m cold. The group has shrunk in a short period of time and it’s now mostly people yelling at each other and a few protesters yelling at DHS agents on the roof. There are four officers on the roof, seemingly discussing their next move.
October 19, 2025 at 5:13 AM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
People are dressed up and dancing outside Portland’s ICE facility. It’s raining lightly and there’s lingering tear gas in the air from a recent major gassing and occasional pepper ball deployment.
October 19, 2025 at 4:05 AM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
Juggling and a drum circle at the No Kings after party.
October 18, 2025 at 10:42 PM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
Portland No Kings protest from above. This is a very very small fraction of the overall group. @portlandmercury.com
Group of protesters taken from above Group of protesters taken from above Group of protesters taken from above
October 18, 2025 at 9:27 PM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
There are seemingly multiple waves of people crossing the Hawthorne Bridge by the thousands. I thought the group was maybe petering out but no…there’s still tons of people downtown waiting to cross to the east side.
October 18, 2025 at 9:19 PM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
The crowd at Portland’s No Kings protest may be the largest I’ve ever personally seen. The march is moving at a snail’s pace and it’s impossible to get a sense of the whole crowd from the ground. But I will say: the energy is high, there’s lots of music, and the blowup costume game is strong.
October 18, 2025 at 8:34 PM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
The Unpresidented Brass Band is here as usual. One of the members of this band was detained while peacefully protesting at the Portland ICE facility last week.
October 18, 2025 at 8:31 PM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
Massive crowd at Portland’s No Kings protest today. Will be posting updates here as the march continues. @portlandmercury.com
Crowd of protesters Portland City Councilor Angelita Morillo speaking Crowd of protesters taken from a bridge Someone in unicorn costume
October 18, 2025 at 7:39 PM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
Feds just deployed a bunch of pink gas at protesters in Portland. They also arrested a protester and carried them into the building.
October 6, 2025 at 3:48 AM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
Protesters have remained behind the blue line on the ICE facility’s driveway, but the DHS has made announcements four times in a row now telling people that if they step onto the driveway they’ll be subject to arrest. It’s not really clear if anything is prompting these repeated announcements.
October 6, 2025 at 1:22 AM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
The testimony submitted to the Oregon v Trump case includes a September 21 email by Portland Police Bureau Sergeant Andrew Braun describing the behavior of three right-wing "counterprotestors": Rhein Amacher, Chelly Bouferrache, and Katie Daviscourt.
These 3 counter-protesters continue to be a chronic source of police and medical calls at ICE. Despite repeated advice from officers to stay away from the ICE crowd, they constantly return and antagonize the protesters until they are assaulted or pepper sprayed. They refuse or are reluctant to walk away from these confrontations, even when police are in the area trying to meet with them. They even engage in the same trespassing behavior on federal and trolley property as the main protesters. Aside from the confrontation between opposing protesters, there was no reported activity around ICE that would have otherwise generated a police response.
October 4, 2025 at 12:41 AM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
Both the courtroom and overflow rooms are full for the hearing where a federal judge will determine whether to grant the state of Oregon a temporary restraining order against the deployment of National Guard troops in Portland. A dozen or so protesters hanging out outside.
Protesters standing outside the federal courthouse in Portland
October 3, 2025 at 5:12 PM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
“What the people think is one thing; what is publicized about what they think can be quite something else. The media cannot mold every political feeling we have, but they can fill the air with pronouncements about what our feelings allegedly are.”

-Michael Parenti, “Inventing Reality”
There exists not only public opinion but opinions about public opinion. What the people think is one thing; what is publicized about what they think can be quite something else. The media cannot mold every political feeling we have, but they can fill the air with pronouncements about what our feelings allegedly are. The press may not be able to create a conservative mood within us but it can repeatedly announce that a conservative mood exists, thereby doing much to create the impression of such a mood and encouraging conservative forces to come to the fore. The press cannot stop protests, but it can discredit them, ignore them, and declare them to be things of the past, of no interest to people nowadays, thereby discouraging popular political actions. In short, even more than manipulating actual opinions, the media have a great deal of power in controlling opinion visibility. They create a media image of public opinion that often plays a more crucial role in setting the issue agenda than does actual public opinion and which has a feedback effect on actual opinion. The institutions of this society whose job, among other things, is to socialize people into patterns of conventional belief and acceptable behavior, do not operate with perfect effect. Despite persistent conditioning, some people will still become disaffected. Longstanding grievances can erupt at unexpected moments. Sometimes extraordinary events play on the public's discontents, galvanizing a kind of protest that not even the most skillful media propagandist, the smoothest educator, or the slickest political leader can mollify.
September 30, 2025 at 5:18 PM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson is speaking w a dozen Oregon mayors, taking a strong stance against Trump’s plan to send National Guard troops to the city.

“The justification for [the troops’] presence…is either a misunderstanding or a lie. I hope it’s a misunderstanding that we can soon resolve.”
September 29, 2025 at 10:07 PM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
Governor Tina Kotek and Mayor Keith Wilson both present at a protest against Trump’s plans to deploy National Guard troops to Portland. “Oregonians know this is bullshit,” Kotek says.
September 28, 2025 at 10:46 PM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
Portland and Oregon leaders have met for a very last-minute, emergency press conference to discuss the apparent deployment of federal agents to Portland’s ICE facility. @portlandmercury.com
September 27, 2025 at 2:07 AM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
Oh
McIntire said in an email from Israel that traveling to the country has always been a dream for her, and the trip has only solidified her support for Israel. “To see what the Israelites endure, bomb shelters in every home or village, on the streets, the bus stops, and in hotel basements, knowing their children grow up with the sound of war, like thunder in the background, sirens at all hours of the day and night — and for what?” she said. The trip will forever change her perspective, she said.
September 24, 2025 at 11:35 PM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
Kids at a high school in Springfield, Oregon (near Eugene physically, if not culturally) walked out of their high school today to protest against a teacher who apparently posted something they deemed improper in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder.
www.registerguard.com/story/news/e...
Thurston High School students walked out of their classrooms Sept. 17, protesting a social media post made by a school employee about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Kirk was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. The subsequent discourse on social media has caused a flurry of firings and leave placements. According to NPR, more than 30 individuals have been disciplined or fired under such circumstances, the majority of whom are educators. According to Springfield Public Schools Director of Communications Brian Richardson, the district is aware of the post. He said district staff have received numerous questions and comments from community members about the situation. "We encourage conversation from folks," Richardson told The Register-Guard. "As people have been emailing, we continue to respond." According to student protesters, at least 300 students participated in the walkout, but some returned to their classes later in the day. As of 2 p.m., about 50 people were standing on both sides of the road near the entrance of the high school. They could be seen waving American flags and holding signs denouncing Kirk's murder. Jerry Miller, a junior at THS, said he and other students were trying to get the employee fired. "The principal of Thurston said they can't let us know what disciplinary actions they're going to be taking," Miller said. "So, we're protesting because we don't feel safe with (the employee) at this school." Miller said he had not had any classes with the employee
September 18, 2025 at 3:35 AM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
Is this the first time in history a sitting Portland City Council member has corked an intersection during a bike ride? Cc: @councilorgreen.bsky.social

A group rode/walked to City Hall today ahead of the council discussion on Vision Zero, led by @councilortkl.bsky.social.
Councilor Mitch Green standing with a Nike bike at an intersection
September 18, 2025 at 1:30 AM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
Whatever you think about the events of yesterday, we don’t need to be doing…this
September 11, 2025 at 4:37 PM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
Oregon elected officials, including several Portland City Council members and state legislators, are speaking out in support of the Block the Bombs Act, which would stop the US from sending major weapons to Israel as it continues its siege on Gaza.
Portland leaders and elected officials speaking in support of the Block the Bombs Act in front of City Hall
September 4, 2025 at 6:39 PM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
My guess is the slow growth of Bluesky has very, very little to do with “unwelcoming” users (🙄) and much more to do with the fact that people have been using Twitter for like 20 years and it’s really hard to change ingrained behavior
September 1, 2025 at 6:41 PM
taylorgriggs.bsky.social
One piece of testimony that stood out to me was from someone with Basin Transit Service’s “Veterans on the Go” program in Klamath County. The program helps veterans access fixed route and pickup/drop-off services, including with weekly trips to the VA hospital in Medford.
“In rural Oregon, transit is not about convenience. It's about survival. For veterans in particular, it can mean the difference between getting care and going without. That's why we launched Veterans on the Go, a no-cost program to the veterans that provides over 1,300 rides every single month for veterans in our community, from weekly trips to the VA hospital in Medford to daily connections across Klamath County, this program has become a lifeline for those who have served our country…Without new resources, programs like Veterans on the Go are at significant risk. A payroll tax adjustment before you, while modest, will keep rural Oregonians and veterans connected to those services that they need.” -Adrian Mateos, Veterans on the Go
August 31, 2025 at 9:57 PM