Here Are Seven Reasons Portlanders Protested Jeff Sessions—And Their Six Best Signs

"The night Trump won, I cried uncontrollably. Protesting makes me feel less helpless.”

(Sam Gehrke)

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions got a prototypically Portland welcome this week: curses, jeers and handmade signs declaring him a traitor and a racist.

Related: Sessions made four dubious claims in his jeremiad against Portland. We fact-checked him.

Here's why a few of the 300 people awaiting Sessions said they came.

"It's important that cities like Portland and Seattle stay strong. This Republican administration is trying to shove policies down our throats when they're supposed to be the states' rights party."
—Courtney Carter, an immigration lawyer

(Daniel Stindt)

"Jeff Sessions is the most dangerous man ever to lead the Department of Justice. He wants to rid the streets of people of color and put them in private prisons." —Naomi Morena, 66, a retired parole officer

(Daniel Sindt)

"If there's one person in Trump's administration that's the worst, it's probably this guy. I'm opposed to his draconian view of criminal justice and everything he stands for." —Dan Miller, 49

(Daniel Stindt)

"He wants to make marijuana illegal again. That's wrong, because it helps so many people." —Karen Boyer, 70

(Daniel Stindt)

"Since Trump got elected, protesting's become kind of a part-time job. I'm mostly here to defend Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and support Portland's sanctuary-city status."
—Glenna Hayes, 62

Protesters outside Jeff Sessions’ Portland speech. (Daniel Stindt)

"He stands for everything I'm against. His racism is at the root of many of his policies. The night Trump won, I cried uncontrollably. Protesting makes me feel less helpless." —Lisa Pfost, 57

(Daniel Stindt)

"I served in the military for 21 years. What Jeff Sessions represents is not America. The ultra-right is trying to redefine patriotism, but this protest is real patriotism." —Juan Mayoral, 52

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