Portlanders Have Been Protesting For Decades. Check Out These Awesome Retro Rally Photos.

Last time we ventured into Willamette Week's morgue, we unearthed amazing old photos of '90s ravers.

This Thursday we are throwing it back to past Portland protests.

Now seems like an apt time to look back at our city's historical activism. Last year's massive protests often ended in all-out street brawls—the scale of which put the city under watch by the Homeland Security. And two weeks from now, a "Student Walkout to End Gun Violence" will likely draw another big, albeit less violent, crowd.

So whether it's for vintage style, spirit or sign-making inspiration, check out these retro photos of Portland protests:

1975: police clash with protesters in front of the Sheraton Hotel during then-President Ford’s Portland visit.

1981 LGBTQ Freedom Day Parade.

1989: Jefferson High School protest against an April, 20 1989 WW article titled “Are We Losing Jefferson High?” which called the school a hub of gang

1989: Downtown Portland rally to maintain funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.

1993: Portland street musician protest—taken in front of Nordstrom’s and Meier and Frank’s, presumably after buskers were banned in front of the store