Originally published 10/17/2025

What Really Happened in Chicago and Portland

Republican leaders are lying about your cities. Trump and Stephen Miller claim Portland is "in flames." They call Chicago a war zone.

They're lying to your face.

The only people attacking these cities are federal agents. The only violence is coming from the government.

Chicago: Federal Theater

In October, the administration tried to deploy the National Guard to Illinois. Their excuse? Protecting ICE from "rioters." A federal appeals court called bullshit: "political opposition is not rebellion." (1) Reuters confirmed the court blocked their military fantasy while reviewing if it was even legal.⁽²⁾

While courts were shutting down their Guard deployment, ICE launched "Operation Midway Blitz." They stormed Chicago's South and West Sides. Raided homes. Raided businesses. Detained dozens. Gassed protesters who demanded due process. ⁽³⁾ Then shipped detainees to Indiana and Wisconsin, ripping them from their families.

A federal judge dragged ICE officials into court to explain why they were tear-gassing civilians. The court ordered every federal agent in Chicago to wear body cameras. They are not.  And agents have also violated an order banning them from using riot-control, such as tear gas, without warning. ⁽⁴⁾  

This isn't law enforcement. It's fascist cosplay with real victims.

Portland: The Test Lab

Portland has become ground zero for government lies. They keep screaming "Portland is burning!" Local journalists and officials say it's complete fiction.

The "violent mobs"? Artists. Dancers. Musicians using performance as protest.

The federal response? Arrests. Pepper spray. Night raids.

Take Oriana Korol. A clarinet player. Playing music outside Portland's ICE facility. Federal agents tackled her, arrested her, and dragged her across state lines to Clark County Jail in Washington. ⁽⁵⁾  KGW confirmed her detention and the chaos over which agency even ordered it. ⁽⁶⁾  

Then there's Rob Potylo. A comedian. Arrested while dressed as a giraffe. Agents pepper-sprayed him, mocked him, dragged him onto federal property, then charged him with trespassing. Video shows he never crossed the line. ⁽⁷⁾  

And the Portland frog? That inflatable amphibian that showed up at protests? It spawned a whole damn zoo. Now there are herds of inflatable animals at protests from Portland to Tulsa. Giant unicorns. Bouncing dinosaurs. Dancing dragons. Cities across America turned dissent into a parade float, and the feds respond with tear gas.

These aren't terrorists. They're citizens with clarinets, giraffe costumes, and inflatable frogs facing military assault.

The Lie Machine

Here's how it works: Feds attack protesters. Trump goes on TV declaring victory over "violent mobs." Uses those manufactured clashes as proof cities need more federal force. Rinse. Repeat.

The violence isn't coming from protesters. It's coming from DHS and ICE agents who drag citizens into unmarked vans, charge them with trespassing on public sidewalks, and ship them across state lines.

The "rioters" are teachers. Musicians. Comics in costume.

The real thugs wear federal badges.

This Is How Democracy Dies

Every authoritarian regime starts here: calling dissent violence. Labeling musicians as extremists. Artists as threats.

Once they convince you that opposition equals danger, they can deploy any force they want. Call it "security." Call it "order."

If you believe Portland is burning, you won't ask why a clarinet player got hauled to a Washington jail for standing on a sidewalk.

That's the point.

Fight Back

• Demand release of all arrest footage and body-cam recordings from DHS and ICE in Chicago and Portland.
• Fund lawsuits against unconstitutional federal detentions.
• Hammer Congress for oversight hearings on domestic militarization.
• Support local journalists and legal aid groups documenting these crimes.
• Vote these fascists out.

The "violent cities" narrative is a lie built to justify federal violence. The threat isn't in the streets with clarinets and costumes.

It's in the White House with tear gas and detention camps.

© 2025 Gophergrad. All rights reserved.

Endnotes

1. Ali Kanu, Hassan. “‘Political Opposition Is Not Rebellion’: Appeals Court Rejects Trump’s Rationale for Chicago Troop Deployment - Politico.” Politico, 16 Oct. 2025, www.politico.com/news/2025/10/16/trump-national-guard-chicago-ruling-00612918. 
2. Jones, Diana Novak. “US Appeals Court Rejects Trump Bid to Deploy National Guard in Illinois for Now | Reuters.” Reuters, 16 Oct. 2025, www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-appeals-court-wont-allow-deployment-national-guard-illinois-while-it-weighs-2025-10-16/. 
3. Brangham, William, and Ryan Connelly Holmes. “Ice Escalates Aggressive Raids in Chicago as Trump Moves to Deploy National Guard.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 9 Oct. 2025, www.pbs.org/newshour/show/ice-escalates-aggressive-raids-in-chicago-as-trump-moves-to-deploy-national-guard. 
4. Villareal, Alexandra. “Judge Orders Federal Immigration Officers in Chicago Area to Wear Body Cameras.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 16 Oct. 2025, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/16/chicago-ice-immigration-body-camera. 
5. Varma, Tanvi. “Arrest of Local Clarinet Player Outside Portland ICE Facility Raises Concern.” KATU, 15 Oct. 2025, katu.com/news/local/arrest-of-clarinet-player-outside-ice-facility-raises-concern-immigration-and-customs-enforcement-portland-oregon-unjust-unrest-protest-federal-court-arraignment-charges-assault-of-a-federal-officer-bail. 
6. Pierre, Sabinna, and Alma McCarty. “Portland Band Member Arrested at Ice Facility Released, Faces Federal Charge | Kgw.Com.” KGW8, 15 Oct. 2025, www.kgw.com/article/news/politics/immigration-news/woman-arrested-portland-ice-protest-clark-county-jail/283-51970b9b-6099-4ab7-aa08-ce8e8206c4c7. 
7. Latchem, Tom. “Comedian Vows to Sue over His Ice Arrest While Dressed as a Giraffe.” The Daily Beast, The Daily Beast Company, 17 Oct. 2025, www.thedailybeast.com/comedian-vows-to-sue-over-his-portland-ice-arrest-while-dressed-as-a-giraffe/. 

© 2025 Gophergrad. All rights reserved.