Save Our Salmon, Undam the Snake River

This summer is a historic moment in the fight to save Pacific Northwest salmon and orcas from extinction. But it’s more than that—because over 135 species depend on the salmon and the critical balance they support in our ecosystem. 

The Portland Raging Grannies are very involved in raising public awareness about the removal of four dams on the lower Snake River in Washington state. Those dams are a major obstacle to salmon which need to reach the headwaters in Western Idaho and NW Oregon.  Salmon are nearly extinct on the Snake. Orcas are the top predator relying on those salmon and orcas are starving.

We joined many other groups on Earth Day to urge removal of these dams!

Extinction Rebellion

On May 22nd, the Portland Raging Grannies joined XR PDX for an occupation of the Morrison bridge. We will not give up our disruptive nonviolent civil disobedience until the city comes to the negotiating table to begin a process of healing for Portland and the planet, to face our collective denial on no uncertain terms – and to confront a global genocide project that’s destroying us all in plain sight. We demand a citizens assembly and goals that align with the science – beginning with Net Zero by 2025.

Earth is Dying Day

Extinction Rebellion held an action called Earth is Dying Day, and the Portland Raging Grannies were there to support the group and their important message.

The Grannies sang a dirge as XR artists walked slowly through Saturday Market. Once completed, a die-in was held. Action by the government and corporations to stop this climate emergency is being demanded! 

No Military Drone Testing in Portland

Verizon wants to bring a drone testing facility to North Portland, near Cathedral Park. They don’t think there is any problem with testing drones up and down the Willamette because, as they told neighbors, “no one uses the river anyway.”

After a summer when racial justice protesters were surveilled by military drones, a coalition of community groups has come together to resist this plan—which would include testing of technology that could be used by the Department of Defense in their surveillance drone program. We showed up to tell Verizon, the Port of Portland, and Verizon’s lobbyists at Strategies360 that this misuse of land, threat to wildlife, and impact on North Portland neighborhoods is absolutely unacceptable. The potential for this drone technology to negatively impact human rights both at home and internationally is another major reason to oppose this facility.

On Sunday, November 1 at 12 pm we gathered for a rally and kayak flotilla at the Cathedral Park Boat Launch to show that we use the river, and Verizon’s creepy drones aren’t welcome in Portland!