Portland to meet Trump's guard call-up with nude cyclists

By Nicholas Kristof / The New York Times

PORTLAND, Ore. — The National Guard troops dispatched by President Donald Trump to fight “domestic terrorists” in the “war-ravaged” city of Portland will face an unexpected challenge: naked bicycle riders.

Cycling in the buff is a Portland specialty, and one organization has announced a naked ride “in response to the militarization of our city.”

Such is the war zone here.

Indignant Portlanders have been sharing Instagram photos of lovely city scenes to counter Trump’s description of Portland as “hell.” As an Oregonian who lives outside Portland, I can testify that the city has heavenly qualities, with a setting that is divine and food catered by angels, but in fairness, it also has significant problems. Homelessness has been intractable, the murder rate last year was more than twice New York City’s (although so far this year, homicides are down 41 percent from the same period last year), and the downtown has one of the highest office vacancy rates in the country as businesses leave and create long-term economic challenges.

https://www.heraldnet.com/opinion/kristof-portland-to-meet-trumps-guard-call-up-with-nude-cyclists/