These are your parks. They are not a luxury; they are a necessity.
These are your parks. They are not a luxury; they are a necessity.

A scene from the crowd at Peninsula Park in North Portland on May 29, 2020
Photography courtesy of Alex Zielinski, The Portland Mercury
Dear Portland,
Our community, like so many others across the country and the world, have demonstrated their outrage, sadness, and frustration and have come together to protest police brutality and to renew calls for police accountability.  

Portland Parks & Recreation stand with these peaceful protestors. We stand for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. We stand with Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and immigrants and refugees. We stand with all people who have been murdered, assaulted, harassed, intimidated, targeted, and oppressed by systemic racism.

I'm proud that our parks, where many of our community's ongoing gatherings have started and ended, are places where people feel safe coming together to be heard and to be seen.

Parks are not a luxury; they are a necessity because they make us healthier as individuals and, more importantly, as a community. This has been true throughout history, and it is true today.

These are your parks. We are here to manage them responsibly so that all Portlanders can exercise their rights, minds, and bodies. We'll clean up any litter, graffiti, or vandalism - these are temporary. But the change these protests may generate can be a lasting civic legacy that all Portlanders can be proud of.

We are experiencing a time of unity, and Portland Parks & Recreation is here for our City.

Best,

Director Adena Long
Portland Parks & Recreation

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