That is as humorous as a “Portlandia” sketch.
For the previous couple of days, social media platforms have featured a gentle trickle of movies and pictures of protesters in Portland, Oregon, who’re rallying towards President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown via the peaceable and playful tactic of sporting inflatable animal costumes and dancing to music within the streets.
After Trump claimed that Portland is “war-ravaged” — and Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem threatened to “send four times the amount of federal officers” presently within the metropolis — social media customers have used latest footage from demonstrations close to a neighborhood Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility to mock the declare.
“Let’s check in on the war zone in Portland,” one put up on X reads alongside a closely shared video of a dinosaur, unicorn, raccoon and bear dancing to Farruko’s hit “Pepas.”
The video appears to have been shot this week, per one TikTok, and based on some highway indicators featured within the video, it additionally seems it was shot near an ICE detention middle.
Courtney Vaughn, an editor on the Portland Mercury, additionally posted comparable movies to Bluesky Tuesday, which characteristic the unicorn, bear and raccoon dancing collectively to a different tune.
“Streets are still closed off in front of the Portland ICE facility at 8:30pm,” Vaughn captioned her video. “Protesters have gathered on a side street. Dance party in progress.”
MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLAND through Getty Photos
Native officers have additionally responded to Trump’s over-the-top claims that Portland is uncontrolled, with town’s police chief not too long ago telling CNN that protests have been confined to only “one city block.”
On Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press workplace posted a video to X with textual content that reads: “‘War-ravaged’ Portland Oct. 6, 2025.” The video options footage of a frog, a unicorn, a capybara and Barney the dinosaur with audio of Trump speaking in regards to the “destruction” of Portland.
“WE FOUND THE PORTLAND WAR ZONE PETE !!” learn the video’s caption, referring to Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth, who submitted a memo to a courtroom that stated as much as 400 Texas Nationwide Guard personnel have been being activated for deployment to Oregon and different components of the nation.
Journalist Don Lemon additionally posted footage of individuals in Portland dancing in inflatable costumes to TikTok, writing within the caption: “Something tells me Portland isn’t quite the war-ravaged place Trump says it is…”
Extra individuals on X shared their two cents in regards to the out-of-control whimsy.
“This is EXACTLY how we defeat the brutality of ICE, Stephen Miller, and the Trump administration,” one X consumer wrote. “Don’t get into fights with law enforcement and DON’T block ICE vehicles!!! Just make them look stupid.”
“I don’t know; the rainbow unicorn looks pretty violent,” one other consumer joked.
