http://www.ThePortlandAlliance.org/PDXMarchFOL


Portugal. The Man will play Portland's March For Our Lives

The students putting together Portland's March For Our Lives, a gun safety protest organized in the wake of the Parkland, Florida, high school shooting, have booked Portugal. The Man to play at Pioneer Courthouse Square on March 24.

The announcement came through the event's Facebook page via Sue Castner, one of the adult organizers who describes herself as "just trying to stay out of the students' way."

The event, which includes a march through downtown Portland, begins with a rally at Terry Schrunk Plaza at 10 a.m.

At 10:30 a.m., participants will march to Pioneer Courthouse Square, where organizers anticipate the crowd will arrive by noon. That's where Portugal. The Man will perform.

"Portugal. The Man will be supporting these students as they demand that their lives and safety become a priority and that we end gun violence and mass shootings in our schools. They shouldn't be afraid that their next day in a classroom might be their last," Castner wrote on the Portland March For Our Lives Facebook page.

The band won a 2018 Grammy for best pop duo/group performance for "Feel It Still." The group also play a pair of shows at Edgefield in late summer. Organizers say Portugal. The Man reached out to the students organizing the march after hearing about the local effort.

The Portland March For Our Lives is one of three major protest events organized by students following the Parkland shooting. The first, a 17-minute class walkout, is scheduled for March 14. Another walkout — this one slated to last the whole school day — is planned for April 20, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting in Colorado.

Student organizers set up a GoFundMe to raise money for the event. Money raised will go toward the cost of permits, insurance, sound systems and more.

--Eder Campuzano | 503.221.4344
ecampuzano@oregonian.com