As part of an estimated 2,600 other “No Kings” events held across the U.S., thousands of gathered in communities across Oregon on Saturday to denounce the Trump Administration.
Since the first “No Kings” rally back in June, President Trump has intensified crackdowns on immigrants, sent armed troops to largely Democratic cities, and has attempted to fire federal workers as the government shutdown nears its third week.
In Eugene, a crowed estimated by Eugene Police to number between 3,500 and 4,000 people gathered downtown.
Jacob Griffin of Trans Alliance of Lane County, spoke about the Trump Administration’s actions against transgender people and immigrants at the Oct. 18 “No Kings” rally at the Wayne Morse Federal Courthouse in Eugene.
Jenny Jonak, a Eugene 4J school board member, wore an inflatable frog costume to show solidarity for the Portland demonstrators who’ve done regular protests outside that city’s ICE facility. She said she objects to Trump and some conservative media outlets that have characterized Portland as a lawless city that’s on fire and ruled by Antifa.
“And featuring it as war torn when those of us who live in Oregon know that that’s clearly not the case,” said Jonak. “Whether it affects Eugene or not, we’re always concerned when we see our neighbors having encroachments like that and also just seeing something that deviates so much from the truth is disturbing.”
Dean Schlichting and his wife, Clara Lanyi, came to the Wayne Morse Federal Courthouse dressed in inflatable costumes, as a squirrel and bald eagle respectively.
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Bonnie Pettit of Eugene says if her father were alive today, he’d be “turning in his grave” because the U.S. has become like the fascist regimes he fought against in World War II.
Schlichting says as a federal worker himself, he’s very concerned for his peers.
“And I’m sympathetic to everything else that’s going on,” he said. “I mean there’s so many issues, it’s hard to pick a single one. Because it just seems like it’s a full court press to pull our attention in every direction. And make us feel weak and powerless, and that’s not the case as you can see here.”
“We are regular Americans, we are not terrorists,” said Lanyi. “We believe in the Constitution. We are patriots. And we don’t like to see what’s happening with our country today.”
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson pre-emptively criticized the “No Kings” rallies as anti-American.
That didn’t sit well with Bonnie Pettit, 66, whose father served in World War II. She held a sign of her father in uniform, which read “My father fought fascism in World War II. Now I will.” She sees Trump’s crackdown on the press, immigrants, and dissent as too similar to the fascist leaders of the 1930s and 40s, and wondered how her dad would react.
“Probably turning in his grave as most of the ‘Greatest Generation’ would be if they saw what was happening to America right now,” Pettit told KLCC. “I don’t think we were ever a true democracy. But we’re still trying. And I think basically our experiment is over.”
In that same vein was Kendra Northam of Eugene, who held a sign that read, “FREEDOM NOT FASCISM.” She said she was concerned over the rise in sexism, racism, and xenophobia with this administration.
“I think it’s always been there to a certain degree,” she said. “But when you have people in quote-unquote leadership, that promote and make it okay, it brings the worst out of some people and it makes it normalized which is really, really scary. And that’s what I’m saying, history is repeating itself.”
Northam said as a Korean American, she’s aware of discrimination and recalled how Japanese Americans were put into internment camps during World War II, and wonders if similar plans lie ahead for immigrants, people of color, and more.
The scene in Roseburg
The protests also stretched into more rural and politically conservative areas of Oregon.
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In Roseburg, more than 1,000 people lined Stewart Parkway, attracting a stream of supportive honking and occasional jeers from passersby.
Wearing a frog hat in solidarity with Portland, protestor Lynn Bethan said she was there because she loves America, and wants to preserve its liberties for future generations.
“We’re known as a red city in a red county in a blue state,” said Bethan. “And by me being present here, I’m showing that there are progressive people here in this town.”
Roseburg is in Douglas County, where around two-thirds of voters supported Trump in last year’s election.
But Melissa Sherwood with Indivisible Douglas County said the new administration’s deportation policies are harming immigrants in the local community, while Trump’s promises of lower grocery bills haven’t come to pass.
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“Billionaires are doing quite well. Millionaires are doing very well. The average working class American family is suffering,” said Sherwood. “I think that’s really waking people up, and I hope that it wakes up my neighbors.”
Dave Esper, a U.S. army veteran and Sutherland resident, brought a “don’t tread on me” flag to Saturday’s event. He said he was taking the symbol away from those who have taken the American flag from him.
“I’m representing myself as someone that says you’re not going to tread on me or my rights,” said Esper. “You’re not going to tread on my neighbor’s rights. You’re not going to tread on the immigrants that feed us, and feed this nation. You’re not going to tread on them.”
Saturday’s event drew a handful of religious and pro-Charlie Kirk counter-protesters.
Prior to the event, organizers told KLCC they’d learned of a credible threat of gun violence against the No Kings Day event, but they were able to identify and report the individual.
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The Roseburg Police Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for more information about the alleged threat.
“ I’m taking it from them like they took my flag from me.”
Some of Trump’s allies have characterized the “No Kings” rallies as potentially violent “hate America” events, but the first ones held in June were peaceful. No violence has been reported so far from Oregon’s rallies.
Brian Bull reported from Eugene and Nathan Wilk reported from Roseburg.
The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve a $1.55 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year.
But they asked university leadership to return with an amended proposal by Dec. 15, when more details about future budget cuts will be known.
FILE — The Board of Trustees recently approved next year’s budget for the University of Oregon. The vote comes several weeks after the school’s president announced that he wants the university to reduce its annual budget as revenues and out-of-state enrollment decline.
Brian Bull / KLCC
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The vote comes several weeks after University of Oregon President Karl Scholz announced that he wants the school to reduce its annual budget by around $65 million.
At a trustees meeting Monday, Scholz said the estimated budget shortfall for next year is just around $23 million. But he said out-of-state enrollment is below historical norms for the second year in a row, and it’s unlikely to bounce back.
“One year can be an aberration. Two years is a pattern,” said Scholz. “And I believe we have to treat it as a new reality.”
Scholz said in May that discussions about the budget would happen over a six-month period. He said no final decisions about cuts would be made over this summer.
On Monday, UO Senate President Dyana Mason told trustees that the Senate had approved a new process to allow for community feedback in the cost-cutting process.
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Mason said the provost will work with the deans on budget proposals, finding “clear rationale” for why programs are considered for elimination.
The provost would then bring those proposals to the Senate Committee for Academic Modifications—which includes staff, faculty and students—for feedback.
Once the plans are nearly finalized, the Senate could then hold a period for public comment.
Mason told trustees that a six-month timeline is better than the three months that frustrated some staff last year, but she recommended taking however much time is necessary.
“The worst situation would be rushing forward to make decisions without appropriate evidence, data, feedback from the people that are most in the know about the impact on our students,” said Mason.
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UO’s Board of Trustees Chair Steve Holwerda said that every week that university delays the decisions could cost them millions of dollars.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom.This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
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“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
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On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
