Working with the Klamath-Salmon Media Collaborative, the Ruckus Society projected images throughout Portland to send a message to PacifiCorp to "Bring the Salmon Home."
Ruckatistas Jonathon and Tyga arrived Wednesday afternoon in Portland. The city was unusually bright, and the weather gods blessed them by keeping the showers away for most of the weekend. The Ruckus Society had been invited to bring our expertise of guerilla advertising to help out with the Bring The Salmon Home campaign.
The campaign was bringing people from all over the Klamath River to Portland and Omaha, Nebraska, to demand that PacifiCorp Power company tear down 4 dams along the Klamath. The dams provide a tiny fraction of electricity, but create disastrous environmental consequence effecting salmon, and all living beings, including people, that depend on them. Portland is filled with PacifiCorp’s customers, and it’s corporate headquarters is right in town. So, Portland was a strategic city for a little guerilla advertising.
On Wednesday night, a crew of salmon-supporters scouted Portland late into the night. They found the perfect buildings and locations for some big image messaging that would persuade PacifiCorp to do the right thing. The next night, they settled into a parking lot right at the entrance of the water front fair ground for the Cinco De Mayo festival. When darkness moved in, the wall lit up with messages to PacifiCorp: (ex: PacifCorp: Destroying Native Culture: Making it Happen!). The projector was big, but not unmanageable for a dedicated team. The police were excited by the projector and images and one even said our action was "cool". For two nights, the projectionist lit up the festival. People from the river were flyering around the area and talking to locals about PacifiCorp’s hand in harming the environment, the salmon, and the people who lived on the river. The energy was great as a team of activist from all walks of life came together for the same cause. On the final night of projecting, fireworks blasted through the sky, a perfect end to a perfect action.