Corin Parke of Portland was one of thousands of Sen. Bernie Sanders supporters at the Moda Center in Portland.
John Sepulvado / OPB
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders spoke before a crowd of thousands at the Moda Center in Portland on Sunday, shortly after activists against police brutality organized to shed light on the year that has passed since the shooting death of Michael Brown.
During his nearly one hour speech, Sanders spoke about raising the minimum wage, expanding Social Security, women's rights, single-payer health care and combating climate change through diplomacy with China and India. But the senator never mentioned Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and current Democratic frontrunner for the party's nomination.
Sanders' speech often took on a populist theme.
"This campaign is sending a message to the billionaire class: Yes, we have the guts to take you on!" he said to loud applause.
Security at the event estimated there were about 19,000 people inside the Moda Center, and another 9,000 outside.
In the afternoon before the Sanders' rally began, members of Don't Shoot Portland gathered in Southeast to commemorate the shooting death of Brown, the unarmed, African-American teenager from Ferguson, Missouri.
Thousands of supporters for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders gathered at the Moda Center in Portland on Sunday night to back the candidate's presidential campaign.
John Sepulvado / OPB
The activists said they came together for a spontaneous memorial, but the group blocked the intersection of Southeast 82nd Avenue and Southeast Division Avenue. Portland police said in a statement that 75 to 100 people interfered with traffic, at which point officers moved protesters onto the sidewalk.
Police said two protestors stayed in the street and were arrested. They later identified the protesters as Diane Chavez, 43, and Don't Shoot PDX organizer Teressa Raiford, 44. Police said the activists were booked into Multnomah County Jail on disorderly conduct and interfering with a police officer charges.
As NPR reported Saturday, Black Lives Matter protesters sidelined Sanders during his Seattle rally when activists commandeered the microphone, demanding the crowd to hold the congressman "accountable."
Sanders largely avoided a similar conflict with activists in Portland, allowing a speaker from the Black Lives Matter movement to take the stage before he spoke. Speakers also took the stage to discuss the economy, the environment and immigration.
OPB's John Sepulvado provided live updates from the Moda Center:
Tweets about #BerniePDX lang:en from:JohnLGC since:2015-08-09
