Veterans to Rally at City Hall, Urge National Guard to Uphold Oath and Refuse Unlawful Orders

October 2, 2025

MEDIA ADVISORY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Maria Sipin, Chief of [email protected]

Veterans to Rally at City Hall, Urge National Guard to Uphold Oath and Refuse Unlawful Orders

PORTLAND, OR - Portland City Councilor and U.S. Army veteran Mitch Green will attend "Duty to Disobey: Veterans Stand Against War on American Soil," a demonstration and press conference this Sunday, October 5th, at 2:00 p.m. on the steps of Portland City Hall.

The event comes in direct response to the announced deployment of 200 National Guard troops and 150 ICE agents to Portland. Recent inflammatory rhetoric from President Donald Trump has falsely described the city as "war ravaged" and called for military intervention to combat an "enemy from within." Portland elected officials and community leaders citywide have been unified on their message: Portland doesn't need or want federal troops.

"Trump is signaling in very clear terms he wants to go to war in American cities," said Councilor Green. "He said he wants to use Portland as a training ground and that soldiers should do 'whatever they want' to protestors. While it's unclear what the role of the National Guard will be, these threats are as serious as anything in American history. The oath we took as soldiers absolutely comes with an asterisk, and this is it."

Green, a socialist and veteran of the war in Afghanistan, will be joined by fellow veterans of multiple conflicts who will speak to the solemn duty of service members to refuse immoral, illegal, and unconstitutional orders. This demonstration follows a week of Green speaking publicly about this after releasing a video he posted to social media that led to an outpouring of support from veterans, their family members, and the broader community.

This event on Sunday is intended to inform, connect, and support veterans and active-duty service members struggling with the prospect of the U.S. military being used against the American people. Everyone is invited. The speakers will draw from a rich tradition of resistance within the military to underscore that the highest duty of a service member is to the Constitution, not to any individual commander-in-chief.

Speakers at the event will include Dan Shea (Veterans for Peace), Mike Prysner (About Face), Councilor Mitch Green, and others to be confirmed.

Duty to Disobey: Veterans Stand Against War on American Soil
Date and Time: Sunday, October 5, 2025, from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Location: Portland City Hall, 1221 SW 4th, Portland, OR 97204
All community members are welcome

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