Riot Ribs Served Free Food to Portlanders Until Police Locked Them Out | Eater Portland

"In the middle of a makeshift kitchen I watched Legend flip ribs on a table scattered with metal containers while plastic shelves held water, hand sanitizer, and rubbing alcohol; the kitchen was ringed by a small barrier of coolers and Kendrick Lamar played as volunteers sorted donated water, cut watermelon, and tossed hunks of pork in barbecue sauce. For 12 days—'Fuck 12 Day'—the crew served free ribs, chorizo tacos, Beyond sausages, bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers, whole chickens, eggs and biscuits and gravy, and other improvised dishes (Lil Dil even saved marrow from bones for burgers), feeding a conservative 400 to 500 people a day including houseless residents and protesters; many of the cooks used nicknames, several had professional experience, and they built menus from donations until they had to turn some away. Early one morning police arrested multiple members and Parks and Recreation confiscated their food and coolers, but donations via Cash App let them rebuild a makeshift kitchen and start passing out food again—'We’re not leaving,' Legend said." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden