We are students at Sheldon High School and Eugene International High School who recently created an action project for our civics class on peaceful protests in Oregon. This issue is very important to us because it affects the lives of everyone in our state. We believe in protecting our First Amendment rights and our ability to freely protest.

And we believe this is a crucial time in Oregon’s political history due to the increased law enforcement presence, with protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement taking place in Eugene and other Oregon communities in recent months.

Our proposed policy addresses public demonstrations at the state level. We call it the Oregon Peaceful Assembly Protection and Public Safety Act, or OPAPSA. Under the policy, the Oregon Legislature could establish guidelines and funding opportunities that local governments could choose to participate in. Cities such as Eugene could then work with local law enforcement, community organizations and protest organizers to carry out the program. Federal grants that already support community safety, civil rights education, or public engagement initiatives could potentially help supplement state and local funding.

Public transparency reports would provide information about how protests are managed. These could include data on arrests, complaints, use-of-force incidents, protest attendance estimates and reviews of major demonstrations. The purpose would be to help build public trust and ensure accountability while protecting constitutional rights.

We believe that this issue is important for everyone living in Oregon. By shedding some light on this issue we could have a chance to make a real positive change in our Oregon communities. If put in place, we believe our policy will help create trust between citizens, law enforcement and government. OPAPSA is a policy that aims to create a more unified and safe Oregon.

Charlotte Tapper
Sarahi Ambrosio
Janeza Carillo
Isadora Alvarado
Ella Newton
Eugene