06/25/2026
We continue to receive requests for a response to Chief Skinner's press conference earlier this week. We are providing the following statement:
Though differing from what we heard in recent meetings with EPD, we are relieved to hear from Chief Skinner that EPD plans to ensure an unaffiliated rally and march will be policed consistently with other unpermitted events.
What we heard from Chief Skinner - and what our own experience confirms, both as an organization and as part of a broader community with roots going back to Stonewall - is that laws are enforced unevenly.
Our organizers have been cited for using amplified sound on public sidewalks, while hate groups have been allowed to do so without interference. This has been and remains a core issue and the topic of much discussion between EPD and Eugene Pride for nearly a decade. As our interconnected organizers have observed first hand, we have been approached differently when considering unpermitted marches, like No Kings.
It is troubling that Chief Skinner cannot identify any factors contributing to the lack of trust from our community. Eugene Pride does not exist in a vacuum. Actions by EPD officers, including many recent scandals, have affected our relationship since the letter he read was written nearly a year ago. It is difficult to understand how these realities have not been acknowledged.
It is unfortunate that the situation had to escalate to prompt this response. Public scrutiny appears to be the only way to receive equal treatment. It remains to be seen if EPD’s interaction with the community this weekend can live up to values Chief Skinner hopes his officers will embody.
