Portland's 'Burning' Narrative: Recycled 2020 Footage Fuels False Claims

The Claim: "Portland is Burning to the Ground"

On October 5, 2025, President Donald Trump told reporters: "Portland is burning to the ground, it's insurrectionists all over the place."[2] He described the city as "war-ravaged" and claimed it had "fires all over the place."[1]

These statements came after weeks of protests outside a federal ICE facility in Portland's South Waterfront neighborhood. Trump used them to justify an attempt to deploy the National Guard to the city, claiming federal intervention was needed to quell "violent riots" tied to "Antifa domestic terrorists."[4]

The Reality: One City Block, Minimal Incidents

Portland Police Chief Bob Day directly refuted the "war zone" narrative: "This is one city block. The city of Portland is about 145 square miles. Even the events that are happening down there do not rise to the level of attention that they are receiving."[5]

In an interview with ABC News, Day was asked directly if Portland was "war-ravaged." He replied: "No, I would not say Portland's war-ravaged. It's not a narrative that's consistent with what's actually happening now."[6]

Fire department data contradicted claims of widespread burning. Portland Fire & Rescue spokesperson Rick Graves stated: "There have not been any significant fires to structures that led to investigations or arrests."[2] From June 6 through September 30, 2025, there were only four dispatch calls related to the ICE facility protests. Building fires citywide actually declined by one-third compared to the same period in 2024.[2]

The Recycled Footage Problem

A ProPublica investigation revealed systematic misrepresentation of the situation in Portland. On September 4, 2025, Fox News aired a segment about the ICE protests that used footage from the 2020 George Floyd protests.[3]

Investigators documented multiple instances of recycled imagery:

• Footage showing the federal courthouse in downtown Portland, more than a mile from the ICE facility where 2025 protests occurred
• An image originally posted to social media on July 16, 2020, showing the base of a downtown statue
• Fire footage from August 2020 showing damage to Multnomah County headquarters

AFP Fact Check confirmed that social media accounts shared 2020 images as if they were current 2025 footage.[14] The Oregon Republican Party shared photos in since-deleted posts that were actually from South America from years earlier.[2]

Context: 2020 vs. 2025 Protests

The 2020 George Floyd protests in Portland lasted over 100 consecutive nights, regularly drew crowds exceeding 1,000 people, and involved significant confrontations with law enforcement.[11] There were 54 documented fires across 95 nights of demonstrations.

In contrast, the 2025 ICE protests were dramatically smaller. Portland Police records show that the night before Trump's September 27 National Guard announcement, officers observed just 8-15 people "mostly sitting in lawn chairs and walking around" with "energy low, minimal activity."[3]

The Oregonian reported that most nights in 2025, protesters numbered in the "few dozens" and were "largely confined to a two-block radius of the building's front driveway."[2]

Evidence of Normal City Life

While claims of citywide destruction circulated, documented evidence showed Portland functioning normally:

• Portland Marathon (October 5, 2025): Nearly 12,000 runners participated, about 3,000 more than the previous year. The route passed by the ICE facility with no disturbances reported.[12]
• "No Kings" Rally (June 14, 2025): An estimated 50,000 Portlanders peacefully marched downtown with zero arrests and no crimes committed.[13]
• Portland Film Festival: Ran October 1-5, 2025 as scheduled[2]
• King Farmers Market: Continued normal operations throughout[2]

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson expressed frustration with the false narrative: "I've been so deeply disappointed to see the footage from a half decade ago recycled."[14]

Federal Judge Rejects "Burning" Claims

The claims of widespread violence and destruction were directly addressed in federal court. U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut, appointed by Trump, issued a permanent injunction blocking National Guard deployment on November 7, 2025.[7]

In her 106-page decision, Judge Immergut wrote: "This is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law. Defendants have made a range of arguments that, if accepted, risk blurring the line between civil and military federal power -- to the detriment of this nation."[7]

The judge specifically found that the protests did not qualify as a "rebellion" under federal law and that there was "no credible evidence" of the widespread violence claimed by the administration.[7]

Crime Statistics Contradict Narrative

Actual crime data for Portland in 2025 contradicted claims of a city in chaos. According to the Major Cities Chiefs Association, Portland recorded its largest homicide reduction among all 68 participating agencies in their midyear report.[9]

Portland experienced just 17 homicide incidents during the first six months of 2025, compared to 35 during the same period in 2024 -- a 51.4% decrease. The monthly average of 2.8 homicides was dramatically improved from peak years when Portland regularly recorded 8-10 homicides monthly.[9]

Rape, robbery, and aggravated assault also fell during this period.[9]

The Inflatable Costume Protests

Perhaps the most telling detail about the actual nature of the 2025 protests was their surreal atmosphere. Many protesters wore inflatable costumes of various animals and characters, creating what Oregon Public Broadcasting called "the most unique protest scene in America."[15]

The Portland Mercury documented protesters in chicken suits, inflatable frogs, Stay Puft Marshmallow Man costumes, sharks, and dinosaurs. One protest featured an aerobics workout class where participants in neon leotards "did grapevines to classic, upbeat '80s new wave tunes" while waving protest signs.[15]

This reality stood in stark contrast to the apocalyptic imagery being circulated on social media and cable news.

Conclusion: A Pattern of Exaggeration

The "Portland is burning" narrative of 2025 followed a pattern of exaggeration about the city dating back to 2020 protests. FactCheck.org noted that Trump made similar claims in 2020, asserting "the entire city is ablaze."[1]

Portland Police Chief Bob Day addressed the irony: "We were condemned in 2020 for our approach towards the left, and now we're being condemned in 2025 for our approach to the right. So, I would say we've landed right in the middle of the fairway. This is the application of the rule of law -- that it is equitable across the board."[6]

The claims that Portland was "destroyed," "burning to the ground," or resembled a "war zone" were rated FALSE by multiple fact-checking organizations. The evidence -- from fire department records, police data, federal court findings, and documented normal city life -- conclusively demonstrates these claims were gross exaggerations fueled by recycled imagery and partisan narratives.