4 minSociety
Portland officials say city did not approve policies behind removal of women's sports supporters
Portland city officials said they were reviewing a filmed confrontation at Providence Park in which women's sports supporters were struck and removed, stating the city was not involved in decisions about spectators.
Officials for the City of Portland said they are reviewing a filmed confrontation in which supporters of women's sports were struck and forcibly removed from Providence Park, a publicly owned soccer stadium. The city said it was not involved in any decisions concerning the spectators or an OutKick reporter who was present, and it pointed to the stadium operator and its subcontractors as responsible for those decisions.
In a statement to OutKick, city officials said decisions concerning the incident were handled by Peregrine, LLC, which operates the stadium, along with its subcontractors. Asked whether the city had approved policies governing XX-XY clothing, messages about transgender participation in sports, banners or press credentials, officials answered "No." They also said the operator's agreement requires it to implement a security, safety and traffic control plan and to comply with all applicable laws.
The confrontation took place Friday, Oct. 23, during a match between the Portland Thorns and the North Carolina Courage. According to the report, approximately 20 spectators kept their XX-XY Athletics shirts covered through the first half, then revealed them and displayed a large "Save Women's Sports" banner at the start of the second half. Footage showed members of the group being struck by other spectators, including with flagpoles carrying transgender flags, and being escorted out by security. The organizers included activist Amy Sousa and commentator Brandi Kruse.
Officials cited Section 4 of the stadium operating agreement as the source of the operator's authority, saying Section 4.3 requires the security plan. Ticket terms, they said, require spectators to follow the rules and policies of the Thorns, the National Women's Soccer League and Peregrine Sports, including the stadium's guest guide. The response did not identify which provision applied during Friday's removals.
Asked what explanation the operator had given for the removals, and whether the city was examining consistent enforcement across spectators expressing different views, officials said they were still seeking information. "The City is working with the Stadium Operator to receive more details about the incident," the response stated. The city also did not explicitly confirm whether it would request preservation of surveillance footage and incident reports, or whether it would consider corrective action if misconduct or a contractual violation were established. "The City will continue to engage with the Stadium Operator in accordance with the Stadium Operating Agreement," officials said.
The city's response comes as the U.S. Justice Department separately reviews the incident for potential constitutional concerns. "The Justice Department is aware of these reports and will review the matter thoroughly. Where the facts and the law warrant action, the Department will not hesitate to act," a department spokesperson told OutKick. A Justice Department official said that, based on information available so far, the described conduct appears to raise viewpoint discrimination and First Amendment questions rather than sex discrimination.
Providence Park is city-owned and operated by Peregrine Sports, and Portland's Spectator Venues Program oversees the city's interests in the facility and its relationship with the operator. The First Amendment generally restricts government action, and a private organization does not automatically become a government actor simply because it holds a public contract. Government direction or joint participation, however, can bring private conduct under constitutional scrutiny, a distinction that is likely to be central as the review proceeds.
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