On Tuesday last week, I went to the March 4 Democracy protest. It started at noon, but I was writing until four in the morning before the protest.

The second reason was because I wanted to take my time walking to the demonstration. I took so many that I was up till six the next morning curating photos from my walk.

This is true of any walk around my hometown, I like to take my time and indulge in the sights and scenes. Imbibe the vibe, to turn a phrase. The protest was taking place downtown, which means that I could go by some of the natural landmarks; Pioneer Square, Powell’s Books, Providence Park.

Sidebar: Man Portland really loves its P’s and T’s (Timbers, Thorns and Trail Blazers).

Anyways, once I commenced my walk, I just started taking pictures of the signage and buildings I found around the city. Signs are an interesting thing. For one, the art of signage has been around since the Egyptians. Two, signs had to be invented. The idea of hanging up an icon that signifies “this is a pub” or “this is a blacksmith” was an original thought at some point.

And as with any original thought in human history, it has become a matter of continual optimization. We have artisan signs now, be they woo, electric, or neon. Neon signs themselves are the perfect example. Finely crafted glass loops, formed into words of an invented language, filled with agitated neon gas and then closed upon itself?

Maybe it’s just the last remnants of a lysergic comedown from college, but neon signs will never not trip me the fuck out.

But in the fact of all of these refined signage techniques, sometimes a sign can just be a posterboard glued to a sick with a funny message expressing solidarity or outrage. It can use a meme, or a quote, or a collection of icons to express an idea.

And that’s what I wanted to do with this post: just showcase a whole bunch of signs I saw on my way to and from the protest.

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