Portland protests, swims in the river, and dons costumes across all concievable occasions. by Suzette Smith Portlanders showed up this year, and they showed up in costume. Mercury reporters, photographers, and contributors were ther e in person to capture moments and bring readers the story—be it a show you should not miss, an event tens of thousands attended, or an action that illustrated violent attacks on civilian protesters by federal agents. Maybe it’s odd to put all of those in the same sentence, but the Portland Mercury has its eyes on the city, and the city contains multitudes. Here are our favorite photos of 2025 and the pieces they helped convey: Portland Rises Up Against Trump and ICE with Two Saturday Protests On June 14, approximately 50,000 protesters met in downtown Portland for a “No Kings” rally—part of a nationwide call for protests against the Trump administration. Mercury production manager Char Harris was new to the staff, but confidently offered to help capture what was expected to be a very large demonstration. Protesters at the June 14 "No Kings" rally in Portland. Char Harris The cover image from this article was captured by Corbin Smith, a writer and photographer who frequently contributes to the Mercury. When the June 14 "No Kings" rally ended in the afternoon, a small group decided to march two miles and join up with a number of demonstrators at the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in South Portland. Despite their comparatively small numbers, they swelled those assembled at the facility and federal agents responded with a violent amount of smoke, tear gas, and other impact munitions. Protesters at ICE. CORBIN SMITH An ICE officer tosses a gas canister into the crowd. CORBIN SMITH 2025 Portland ER Nurse Shot by Federal Agents at ICE Protest Plans to Return: “I’ll Be Out There Again” During one of the afternoon's violent barrages, a projectile from the federal agents injured an emergency room nurse named Vincent Hawkins. Hawkins had been speaking on a bullhorn, later telling the Mercury, "I doubt I was there more than even five minutes before I got shot." Images of Hawkins injury—even covered by gauze—were deemed too graphic for most social media platforms, which is a problem when so many readers get their news from platforms that won't show them the fragility of human bodies.  An image of injured nurse Vincent Hawkins which was heavily censored by social media platforms. Suzette Smith The cover image we used instead, hoping to get around censorship. Suzette Smith Portland's Emergency Naked Bike Ride in Photos On October 12, a cold, blustery day of near-constant rain, organizers of Portland's Emergency World Naked Bike Ride brought out a crowd of hundreds—well over a thousand—for a protest in the buff against the violent actions of ICE. The ride wanted to draw attention to an ask: requesting that the city's council revoke the land use approval for the ICE facility in South Portland. In a miraculous fashion, rain clouds parted precisely at the agreed-upon meetup time that Sunday. Cyclists, unicyclists, runners, mono wheeler riders, motorized wheelchair users, et al., participated in a group ride, which briefly became a die-in on the Burnside Bridge before continuing to the ICE facility. Emergency World Naked Bike Ride Elayna Yussen On No Kings Weekend, Chants, Inflatable Costumes, and Tear Gas Shroud Portland ICE Facility  The second No Kings national day of protest on October 18 was even larger than the one on June 14. Momentum from the massive rally again swelled crowds at the ICE facility in South Portland. By this time Portland was heavily into its inflatable costume resistance. Inflatable costumes became a hallmark of Portland's anti-ICE protests.  Suzette Smith A protester in a chicken suit sits in front of Portland's ICE building. Courtney Vaughn Sweating Out the Fascism With Anti-ICE Aerobics  Even after Halloween, Portlanders showed up to resist with style and humor. On November 9, photographer Corbin Smith chronicled an aerobics workout class, held outside the facility, where participants in neon leotards "did grapevines to classic, upbeat '80s new wave tunes" while waving protest signs. The aerobics workout protest outside Portland's ICE facility. Corbin Smith For a Glimpse Into Portland's Thriving Future, Look to the River Mercury reporter Taylor Griggs is always caught up in the honorable—but dry—work of civic reporting. In August, she got to go to the beach for a story about Human Access Project and the weekly “splashdown” parties at Audrey McCall Beach where she found "people of all ages could be found swimming, paddleboarding, and sunbathing on the shore, while a DJ spun tunes nearby." A Tuesday splashdown in August. Taylor Griggs How to Conquer Pickathon (And Still Love It in the End)! New-to-us local music writer Holly Hazelwood linked up with the Mercury just in time to headline her essential guide to Pickathon (A guide to seeing every band?!) with this incredible photo of Jimetta Rose the Voices of Creation performing at the fest this summer. We're looking forward to even more of Hazelwood's work in her ongoing live show reviews. Jimetta Rose the Voices of Creation. Holly Hazelwood Log Lady Look-Alike Contest Photos: She’s Got the Look (and the Log) In May, World Forestry Center hosted a pop-up exhibition celebrating Twin Peaks’ Log Lady character, the actress who portrayed her, and the strange wisdom of wood. We weren't sure how many would enter the center's May 17 Log Lady Look-Alike Contest, but photographer Elayna Yussen captured the lewks (and the logs). The audience voted for their favorite Log Lady. Elayna Yussen The Wordless Animal Dances of ZooZoo Present Smart Theater for All Ages Mercury theater critic John Rudoff has a unique approach that sets him apart from other reviewers. He prefers to take his own photos at a show's dress rehearsal before watching the performance again on opening night. The impressive amount of effort that goes into Rudoff's reviews becomes especially obvious in sets like the one he recently captured at Imago's ZooZoo, a wordless world-renowned work of “physical mask comedy,” which translates across all ages of audience. Performers pantomime frog movements in ZooZoo. John Rudoff Honorable mentions: Taylor Griggs and Suzette Smith argue that they should leave the office and photograph sledding fun during the brief but powerful 2025 February Fakeout Valentine's Day Snowpocalypse.  In reaction to the likely unlawful overreach of the Trump administration, May Day celebrations in Portland are large, passionate, and pensive. ...read more read less