Response to Recent False Statements by Kristi Noem

I would like to respond to statements made by Kristi Noem today.  

I want to make it absolutely clear that I am not now, nor have I ever been, the “founder” of “Antifa” — in Portland, the United States, or anywhere else. Furthermore, I have never been a member of Rose City Antifa (RCA) or any other Antifa group.

Kristi Noem made comments today regarding a person I dated who is reportedly in their custody. That relationship ended in 2020, and since that time my only contact with them has been to return personal belongings.

Any insinuation of an ongoing connection between us is false and disingenuous.

I believe it is deeply troubling that this administration has chosen to criminalize ideas. That choice reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to be American.

By targeting innocent people and fabricating threats that do not exist, they are attempting to build a mythical enemy in order to expand control over our lives. This is not justice — it is manipulation.

In closing, I am a community activist and a Portlander who cares deeply about this city and its people. My commitment has always been to protecting our community from racism, homophobia, transphobia, hate speech, and all forms of bigotry.

For that commitment, I am now being targeted by a fascist administration.

When I have protested in the past, I have done so independently — not as a representative of any group or organization. If I choose to exercise my First Amendment rights again in the future, it will be solely on my own behalf.

Luis Enrique Marquez is an antifascist activist, street-level organizer, and writer based in Portland, Oregon. From 2016 to 2020, he stood at the center of some of the most intense protest movements in modern American history — confronting police violence, organizing direct actions, and facing off with far-right extremists during the Trump era.

His memoir, Antifascist: The Portland Uprising 2016–2020, is a raw, unfiltered account of those years — what it felt like to fight back, lose allies, face betrayal, and keep going anyway. Luis doesn’t write from theory — he writes from lived experience.

He has been profiled, targeted, praised, and vilified — often in the same breath. He continues to speak out about state repression, movement-building, and the contradictions within modern activism.

Luis’s story doesn’t end with the book. He continues to write, organize, and support others in telling their own stories — especially those pushed to the margins. Every copy of Antifascist: The Portland Uprising 2016–2020 supports ongoing community efforts to expose fascism and build a more just city.