An unidentified woman, dubbed Naked Athena, created an overnight sensation after she appeared completely naked during the protest demonstrations in Portland. The incident, which forced the police to retreat soon after, took place after the protesters were moved northward on Third Avenue, to its intersection with Taylor Street.
The widespread crackdown on the Portland protesters, who carried out demonstrations under the Black Lives Matter movement, started after US President Donald Trump ordered the protection of monuments. Recently, a couple of videos emerged showing officers wearing camouflaged gear arresting and transporting protesters in Portland. The images and videos of the Naked Athena have gone viral on the social media, with some hailing the women power while others suspect the unidentified woman having some magical powers.
Naked Woman Forces Police to Bow Out
The 'Naked Athena' wore a mask and a beanie as she emerged naked and barefoot from the crowd of protesters at around 1.45 am on Saturday. Dave Killen, a photographer for The Oregonian/OregonLive, who captured the gripping images, told the outlet that after coming out in the open, the woman started pacing near the crosswalk as she dramatically stared at the officers manning the intersection on the other end. "Everyone seemed surprised and kind of astounded," Killen told the outlet.
The woman then went on to lie down on the road and started performing a couple of yoga and ballet poses while kicking her feet up in the air. At one point she also sat upright with her legs spread, facing the officers. Donovan Farley, an independent journalist, captioned the image 'Pussy Power' while sharing it on Twitter
In another video the officers are seen firing pepper ball shots at Naked Athena's feet as she walks unfazed towards them. A protester carrying a shield is seen protecting her from the shots as the woman continues to pace up and down the road while shouting at the squad of officers.
Around 10 minutes after the 'strong protest' lodged by the Naked Athena, the cops could be seen leaving the venue. The video shows cops pulling out in their cars, as the naked woman continues to watch them from her spot on the road. "She was incredibly vulnerable. It would have been incredibly painful to be shot with any of those munitions with no clothes on," said Killen.
'Naked Athena' Hailed on Social Media
The unidentified woman was hailed as a 'Shero' on social media. "Naked Athena appeared and the little boys didn't know what to do," wrote Farley.
"Couldn't be more unarmed, but they still fired pepper balls and more at her. In all their heavy war time armor, they felt threatened, but she kept pacing. #NakedAthena, Warrior Goddess," tweeted another user.
"The Power of One Woman - Naked Athena," wrote a user as other added, "#NakedAthena is my hero!"
"naked Athena of Portland Oregon making the cops back off protestors by stripping naked and sitting down in the street showing she has nothing to be of a threat to them so they couldn't advance without cause a queeeen," wrote a user.