PORTLAND, Ore. — Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Portland to protest after death of George Floyd on Memorial Day. And after each night of protesting, there has been a lot of trash left behind.
23-year-old Chido Nmereole attended several protests and saw the aftermath. That’s when he decided to do something.
“We can make history while keeping our environment clean,” said Nmereole.
He started a one-man cleaning effort, using a broom he had in his car and wearing painting overalls. He gave it the name #ProjectFloyd.
The Portland native says the main goal of this cleaning effort, "is to address the trash left behind by protesters and rally-goers. Sometimes on the march to history you'll forget about your environment and the trash that you leave behind."
Now he has volunteers helping him after each protest. They focus primarily on Chapman Square near the Justice Center.
Nmereole says he loves how people in Portland are marching toward history and says he’ll be out there cleaning up as long as the protests last.
He’s always accepting volunteers and donations to help buy supplies. You can learn more on his Instagram page.