Portland police made no arrests or noise citations this morning during downtown strikes organized by the Northwest Carpenters Union. Union Organizing Director Ben Embree says he is “surprised and very pleased that the cops have been so good today,” compared to over recent months, when some union picketers have been issued with noise citations for banging drums and using loudspeakers as part of their protests outside construction sites—none of these citations have stuck in court.

The union says 700 members went on strike today across Oregon and in Portland, at sites in the Pearl District, along the South Waterfront, and downtown, outside Macy’s. Protesters outside Macy’s (pictured above), some of whom were equipped with sirens and whistles, chanted slogans and were watched from a distance by cops and downtown Clean & Safe (“rent-a-cop”) officers earlier. Read more [incredibly unbiased, obviously] coverage by the union of the strikes here.