A group of 30-plus community organizations gave an "unacceptance speech" at City Council on Tuesday and refused the city's annual Spirit of Portland award.

Anti-Displacement PDX spokesperson Llondyn Elliot told the commissioners that the award is "premature," and the group wont accept it until their demands are met by the City Council. The speech was met with an enthusiastic standing ovation from a packed City Council chambers.

"Because the work is not done, this award is premature," Elliot says. "This award does not give people healthy, affordable housing. We ask that City Council take action to make this award real. Adopt a Comprehensive Plan with all of the anti-displacement policies in it."

You can watch Elliot's speech:

Anti-Displacement PDX in early 2015 began a campaign to convince City Council to include more than 24 policies that put equity and anti-displacement language into the updated 20-Year Comprehensive Plan. In July, the group celebrated when the the Planning and Sustainability Commission agreed to add the suggested language to the draft plan.

In a statement posted on the Living Cully blog, the group isn't declaring true victory until the updated Comprehensive Plan is approved.

"We are very happy with the Recommended Draft of the Comprehensive Plan that was adopted by the Planning and Sustainability Commission (PSC) in July," Cameron Herrington, Living Cully's anti-displacement program coordinator wrote in an email to the Mercury. "That draft, which is the starting point for City Council's deliberations on the Comp Plan, includes 28 essential anti-displacement and affordable housing policies that will put Portland on the path to a more equitable future. We are still waiting for City Council to commit to passing a final plan that keeps all of these measures intact. We are calling on City Council to 'Just say YES' to the PSC's recommended draft."

City Council on Thursday will have the first of three hearings on the updated 20-year Comprehensive Plan. A vote isn't expected until early 2016.

Anti-Displacement PDX is holding a rally in front of City Hall from 2:15 to 2:45 pm on Thursday, Herrington says, and will be testifying at the City Council hearing at 3:00 pm.