“Arresting Power: Resisting Police Violence in Portland, Oregon” is a new documentary that chronicles the expansive history of police brutality against Portlanders from all walks of life, as well as local efforts to push back against this oppression.

The film is especially timely in the wake of several demonstrations in Portland over the past few days and the Portland Police Bureau’s response to those protesters, mostly peaceful but also with a show of force. Protestors plan to file formal complaints after officers arrested 10 people Saturday and used "flash bang" grenades to disperse crowds near Pioneer Courthouse Square.

The many protests in Portland and across the nation followed last week’s non-indictment of Darren Wilson, the Ferguson, Mo., police officer who shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, last August.

Arresting Power explores Portland's unique history of policing, race relations and community resistance from the 1960s to present. It also provides a historical and political analysis of the role of the police in contemporary society and the history of policing in the United States.

The film shows a context for the systemic racism in Portland with its history of exclusion laws, racial profiling, red-lining and currently active gentrification practices.

It also provides a historical outline of resistance movements that have been active throughout the past 50 years, from the Portland Black Berets and Black Panther Party to police observation organizations like Portland Copwatch and Portland Community Liberation Front.

The Portland filmmakers, Jodi Darby, Julie Perini and Erin Yanke, are running a Kickstarter campaign to collect $20,000 to cover post-production costs for “Arresting Power” and say they have collected about three-fourth of that goal. The campaign ends Dec. 7.

--Mike Bivins On Twitter? Follow Mike for interesting tweets regarding local sports, international affairs and other random timely topics @IlluminatorMike

The movie trailer can be found at arrestingpower.com while donations can be made at kickstarter.com/projects/1691685662/arresting-power-resisting-police-violence-in-portl.

The movie is going to have its premiere in mid January.

On Twitter? Follow Mike for interesting tweets regarding local sports, international affairs and other random timely topics @IlluminatorMike