The average urban dweller is subjected to upwards of 3,000 ads per day, many of them in the form of outdoor advertising in public space. This psychological attack takes an unquantifiable toll on our mental health. Giant ads for burgers, SUVs and fake tans loom over our Portland streets, with low-income neighborhoods disproportionately targeted with ads for casinos and liquor. Our eyeballs are bought and sold at the profit of corporations, and we are never asked permission. Drivers and bikers are distracted by the large signs that flank the streets. Local businesses suffer and residential property values near billboards decrease as our unique Portland character is paved over with corporate messaging.

Does this sound like Portland? A city that prides itself in art, bikes, and local business? We are here to reclaim the visual space in our neighborhoods, to demand the detoxification of our mental space. We want to be able to choose what we look at in our communities. We are here to tell the the city that we are more than mere consumers to be marketed to; we are a living, breathing, culture.

Maine, Vermont, Alaska, Hawaii, Sao Paulo, Brazil and most recently Houston, Texas have all banned billboards. Let's join them. Please sign this petition if you would like billboards to be banned in Portland.

Supporting project: www.freethebillboards.tumblr.com, www.facebook.com/freethebillboards