Juniper's Story

Juniper Simonis is a non-binary transgender individual who identifies as having complex post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They are a data scientist, an ecologist, and a progressive activist. They have been regularly attending the protests in Portland with their service dog, Wallace, since June. In July, Juniper was in downtown Portland marking the property line with surveyor’s chalk in the hope that it would prevent fellow protesters from inadvertently trespassing and risking arrest by federal officers. While Juniper chalked the property line, DHS agents grabbed Wallace so violently that he defecated and Juniper was pepper sprayed at point blank range and placed into handcuffs. Juniper was then taken into custody for hours without Wallace and without medical or mental health assistance despite being in the midst of a panic attack and covered with mace.