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Portland rally: Far-right and antifa groups face off | |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Police arrested 13 people as far-right groups rallying in the north-western US city of Portland, Oregon, skirmished with left-wing counter-protesters. | |
A huge police operation kept the right-wing rally separated from supporters of the antifa (anti-fascist) movement. | |
Small clashes that did take place occurred as the rival factions moved away after the rally. | |
Rally organisers were calling for antifa to be declared a domestic terror organisation. | |
Portland, one of the most liberal cities in the US, is regarded as an antifa stronghold. | Portland, one of the most liberal cities in the US, is regarded as an antifa stronghold. |
How did events unfold? | |
Police said they seized weapons including metal poles and shields from both sets of protesters. | |
At least six people suffered minor injuries and one person was taken to hospital. | |
Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw said those arrested faced charges including disorderly conduct, interfering with police, resisting arrest and unlawful use of a weapon. | |
At the height of the demonstrations there were about 1,200 people on the streets of the city centre, she told a news conference. | |
Who attended the rally? | |
The rally had mainly been promoted by Joe Biggs, a member of the far-right Proud Boys group and former employee of Alex Jones's Infowars. | |
Proud Boys - which The Southern Poverty Law Center, a major US civil rights organisation, has classified as a hate group - have been involved in previous far-right rallies, and violent street clashes, in Portland. | Proud Boys - which The Southern Poverty Law Center, a major US civil rights organisation, has classified as a hate group - have been involved in previous far-right rallies, and violent street clashes, in Portland. |
Proud Boys says incidents of violence allegedly involving members of the loosely organised antifa movement, an international coalition of militant activists and protesters opposed to the far right - justifies a ban. | Proud Boys says incidents of violence allegedly involving members of the loosely organised antifa movement, an international coalition of militant activists and protesters opposed to the far right - justifies a ban. |
Members of the local Rose City Antifa group mounted the counter-demonstration in the city. | |
A statement on its website accused far-right groups of planning "to bring their branded political violence to our streets" and encouraged people "to defend Portland against far-right attack". | |
As well as Proud Boys, a number of other far-right groups said they would be there - including the American Guard, which the Anti-Defamation League has called "hardcore white supremacist", and the militia group Three Percenters. | |
What's the background? | What's the background? |
It follows two years of increasingly violent rallies in Portland, many of which were organised by Joey Gibson, the leader of far-right group Patriot Prayer, who is currently facing criminal charges connected to a right-wing riot outside a bar in May. | It follows two years of increasingly violent rallies in Portland, many of which were organised by Joey Gibson, the leader of far-right group Patriot Prayer, who is currently facing criminal charges connected to a right-wing riot outside a bar in May. |
But organisers said this particular rally was a response to an incident said to have taken place at the last far-right rally held in the city, in June. Then, the right-wing writer Andy Ngo had milkshakes thrown at him and was punched by counter-protesters. | |
President Donald Trump had said the Portland situation was being closely watched by his administration, and indicated that naming antifa "an organisation of terror" was being considered. | |
Mr Trump has previously mentioned white supremacists, as well as antifa as being a major issue. | Mr Trump has previously mentioned white supremacists, as well as antifa as being a major issue. |