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Proud Boys rally in Portland, Oregon stokes fears of renewed violence Proud Boys rally in Portland, Oregon, stokes fears of renewed violence
(about 7 hours later)
Pro-Trump group say event supports free speech and police but protests in the city have turned violent and deadlyPro-Trump group say event supports free speech and police but protests in the city have turned violent and deadly
Several thousand people were expected in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday for a rightwing rally in support of Donald Trump and his “law and order” re-election campaign, as tensions boiled nationwide following the decision not to charge police officers in Louisville, Kentucky, in the killing of Breonna Taylor. Fears of new violence brewed in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday, as a rightwing group rallied in support of Donald Trump and his “law and order” re-election campaign and as tensions boiled nationwide following the decision not to charge police officers in Louisville, Kentucky, in the killing of Breonna Taylor.
The Proud Boys, which the Southern Poverty Law Center calls a hate group, described it as a free speech event to support Trump and the police, restore law and order and condemn anti-fascists, “domestic terrorism” and “violent gangs of rioting felons”. The Proud Boys, which the Southern Poverty Law Center calls a hate group, said they were hosting a free speech event to support Trump and the police, restore law and order and condemn anti-fascists, “domestic terrorism” and “violent gangs of rioting felons”.
Local and state elected officials condemned the event and rushed to shore up law enforcement ranks as leftwing groups organized in response. Local and state elected officials condemned the event and rushed to shore up law enforcement as leftwing groups organized in response.
Oregon governor Kate Brown said she was sending state troopers to help Portland police, creating a unified command structure – a tactic that essentially circumvents a city ban on the use of tear gas for crowd control. State police said a “massive influx” of troopers would be in Portland by Saturday morning. The Oregon governor, Kate Brown, said she was sending state troopers to help Portland police, creating a unified command structure and essentially circumventing a city ban on the use of teargas. State police promised a “massive influx” of troopers.
“This is a critical moment,” said Brown, a Democrat. “We have seen what happens when armed vigilantes take matters into their own hands. We’ve seen it in Charlottesville, we’ve seen it in Kenosha and, unfortunately, we have seen it in Portland.“This is a critical moment,” said Brown, a Democrat. “We have seen what happens when armed vigilantes take matters into their own hands. We’ve seen it in Charlottesville, we’ve seen it in Kenosha and, unfortunately, we have seen it in Portland.
She was referencing deaths in Virginia, Wisconsin and Oregon during clashes between right and left. She was referring to deaths in Virginia, Wisconsin and Oregon during clashes between right and left.
“The Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer groups have come time and time again looking for a fight, and the results are always tragic,” Brown said. “Let me be perfectly clear, we will not tolerate any type of violence this weekend. Left, right or center, violence is never a path towards meaningful change.” “The Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer groups have come time and time again looking for a fight, and the results are always tragic,” Brown said. “Let me be perfectly clear: we will not tolerate any type of violence this weekend. Left, right or center, violence is never a path towards meaningful change.”
On Friday the Oregon Justice Resource Center launched a $1.25m civil suit against three named men, and 50 more yet to be identified, over a rally on 22 August at which right-wingers were recorded firing paintballs into a leftwing crowd. The same day, a journalist’s hand was broken by a Proud Boy wielding a baton.One man, Alan Swinney, announced on social media that he had been indicted, adding: “I’m sure it has something to do with shooting violent protesters with paintballs.” The Multnomah county district attorney did not comment.Also on Friday, Portland mayor Ted Wheeler sent a “letter to the community” in which he invoked for the first time state anti-paramilitary laws, a move the Guardian last week reported experts were urging. On Friday, the Oregon Justice Resource Center launched a $1.25m civil suit against three named men, and 50 more yet to be identified, over a rally on 22 August at which rightwingers fired paintballs into a leftwing crowd. The same day, a journalist’s hand was broken by a Proud Boy wielding a baton. One man, Alan Swinney, said on social media he had been indicted.Also on Friday, the Portland mayor, Ted Wheeler, published a “letter to the community” in which he invoked for the first time state anti-paramilitary laws, a move the Guardian recently reported experts were urging.
“Oregon law prohibits paramilitary activity,” Wheeler said. “Organizers of and likely participants in the 26 September event have openly discussed tactical operations and military-style formations that lead us to believe that they are operating as an unauthorized private militia.”“Oregon law prohibits paramilitary activity,” Wheeler said. “Organizers of and likely participants in the 26 September event have openly discussed tactical operations and military-style formations that lead us to believe that they are operating as an unauthorized private militia.”
Over four years in the city, provocations by rightwing activists have culminated in acts of violence; national rightwing media and Donald Trump have scapegoated local officials and antifascists; and national far right groups have come to the city. Over four years in the city, provocations by rightwing activists have culminated in violence while Trump and rightwing media have scapegoated local officials and anti-fascists.
In 2017, 2018, and 2019, large groups of Proud Boys and other activists descended. This year, after the violence on 22 August, on the night of 29 August a pro-Trump truck convoy made its way downtown, firing paintballs and mace and attacking protesters with their vehicles. That night, a Patriot Prayer associate, Aaron Jay Danielson, was shot dead. A self-proclaimed antifascist, Michael Forest Reinoehl, admitted to the shooting in a media interview, then was shot dead by US Marshals on 3 September in Lacey, Washington. On 29 August this year, a pro-Trump truck convoy made its way downtown, firing paintballs and mace and attacking protesters with vehicles. A Patriot Prayer associate, Aaron Jay Danielson, was shot dead. A self-proclaimed anti-fascist, Michael Forest Reinoehl, admitted the shooting in a media interview, then was shot dead by US Marshals on 3 September in Lacey, Washington.
Saturday’s rally came after months of anti-police protests in Portland’s downtown, and a wildfire emergency in which rural residents engaged in vigilante actions. Saturday’s rally came after months of anti-police protests in Portland and a wildfire emergency in which rural residents engaged in vigilante actions.
“The lawlessness has culminated with the assassination of our friend and Trump supporter Jay Danielson in Portland,“ the Proud Boys wrote in their permit application. “Portland leadership is unwilling to stop the violence. They have been blinded by their hatred of our president and will not allow outside help stopping the violence.” “The lawlessness has culminated with the assassination of our friend and Trump supporter Jay Danielson in Portland,” the Proud Boys said in their permit application, which was denied. “Portland leadership is unwilling to stop the violence. They have been blinded by their hatred of our president and will not allow outside help stopping the violence.”
The application mentioned Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old charged in the shooting deaths of two Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Rittenhouse’s attorneys say he acted in self-defense.The application mentioned Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old charged in the shooting deaths of two Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Rittenhouse’s attorneys say he acted in self-defense.
Mayor Wheeler said the city and its police did not need or want help from “paramilitaries or vigilante groups”. On Saturday in Portland, the approaches to Delta Park – part of a complex of open green space on the northern edge of the city, where the Proud Boys rallied – were dotted with clusters of officers, their cars bearing the insignia of Portland police, the Multnomah county sheriff’s office and the Oregon state police.
“For the past three years, our community has repeatedly had to deal with rallies of this kind, in which participants travel to our city threatening ‘takeovers’, touting their ‘combat unit’ capacity, and openly bragging about the waste of city resources that they can provoke,” he said. “We are unified and strong, and we will use every available power and resource of our city government to protect free speech and our community from violence.” A traffic sign a few blocks from the park entrance flashed: “Hate is not welcome here. Black lives matter.”
Deputy police chief Chris Davis acknowledged that Oregon is an open-carry state but reminded those attending the rally and counter-demonstrations that in Portland it is illegal to carry a loaded firearm in public without a state concealed handgun permit. At the parklands’ southern entrance, a barricade was manned by six Portland officers. At the fringe of the rally, a rightwinger stood guard in camouflage body armor and a combat helmet, armed with an assault rifle.
Officers would patrol for weapons and check for permits as needed, he said. Many more men openly carried guns, milling around near cars and trucks, most festooned with flags expressing allegiance to the US, the “thin blue line” of the police, and Trump. Among them was David Willis, who, the Guardian revealed last week, planned armed violence at the 22 August rally.
“We ask that you come peacefully and engage in your free speech peacefully,” police chief Chuck Lovell said. “It’s OK for us to disagree about things. But at the end of the day, doing so peacefully, letting people exercise their rights safely is very important. So that’s my ask the folks who are attending.” Having begun arriving about two hours ahead of the scheduled start at noon, the rightwingers also left early, filing out of the park around 1.30pm in vans, cars and pickup trucks. One beige pickup held a group of masked and helmeted men, armed with paintball guns. Outside an adjacent mall, Portland officers blocked oncoming traffic with motorcycles, then waved the rightwingers through.
Anti-racism protesters want the city to take millions from the police budget and reallocate it to the Black community. Some are angry with Mayor Wheeler, also the police commissioner, for allowing police to use tear gas and overly aggressive tactics. While they were at the park, the crowd listened to speakers, among them Enrique Tarrio. The Proud Boys chairman, who attended the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville in August 2017 in the company of white supremacists and neo-Nazis, said his group had come to impose “law and order”.
Wheeler has refused to cede control of the police to a Black councilwoman with a decades-long resume of activism around police reform. Anti-racism protesters in Portland want the city to take millions from police and reallocate it to the Black community. Some are angry with Mayor Wheeler, also the police commissioner, for allowing police to use tear gas and aggressive tactics. Wheeler has refused to cede control of the police to a Black councilwoman with a decades-long resumé of activism for police reform.
This week, protesters hurled firebombs at officers, in the wake of the Kentucky decision not to charge officers with killing Taylor, a Black woman shot in her home. This week, protesters hurled firebombs at officers in the wake of the Kentucky decision not to charge officers with killing Taylor, a Black woman shot in her home.
The unrest has drawn the attention of Trump, who has repeatedly attacked Wheeler. For a two-week period in July, thousands of protesters squared off with federal agents sent by the president from the US Department of Homeland Security, to protect a federal courthouse. Trump has repeatedly attacked Wheeler. Over a two-week period in July, thousands of protesters squared off with federal agents sent by the president from the US Department of Homeland Security, to protect a federal courthouse.