Portland Sees Another Night Of Protests But Lower Turnout At Right-Wing Rally
Thousands were expected to attend the Proud Boys-sponsored event but only hundreds showed up.
Deborah Bloom, Andrew Hay
LOADINGERROR LOADING
PORTLAND, Ore. ― Police clashed with anti-racism protesters and members of the press in downtown Portland, Oregon into early Sunday morning, making more than a dozen arrests.
The violence followed a relatively peaceful rally by the right-wing Proud Boys group and counter protests by anti-fascist and Black Lives Matter activists on Saturday.
Advertisement
Videos shot by people at the scene showed police throwing protesters and photographers to the ground and jabbing them with batons as they drove them out of an area near Portland’s federal courthouse.
Protesters burned a U.S. flag and scuffled with police trying to arrest fellow demonstrators.
Police declared a riot after they said rocks and cans were thrown at officers, with Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office reporting over 12 arrests.
Portland Police did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment on the overnight clashes.
Advertisement
The Northwest city has seen four months of anti-racism protests and escalating political violence between left and right-wing activists in the run-up to the Nov.3 presidential election.
Dressed in trademark black and yellow polo shirts and body armor, hundreds of Proud Boys supporters rallied to end what they called “domestic terrorism” in Democratic-run Portland.
“They’ve allowed 120 days of rioting and looting and murder happening within our streets and we’re locals so we’re just tired of this, that’s why we’re out here today,” said Haley Adams, wearing an anti-stab vest and a stars and stripes bandana.
Police reported four arrests related to the rally. Online videos showed a person pushing a reporter to the ground and kicking him in the face. Police said they were investigating the assault of a person documenting the gathering.
State Governor Kate Brown declared a weekend state of emergency for Oregon’s biggest city, saying large numbers of “white supremacist groups” were traveling from out of state to attend the rally.
City and state leaders said in a letter to the community that Proud Boys supporters planned to cause chaos and violence but that had yet to materialize by early Sunday morning.
Proud Boys leaders said their presence pushed Brown to declare an emergency and create the kind of state and local police task force needed to keep the peace in a city President Donald Trump has called an “anarchist jurisdiction.”
Advertisement
“It’s crazy that it takes us to come here to solve things,” Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio said in video on the group’s Parler page.
Democratic presidential hopeful former Vice President Joe Biden has said Trump’s rhetoric is stoking violence.
As the Proud Boys rally broke up, Portland Police stopped vehicles for traffic violations, confiscated firearms, paintball guns, baseball bats and shields, and issued two citations for unlawful firearm possession.
(Reporting By Andrew Hay; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.