A rally of the far-right Proud Boys on Saturday in Portland, Ore. in support of President Donald Trump and the police is expected to draw perhaps thousands of supporters as well as counter-protesters, leading the city to prepare for violent clashes
Governor of Oregon Kate Brown, a Democrat, declared a state of emergency on Friday, saying « white supremacist groups from out of town » were coming to town and announcing a coordinated effort between state and local law enforcement throughout the weekend to keep people safe
« We’ve 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’ve even seen it here in Portland, » the governor said, referring to deaths following political clashes in Virginia, Wisconsin and Oregon
« Let me be perfectly clear, we will not tolerate any kind of violence this weekend, » she said « Those who fan the flames of violence, those who come to Portland to fight will be held responsible «
The Proud Boys, a self-proclaimed Western chauvinist group, have been denied a permit for the planned rally due to social distancing issues from the coronavirus, but plan to rally to what they describe as an event anyway freedom of speech to support Trump and the police and condemn anti-fascists
Multnomah County Sheriff said police predicted a crowd of 1,000 to 3,000 at the Proud Boys protest, NBC subsidiary KGW reported in the city that has become a flashpoint for a sometimes violent political conflict during the months of ongoing protests Organizers of the rally said they were expecting 20,000 people
Last month, a Trump supporter and supporter of another right-wing group, Patriot Prayer, was shot and killed in a clash with counter-protesters in Portland The man was part of a procession that clashed with Black Lives Matter protesters and other protesters, with some members of the trailer firing paintballs and pepper spray into the crowd
The Proud Boys mentioned the death of Aaron « Jay » Danielson in their permit application They also mentioned Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old accused of the shooting deaths of two Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin
The governor used his emergency powers to give the Oregon State Police Superintendent and local sheriff the power to take over public safety in Portland for the weekend, a move which would restore the ability of law enforcement to use tear gas as a crowd control measure
The state police commissioner said there would be a « massive influx » of soldiers into the city from Saturday morning
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, said on Twitter this week: « Violence has no home in Portland »
The dueling protests in Portland come as tensions around the US escalate again following a Kentucky grand jury decision this week not to charge police officers for Breonna’s murder Taylor, a black woman, in a police raid on her home in March A former Louisville officer has been charged with gratuitous first-degree endangerment over gunfire that hit neighboring apartments
Daniella Silva is a reporter for NBC News, specializing in immigration and inclusion issues, as well as covering Latin America
Proud Boys
World News – United States – Portland braces for clashes, violence at Proud Boys rally and counter protests
