Cider Riot

Last updated
Cider Riot!
Cider Riot logo.png
Cider Riot.jpg
The cider house's exterior in 2019
Cider Riot
Restaurant information
EstablishedAugust 2016 (2016-08) (taproom)
ClosedNovember 10, 2019 (2019-11-10)
Food typeHard apple cider
Street address807 NE Couch Street
City Portland
County Multnomah
State Oregon
Postal/ZIP Code97232
CountryUnited States
Coordinates 45°31′25.7″N122°39′26.4″W / 45.523806°N 122.657333°W / 45.523806; -122.657333

Cider Riot (stylized as Cider Riot!) was an American cider producer [1] with a cider house in the Kerns neighborhood in Northeast Portland, Oregon, [2] from 2016 [3] until November 2019. [4]

Contents

Production of cider began in 2013 and grew to a peak of one thousand barrels annually. Cider Riot earned four International Cider Championship medals from the Royal Bath and West Show between 2017 and 2019. [5] [6] The cider house, described as a "gathering place for antifascists, anarchists and other leftists", [7] was the site of a brawl between members of the far-right [8] group Patriot Prayer and the bar's patrons on May Day in 2019.

History

The company was founded by Abram Goldman-Armstrong, who started the business from his North Tabor home in 2013. [9] Goldman-Armstrong began experimentally fermenting cider as a college student. After setting up his cider business in Portland in 2013, he expanded distribution the following year, delivering cider around town to various pubs. Cider Riot continued to grow production and opened a taproom in August 2016. [3] [6]

Goldman-Armstrong expressed that Cider Riot set out to be "a welcoming place for everybody in our community" for "people of all races, genders, and identities." [9] [6] When the taproom launched in 2016, the cidery's policy was that children were welcome until seven, followed by time for adults until the pub closed at nine in the evening. [3] In 2016 the company's cider was awarded "best cider in Oregon" at the Portland International Cider Cup. [3]

Goldman-Armstrong stated that right-wing groups such as Patriot Prayer began to regularly harass the business in the summer of 2017. [10] The business owner specified that he did not set out to form a dedicated anti-fascist bar, rather his vision for the cidery was to create a sense of old Portland and an English pub. [10] By 2019, he became known as a vocal anti-fascist business owner. [11]

The pub carried a line of experimental ciders known as their Black Bloc series. [11] Following a May 2019 decision by Major League Soccer (MLS) to prohibit the display of the Iron Front symbol during soccer games, [12] Goldman-Armstrong, a long-time supporter of the Timbers Army soccer group, [13] produced a limited-edition cider variety for the pub named Tres Flechas (Three Arrows) in reference to an anti-fascist symbol. [11] The cider house owner was among those issued a three-game ban for displaying flags with the symbol at soccer games in September 2019. [14] [15] [10] On September 24, MLS revoked their ban on the public display of the antifascist symbol and agreed to form a working group made up from staff, supporters, and diversity and inclusion experts to update the Fan Code of Conduct for 2020. [16] [17]

Cider Riot earned two bronze medals at Bath and West International Cider Championships in 2017, and two additional awards in 2019. [5] [6] Plaid Pantry convenience stores carried Cider Riot's product in a six pack, but after sales trends shifted away from the cider market, moving towards hard seltzer by early 2020, their stores stopped carrying it. [18] Once the cidery was fully established, the company produced one thousand barrels of cider annually. [18]

May Day brawl

On May Day 2019, a brawl between far-right protesters Patriot Prayer and anti-fascist cider house patrons took place outside Cider Riot in the early evening. [19] [20] [21] The Oregonian reported that the situation erupted after some 20 right-wing protesters arrived at Cider Riot and confronted antifa members sitting on the patio. [22] A police detective described video of the group's leader, Joey Gibson, "taunting" and threatening members of antifa and later “physically pushing” a woman before she was hit with a baton and knocked unconscious by someone else. [22]

The company filed a US$1 million lawsuit against Patriot Prayer and Gibson. [23] [24] Six participants of the brawl were accused of inciting a riot [22] and were indicted by the Multnomah County District Attorney on charges of felony riot in August of 2019. [25] [22] Five of the men were connected to Patriot Prayer, including Gibson. [26] Two of the men, both of whom were members of Patriot Prayer, [27] pleaded guilty in January 2020. [22] A third man with ties to Patriot Prayer pleaded guilty in May 2021 to one count each of riot, second-degree assault, and unlawful use of a weapon. [28] [29] Gibson was acquitted of felony riot charges in July 2022, and the judge rebuked the district attorney's office for pursuing a trial on the evidence presented. [30]

In response to a lawsuit-related interview question by New School Beer (a beer and cider news source), Goldman-Armstrong said that if Cider Riot was awarded the asking damages, they planned to use the money to "stay open, invest in a bigger glycol chiller, more sales and marketing folks, etc." [31]

A 2019 investigation by Oregon regulators alleged that Goldman-Armstrong was aware patrons were using illegal weapons against right-wing agitators and that he refused to remove problem customers from his property. Goldman-Armstrong and a licensed security guard working the day of the brawl were "accused of providing misleading statements to state authorities during the investigation". The allegations are in a report made by a safety inspector for the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC). [32] [33] The OLCC report recommended charging Cider Riot's owner and staff with three state alcohol license violations: providing false statements, failure to evict, and permitting unlawful and disorderly activity. [32] OLCC investigators reported that the complaints were not from cider house patrons but were instead from “concerned citizens throughout the state" who viewed video of the brawl on the news and YouTube." [32] Lawyers for Goldman-Armstrong relayed that Gibson and Patriot Prayer had used social media to encourage supporters to report Cider Riot to state regulators. [32]

Auto collision fatality

In October 2019, the driver of an SUV struck and killed an anti-fascist activist near Cider Riot, [34] [35] [36] shortly after the man left the cider house. [21] The owner of Cider Riot told KPTV that the deceased, Sean Kealiher, an outspoken activist involved in Portland protests, had been at the cidery on the night of the incident. [37] The SUV involved, which had been shot at by Hyatt Eshelman, a friend of the deceased, was found abandoned with bullet holes at the Democratic Party of Oregon two blocks away from Cider Riot. [38] [21] According to police, Kealiher’s death was under investigation as a homicide, [38] and by late October 2019, neither a motive nor a suspect had been identified. [39] In December 2019, The Oregonian's Andrew Theen commented that the incident was "perhaps the city’s most prominent traffic-related death". [40] A suspect, Christopher Knipe, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder on August 4, 2022. [41] In September 2023, he agreed to plead guilty to manslaughter as part of a plea deal which includes a 17-year prison sentence. [42]

Sale

Cider Riot was put up for sale for $875,000 in September 2019. Goldman-Armstrong said he hoped the buyer would "share [his] view on human rights". [43] In an interview with The Oregonian in September 2019, Goldman-Armstrong said his decision to sell the business was not related to the "clash outside Cider Riot, and the months of headlines it's generated". [44] Cider Riot closed on November 10, 2019. [4] After closing, the Cider Riot taproom was recognized as a runner-up in the "Best Cider House" category in the Willamette Week 's "Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2020". [45]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-Racist Action</span> North American far-left political cells

Anti-Racist Action (ARA), also known as the Anti-Racist Action Network, is a decentralized network of militant far-left political cells in the United States and Canada. The ARA network originated in the late 1980s to engage in direct action and doxxing against rival political organizations on the hard right to dissuade them from further involvement in political activities. Anti-Racist Action described such groups as racist or fascist, or both. Most ARA members have been anarchists, but some have been Trotskyists and Maoists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Wheeler</span> American politician in Portland, Oregon

Edward Tevis Wheeler is an American politician who has served as the mayor of Portland, Oregon since 2017. He was Oregon State Treasurer from 2010 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antifa (United States)</span> Anti-fascist political activist movement

Antifa is a left-wing anti-fascist and anti-racist political movement in the United States. It consists of a highly decentralized array of autonomous groups that use nonviolent direct action, incivility, or violence to achieve their aims. Antifa political activism includes non-violent methods like involving poster and flyer campaigns, mutual aid, speeches, protest marches, and community organizing. Some who identify as antifa also use tactics involving digital activism, doxing, harassment, physical violence, and property damage. Members of antifa aim to combat far-right extremists, including neo-Nazis and white supremacists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patriot Prayer</span> American far-right political group

Patriot Prayer is a US far-right group founded by Joey Gibson in 2016 and based in Vancouver, Washington, a suburban city in the Portland metropolitan area. Since 2016, the group has organized several dozen pro-gun, pro-Trump rallies held in cities in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. Often met with large numbers of counter-protesters, attendees have repeatedly clashed with left-wing groups in the Portland area. Far-right groups, such as the Proud Boys, have attended the rallies organized by Patriot Prayer, as well as white nationalists, sparking controversy and violence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey Gibson (political activist)</span> American right-wing activist

Joseph Owan Gibson is an American right-wing activist and the founder of the far-right group Patriot Prayer, which is active in Portland, Oregon and other cities within the Pacific Northwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose City Antifa</span> Antifa group founded in 2007 in Portland, Oregon

Rose City Antifa (RCA) is an antifascist group founded in 2007 in Portland, Oregon. A leftist group, it is the oldest known active antifa group in the United States. While anti-fascist activism in the United States dates back to the 1980s, Rose City Antifa is the first to adopt the abbreviated moniker antifa. Since 2016, Rose City Antifa has been one of the nine chapters of the Torch Network coalition.

#HimToo is a social movement supporting male victims of sexual assault and false rape allegations. This reaction to the MeToo movement started in October 2018 after a tweet from a mother about her son being afraid to date because of a climate of false rape allegations. It rose to greater prominence during the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination. The #HimToo movement is seen as a response to the sexual assault allegations from the #MeToo movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Ngo</span> American right-wing author and influencer (born 1980s)

Andy Cuong Ngo is an American right-wing author and social media influencer, who is known for covering and video-recording demonstrators. He is a journalist and editor-at-large for The Post Millennial, a Canadian conservative news website, and a regular guest on Fox News. Ngo has published columns in the New York Post and The Wall Street Journal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">End Domestic Terrorism rally</span> 2019 Proud Boys rally in Portland, Oregon, US

The End Domestic Terrorism rally, sometimes subtitled "Better Dead Than Red", was a far-right demonstration organized by the Proud Boys and held in Portland, Oregon on August 17, 2019. The event, the purpose of which was to promote the idea that the "antifa" anti-fascist movement should be classified as "domestic terrorism", received national attention. The rally drew more counter-demonstrators than participants, with at least one group urging its members in advance not to attend, and ended with the Proud Boys requesting a police escort to leave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Floyd protests in Portland, Oregon</span> 2020 civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd

Starting in May 2020, protests following the murder of George Floyd were held in the city of Portland, Oregon, concurrent with protests in other cities in the United States and around the world. By July 2020, many of the protests, which had been held every day since May 28, drew more than 1,000 participants. Protests continued into August, September, and October 2020, often drawing hundreds.

On August 29, 2020, Aaron Danielson, an American supporter of the far-right group Patriot Prayer, was shot and killed after participating in a caravan which drove through Portland, Oregon, displaying banners and signs supporting President Donald Trump, and clashing with participants in the local George Floyd protests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Schmidt (lawyer)</span> American attorney and prosecutor

Michael Schmidt is an American attorney and a progressive prosecutor. He has served as the Multnomah County District Attorney since August 2020. Originally set to begin his term on January 1, 2021, Governor Kate Brown appointed him to the job early, in August 2020, to replace Rod Underhill, who retired in July. Schmidt will be succeeded by Nathan Vasquez on January 1, 2025 at the end of his term after conceding loss in the primary election in May 2024.

John Turano, also known as Based Spartan, has been described as an "icon of the alt-right 'Patriot' movement, who was known for brawling with Antifa protesters in the early days of the Trump administration in 2017. In 2018, Turano briefly left the far right movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethan Nordean</span> American neo-fascist

Ethan Nordean, also known as Rufio Panman, is an American far-right political activist, convicted felon and a leader of the Proud Boys, an all-male neo-fascist organization that engages in political violence.

Since its foundation in 2016, members of the Proud Boys, a far-right, neo-fascist, and exclusively male organization, have been involved in a number controversial and violent events. This list contains a number of those events, some of which have resulted in criminal charges being filed against participants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bear Paw Inn</span> Bar and restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The Bear Paw Inn is a bar and restaurant in Portland, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hopworks Urban Brewery</span> Brewery based in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Hopworks Urban Brewery is a brewery based in Portland, Oregon, United States. The company has a flagship restaurant on Powell Boulevard, in southeast Portland's Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood, and additional pubs at Portland International Airport and in Vancouver, Washington. Previously, there was an additional restaurant on North Williams Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tusitala Toese</span> Convicted Felon

Tusitala John Toese also known as Tiny, is a convicted felon. He is a member of the Proud Boys, a far-right group that engages in political violence in the United States. He was, and still is, a member of the Portland area far-right group Patriot Prayer, prior to joining the Proud Boys and has been convicted of multiple criminal charges for violence at rallies.

<i>Nightmare Elk</i> 2020 metal sculpture temporarily installed in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

The "Nightmare Elk" was a metal sculpture of an elk, temporarily installed in Portland, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EastBurn (restaurant)</span> Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

EastBurn, sometimes known as EastBurn Public House or stylized as Eastburn, is a pub and restaurant in Portland, Oregon.

References

  1. ↑ Ramakrishnan, Jayati (2019-11-01). "Portland's Cider Riot pub to close Nov. 10". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2020-10-09. Retrieved 2020-10-10.
  2. ↑ Cizmar, Martin (May 20, 2014). "Drank: Burncider (Cider Riot)". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Korfhage, Matthew (August 16, 2016). "Portland's Best Cider Finally Has a Home Pub". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  4. 1 2 "NE Portland's Cider Riot! closes its doors Sunday". KPTV. November 10, 2019. Archived from the original on 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  5. 1 2 Prewitt, Andi (June 7, 2019). "Cider Riot! Wins Big at World's Biggest Cider Competition While Alter Ego Opens Its First Taproom". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Giegerich, Andy (June 12, 2019). "For Portland cider maker, life is a riot". Portland Business Journal. Retrieved 2020-10-09.
  7. ↑ Goodykoontz, Emily; Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon; Ryan, Jim (2019-10-12). "Activist dies after being hit by SUV near Cider Riot, Portland left-wing hangout". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2019-10-13. Retrieved 2019-10-13.
  8. ↑ Brown, Karina (February 26, 2021). "Judge Rejects Far Right Leader's Claims of 'Political Persecution'". Courthouse News Service. Archived from the original on 2021-02-27. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  9. 1 2 Giegerich, Andy (November 7, 2019). "As Patriot Prayer legal battle continues, Cider Riot sets closing date". KGW8. Archived from the original on 2019-11-08. Retrieved 2020-10-09.
  10. 1 2 3 Herron, Elise (October 1, 2019). "This Portland Cider Maker Fights Fascists. We Asked How His Business Became the Antifascist Pub and Whether or Not It Was Worth It". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2021-03-28. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  11. 1 2 3 Herron, Elise (August 30, 2019). "Cider Riot Releases Iron Front Cider in Protest of the Portland Timbers' Ban of the Antifascist Symbol". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2021-01-17. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  12. ↑ Peterson, Anne M. (2019-09-05). "Several Timbers fans banned for Iron Front displays". AP NEWS. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  13. ↑ Nguyen, Tyler (September 7, 2019). "After Fan Bans, Timbers Army Posts Defiant Banners in Protest—But Keeps On Cheering". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2021-01-22. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  14. ↑ "Cider Riot owner among Timbers fans banned for flying anti-fascist banner at game". KGW8. September 8, 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-03-08. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  15. ↑ Dixon Kavanaugh, Shane (2019-09-07). "Cider Riot owner among Portland Timbers fans banned for waving antifa symbol". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  16. ↑ "MLS lifts ban on Iron Front flag after working with Sounders supporters groups and others". Seattle Times. September 24, 2019. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  17. ↑ Herron, Elise (September 24, 2019). "After Meetings With Timbers Army, Major League Soccer Executives Agree to Suspend Ban on Flags Bearing Antifascist Symbol". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2021-01-22. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
  18. 1 2 Davidson, Kate (January 2, 2020). "Northwest Cider Battles Hard Seltzer For The Beer Case". OPB. Archived from the original on 2020-01-03. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
  19. ↑ Ramakrishnan, Jayati (2019-05-02). "Scores of antifa, far-right group members clash outside NE Portland bar". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-01-18. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
  20. ↑ Sparling, Zane (May 1, 2019). "Antifa, Patriot Prayer brawl outside Cider Riot". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  21. 1 2 3 Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (2019-10-29). "Fatal clash near Portland left-wing hangout followed random argument, not political attack, lawyers say". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 Bernstein, Maxine (2020-09-12). "Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson sues Multnomah County DA Mike Schmidt in federal court". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2020-10-09.
  23. ↑ Ramakrishnan, Jayati (2019-05-04). "Owner of Cider Riot sues Patriot Prayer, Joey Gibson for $1 million after May Day clash outside Portland bar". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2019-08-24. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
  24. ↑ Zielinski, Alex (Aug 22, 2019). "New Evidence Shows Joey Gibson's Role in Planning May Day Attack at Cider Riot". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on August 23, 2019. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  25. ↑ Ryan, Jim; Theen, Andrew; Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (2019-08-15). "Joey Gibson faces felony charge in fight at NE Portland's Cider Riot, preparing to turn self in". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2019-09-26. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
  26. ↑ Ellis, Rebecca (August 22, 2019). "6 Men Indicted For May's Cider Riot! Brawl In Portland". OPB . Archived from the original on 2019-09-13. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
  27. ↑ Wilson, Conrad (January 14, 2020). "Patriot Prayer's Tusitala 'Tiny' Toese Pleads Guilty To Assault Charge". OPB. Archived from the original on 2020-01-14. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  28. ↑ Ramakrishnan, Jayati (2021-05-22). "Suspect pleads guilty to assaulting woman during May 2019 riot outside NE Portland bar". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-05-22. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  29. ↑ "Man pleads guilty to charges from 2019 Cider Riot brawl". KOIN. 2021-05-23. Archived from the original on 2021-05-24. Retrieved 2021-09-14.
  30. ↑ "Judge acquits Patriot Prayer founder, one other, in riot trial". Statesman Journal. Associated Press. July 20, 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  31. ↑ Johnson-Greenough, Ezra (September 20, 2019). "Cider Riot is For Sale, Abram Goldman-Armstrong Tells Us Why". New School Beer. Archived from the original on September 23, 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  32. 1 2 3 4 Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (2019-09-21). "Patriot Prayer-antifa clash lands Cider Riot in state regulator's crosshairs". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2019-10-04. Retrieved 2019-10-02.
  33. ↑ Stimson, Brie (September 21, 2019). "Owner of Antifa-friendly Portland bar let patrons use 'illegal weapons' against conservative activists, state probe says". Fox News. Archived from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019.
  34. ↑ Ellis, Rebecca (October 14, 2019). "Portland Anti-Fascist Activist Killed In Hit And Run Outside Cider Riot". OPB. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  35. ↑ Monahan, Rachel; Mesh, Aaron (October 12, 2019). "A Patron Was Hit and Killed By an SUV Last Night Near Cider Riot". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on October 13, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
  36. ↑ Henriksen, Erik; Zielinski, Alex (Oct 14, 2019). "UPDATE: Portland Activist Killed After SUV Collision Near Cider Riot". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on October 13, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2019.
  37. ↑ Kelly, Brenna (October 14, 2019). "Graffiti covers Democratic Party of Oregon office in NE Portland where known activist was killed". KPTV. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
  38. 1 2 Monahan, Rachel; Peel, Sophie (October 15, 2019). "Three Nights Later, Questions Still Swirl Around a Portland Antifascist's Killing". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2019-10-17. Retrieved 2019-10-19.
  39. ↑ Thomas, Keaton (2019-10-26). "Crowd gathers to remember Sean Kealiher, activist who died after crash and gunfire". KATU. Archived from the original on 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2019-11-11.
  40. ↑ Theen, Andrew (December 20, 2019). "Vision Zero: Portland saw most traffic deaths since 1997, many 'out of our control'". The Oregonian . Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  41. ↑ Sparling, Zane (2022-08-05). "Arrest made in 2019 homicide of Portland anti-fascist activist Sean Kealiher, police say". oregonlive. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  42. ↑ Haas, Ryan; Wilson, Conrad; Levinson, Jonathan (21 September 2023). "Man charged with killing Portland antifascist protester in 2019 agrees to guilty plea". Oregon Public Broadcasting.
  43. ↑ Herron, Elise (September 19, 2019). "Owner of Antifascist Cidery Cider Riot Hopes to Sell to Someone Who Shares His "View on Human Rights"". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on September 23, 2019. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  44. ↑ Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (2019-09-19). "Cider Riot, scene of Patriot Prayer-antifa clash, for sale in NE Portland". oregonlive. Archived from the original on 2019-09-27. Retrieved 2019-10-16.
  45. ↑ "Bars + Nightlife: Congratulations to the winners + finalists of Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2020". Willamette Week . July 21, 2020. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.