Date | August 17, 2019 |
---|---|
Time | 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. [1] |
Venue | Tom McCall Waterfront Park |
Location | Portland, Oregon, US |
Type | Rally |
Cause | To demand the classification of anti-fascism groups as domestic terrorists in the United States |
Organized by | Proud Boys [2] |
Participants | 200–300 protesters 500–1,000 counter-protesters Peaking at 1,200 participants |
Arrests | 13, for disorderly conduct, interfering with police, and weapon-related charges |
The End Domestic Terrorism rally, sometimes subtitled "Better Dead Than Red", [3] was a far-right [4] [5] 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. [6] [7] 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. [5]
The rally was organized by talk show radio host and former InfoWars staffer Joe Biggs, who is based in Florida, to protest Portland-based antifascists, [8] and to have antifa declared a domestic terrorist organization. [9] [10] Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio, a two-time convicted felon, was listed as an organizer on the event's Facebook page. [11] Tarrio said the Proud Boys did "not [come] to Portland to cause problems", but to support "innocent people, journalists and our brave law enforcement officers". [12]
Plans for the rally were confirmed as early as July 1, 2019, after protests held on June 29 resulted in clashes. [13] [14] [15] Viral video of an incident on June 29 where conservative blogger Andy Ngo was assaulted by masked demonstrators led the Proud Boys to organize the rally. [16] The city did not issue a permit for the event, [8] which was planned to be held at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. [17] Members of The Daily Stormer and Oath Keepers were expected to attend. [18] [19] However, Oath Keepers backed out and "disavowed the rally for fear of being associated with white supremacists." [20] While, the members of a Three Percenters militia group, and the white supremacist American Guard attended the event. [21]
Biggs promoted the event by posting a video online in which he carries a "Trump-themed" baseball bat and t-shirt with the text "Training to Throw Communists Out of Helicopters", in reference to the summary execution of political dissidents in Chile under Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship. [22] He told participants not to bring weapons or fight unless they were in "imminent danger". [23] [24]
The president of Oath Keepers discouraged members from attending the rally or associating themselves with white nationalists. [25] [26]
Portland mayor Ted Wheeler announced a "zero-tolerance approach" would be adopted and promised law breakers would be arrested. [27] Organizers on both sides criticized his handling of the planned activities. [28] Wheeler considered asking Governor Kate Brown to seek support from the Oregon National Guard. [22]
Danielle Outlaw, chief of the Portland Police Bureau, said officers were prepared, and the president of the Portland Police Association proposed arresting all people who demonstrate without a permit. [8] Police worked with organizers on both sides "to achieve the goal of a safe event". [29] The Portland Police Bureau said in advance of the rally that all 1,000 of its officers would be on duty. [30] [31] Federal, state, and other local law enforcement agencies provided assistance to prepare for the rally. [32] [33]
Leading up to the rally, Biggs advocated for laws preventing protesters from wearing masks, and said, "I hope at the end of the day I can shake the cops' hands and say good job, nothing happened." [34] Six members of Patriot Prayer, including political activist Joey Gibson, were arrested days before the event. [35]
The Portland Police Bureau encouraged people to avoid Waterfront Park and visit other parts of the city. [36] The Federal Bureau of Investigation planned to have a presence at the rally. [37] Deployment of the National Guard was considered but avoided. [38]
Leaders of civil rights, community, and religious groups condemned the event's organizers and ideology, and approximately 100 people gathered at Pioneer Courthouse Square on August 14 to speak out against violence. [39] [40] [41] [42] Jo Ann Hardesty said, "You want to be hateful, stay home. Do not get on a plane, on a bus and come to Portland. We don't want you here. We never wanted you here. If you come, we will expose you to the light of day." [43] Wheeler, Outlaw, US Attorney Billy J. Williams, and Joey Webber of the Portland Timbers also attended the August 14 rally. [41]
President Donald Trump monitored developments and tweeted, "Major consideration is being given to naming ANTIFA an 'ORGANIZATION OF TERROR.' Portland is being watched very closely. Hopefully the Mayor will be able to properly do his job!" [44] [45] Wheeler responded, "My job today is to be heads down and focused on maintaining the public safety here in Portland, Oregon. I'm focused on what's going on the ground here in my community... This is a potentially dangerous and volatile situation, and adding to that noise doesn't do anything to support or help the efforts that are going on here in Portland." [46] According to Business Insider , "The president's remarks quickly drew scrutiny for siding with the far-right." [47]
Antifascist groups made plans for nonviolent counter-protests. [11] [48] Popular Mobilization hosted "The Spectacle" to "downplay the far-right's rhetoric and inject the atmosphere with whimsy and 'joyful resistance'"; planned activities included a banana costume dance party, mask decorating, and dressing as the Pile of Poo emoji. [49] Rose City Antifa issued a statement calling on counter-protestors to defend the city from a "far-right attack". [50] Miles Thompson and his Unpresidented Brass Band, a 12-person marching band, planned to march with 50 counter protesters in banana costumes, hosting a "Banana Bloc Dance Party". [51] Counter-protesters also organized a fundraiser to benefit Causa, based on the number of rally supporters; according to HuffPost , the organization "advocates for Oregon's Latino population at the state and national level, and helps protect local undocumented immigrants from deportation". [52]
Members of Proud Boys started gathering at the Morrison Bridge at approximately 9 a.m., then started marching south an hour later. They held a prayer service underneath an American flag at Waterfront Park at approximately 10:30 a.m. [53] [54] Officers maintained distance between opposing groups, keeping members of Proud Boys and other right-wing groups south of the Morrison Bridge and counter-protesters north of the bridge. [55] Later, members of Proud Boys marched over Tilikum Crossing while counter-protesters crossed the Burnside Bridge. The demonstration was over by approximately 2:30 p.m. [56]
Crowd estimates varied. CBS News and the Portland Mercury reported there were 200 and 300 people attending in support of the rally, respectively. [57] [58] There were approximately 500 counter-demonstrators, according to Willamette Week . [55] Police estimated there were approximately 1,000 protesters, [59] and the Portland Mercury's Alex Zielinski wrote, "At its peak, there were an estimated 300 right-wing protesters and 1,000 left-wing protesters in downtown Portland." [58]
The event remained mostly calm. [59] Police arrested 13 people, [59] [54] and confiscated weapons, including bear spray, poles, and shields. [60] [61]
Gibson attended the rally. [55] The president of the local NAACP affiliate was among the counter-protesters. [62]
According to Al Jazeera, "More than two dozen local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the Federal Protective Service ... gathered in Portland to help police monitor the right-wing rally." [63] The Proud Boys pledged to return to Portland monthly until Wheeler "excises the alt-left groups from his city". [56]
Some local businesses changed plans or closed for the day because of the demonstrations. [64] [65] [66] Roses on the River, a 5K run and walk affiliated with the Portland Thorns FC, was relocated to the other side of the Willamette River to avoid potential conflicts. [67] [68] The Portland Streetcar Scavenger Hunt was postponed. [36] Multiple Starbucks locations in downtown Portland closed for the day. [1] [69] Kells Irish Pub cancelled its annual "Summer Smoker" amateur boxing match. [70] Two performances at Keller Auditorium took place as scheduled, but the venue hired increased security. [71]
The Portland Bureau of Transportation closed the northbound side of Southwest Naito Parkway from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the preceding Friday and following Monday. Prior to the event, TriMet said services would be altered as needed if law enforcement determined riders were at risk, and confirmed delays were expected. [1] [72] On the day of the rally, Southwest 2nd Avenue from Southwest Madison to Main streets was closed, as were the Hawthorne Bridge and SmartPark garage at 1st Avenue and Jefferson Street. [59] [73]
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.
The Proud Boys is a North American far-right, neo-fascist militant organization that promotes and engages in political violence. The group's leaders have been convicted of violently opposing the federal government of the United States, including its constitutionally prescribed transfer of presidential power. It has been called a street gang and was designated as a terrorist group in Canada and New Zealand. The Proud Boys are opposed to left-wing and progressive groups and support Donald Trump, the former president of the United States and current President-elect of the United States. While Proud Boys leadership has denied being a white supremacist organization, the group and some of its members have been connected to white supremacist events, ideologies, and other white-power groups throughout its existence.
On November 10, 2016, three days of protests in Portland, Oregon, turned into a riot, when a group of anarchists broke off from a larger group of peaceful protesters who were opposed to the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States.
The Women's March on Portland, also known as the Portland Women's March, the Women's March on Washington, Portland, and Women's March Portland, was an event in Portland, Oregon. Scheduled to coincide with the 2017 Women's March, it was held on January 21, 2017, the day after the inauguration of Donald Trump. The march was one of the largest public protests in Oregon's history with crowd estimates as high as 100,000 participants. No arrests were made during the demonstration.
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 such as 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. Supporters of the movement aim to combat far-right extremists, including neo-Nazis and white supremacists.
Patriot Prayer is an American 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.
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.
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Andy Cuong Ngo is an American right-wing 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 and authored a best selling book on Antifa.
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This is a list of George Floyd protests in the U.S. state of Oregon.
On August 29, 2020, Aaron Danielson, an American supporter of the far-right group Patriot Prayer, was shot and killed by a far-left activist 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.
Joseph Randall Biggs is an American veteran, media personality, organizer of the Proud Boys, and convicted felon for his participation in the January 6 United States Capitol attack.
John Earle Sullivan, also known as Activist John, is an American political activist and self-identified photojournalist who participated in the January 6, 2021 United States Capitol attack. In November 2023, he was convicted by a jury of felony obstruction of an official proceeding, civil disorder, and five misdemeanors.
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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.
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On February 19, 2022, Benjamin Jeffrey Smith approached and assaulted a small group of protesters, at the edge of Normandale Park in Portland, Oregon, United States. He murdered one, caused the paralysis of another from the shoulders down, and seriously injured three others, including a bystander who had approached to deescalate.
James Hieb is an American politician who is a member of the Oregon House of Representatives for the 51st district.
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