Far-right 'Proud Boys' rally puts Portland in emergency state

Hundred of supporters of the far-right Proud Boys group from across the US have converged in the western city of Portland for a pro-Trump rally as police prepared for clashes with rival anti-fascist protesters in a city that has emerged as the epicenter of political violence ahead of the November polls.

The Saturday development came a day after State of Oregon Governor Kate Brown declared a weekend state of emergency for the state’s largest city, pointing out that “white supremacist groups” were traveling from out of state to take part in an event the radical right-wing group boasts as a bid to “end domestic terrorism” in the US following months of nationwide protests against police brutality and racism after the police killing of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis in June.

“I am incredibly concerned about the increased risk of violence in Portland this weekend,” Brown told reporters.

This is while city and state leaders released a letter to the community, insisting that many participants in the Proud Boys rally have openly discussed tactical operations and military-style formations during the event and were plotting to incite chaos and violence under the pretext of supporting police forces.

“The event poses a physical danger to Portland residents, as clearly shown by the organizers’ long track record of assaults, confrontations, and threats against elected officials and the citizenry of Portland,” the letter underlined.

“We clearly state, once again, that law enforcement do not want or need any help from paramilitaries or vigilante groups,” it further emphasized.

The Proud Boys planned to gather at Portland’s Delta Park, nearly six miles north of downtown while anti-racist groups were planning to hold rival rallies about two miles away. Police authorities said they intend to keep the two groups apart.

While thousands were expected to participate in the right-wing rally, latest reports indicate that much fewer people showed up for the event on Saturday.

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The men-only Proud Boys group claims to be a fraternal organization that is “anti-racism” and “anti-political correctness.”

However, US-based civil rights group The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) classifies the Proud Boys as a hate group, citing its members’ anti-Muslim and misogynist rhetoric.

“Saturday’s rally is the latest in a long series of sustained provocations that the Proud Boys have held in Portland,” SPLC research analyst Cassie Miller said in a Friday statement.

The group has publicized its Saturday event on Facebook for weeks, despite the social network’s pledge to block such pages, according to images released by the Tech Transparency Project.

Moreover, Facebook, along with other online platforms such as Parler, have buzzed with calls for protesters to arm themselves and wild talk of civil war, according to pages monitored by Reuters news agency.

While the pro-Trump, pro-gun rights Proud Boys group publicly denounces violence, its members -- wearing trademark black and yellow polo shirts -- often clash with left-wing opponents at rallies.

US President Donald Trump, who has advertised ‘law and order’ as a principal theme of his re-election campaign, has singled out Portland as one of several Democratic-led cities that he censures as “anarchist jurisdictions,” threatening to cut their federal funds.

Portland has emerged as a magnet for right-wing counter protesters following four months of anti-fascist and Black Lives Matter protest rallies against police violence and racism.

This is while left-right clashes have also intensified across the US since mid-August, leading to the shooting dead of a right-wing Patriot Prayer member by a self-declared anti-fascist in Portland on August 29 after a teenage right-wing vigilante killed two protesters and wounded another during a protest rally against police brutality in Kenosha, Wisconsin on August 25.

Meanwhile, in their letter to the community, local and state leaders further described paramilitary and alt-right activity as a challenge to Portland’s inclusive and democratic values, vowing that they would not be intimidated.

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“Portland has a long and proud history of opposing far-right organizing and standing up for Black lives in the Rose City, and Saturday will be no different,” the letter added.

It further emphasized that for three years Portland has had to endure rallies like the one planned for Saturday, with participants threatening “takeovers” of the city and touting their “combat unit” capacity.

Under Governor Brown’s emergency declaration, state troopers and the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office will lead a law enforcement taskforce authorized to use “proportional force” including tear gas to keep the peace, said Oregon State Police Superintendent Travis Hampton.

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