| | | Authorities praised for handling of protests in Portland
[ Proud Boys tried to provoke a riot in Portland probably in cahoots with Steven Miller. ]
GILLIAN FLACCUS
Associated Press•August 19, 2019
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — After previous political rallies that ended in violence, police in Portland, Oregon, earned praise Monday from outside observers for using a natural barrier — the city's Willamette River — to keep dueling protesters apart during a weekend far-right rally and large counter-demonstration that included a subset of masked and black-clad anti-fascists.
Two of the 13 people arrested Saturday made a first court appearance Monday, while the rest have court dates next month to allow authorities to process reams of evidence, including videos and photos posted on social media, the Multnomah County district attorney's office said in a statement. More arrests may come as those postings are reviewed, authorities said.
As the city returned to normal, Mayor Ted Wheeler called Saturday's dueling demonstrations a win for residents. Oregon's top federal prosecutor called the handling of the event a "definitive counterpoint" for those who on both sides who have criticized police after past protests for favoring one side or the other.
"We do not tolerate hate and we do not tolerate violence," Wheeler said. "We had a plan, we executed on that plan and on the whole, it was successful."
Amid the praise, however, protesters on both sides declared victory — and laid the groundwork for future demonstrations in liberal Portland.
A small group of right-wing protesters camped outside Wheeler's house Sunday to protest what they say were his attempts to limit free speech. Joe Biggs, a member of the far-right group Proud Boys, vowed that right-wing groups will keep coming to Portland as long as anti-fascists are around.
Joey Gibson, the leader of another right-wing group that's marched in Portland previously, spoke Monday outside the courthouse where he had a first court appearance on a charge of felony rioting from a May 1 skirmish with anti-fascists. In a video streamed live on Facebook, Gibson said he would not take a plea deal because he had done nothing wrong.
"If you're liberal, you should be against this," he said. "They don't have to support me but they need to stand up for free speech."
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