#Proud Boys rally in Portland as city aims to avoid violence

Several hundred members of the Proud Boys and other right-wing groups gathered at a park in Portland, Oregon, Saturday to rally against ongoing protests in the city and the politicians who are allowing them to continue, and to show their support for President Trump.

The city was braced for violence between the rallygoers and far-left groups which have been protesting for months in the city. The Proud Boys have held multiple events in Portland, alongside other right-wing groups such as Patriot Prayer, that often end in violent clashes with left-wing groups.

Anticipating thousands at the rally after the Proud Boys put out a nationwide call for attendance, Gov. Kate Brown declared a state of emergency but at mid-afternoon, the opposing groups had not come in contact.

Early on, the only conflicts that emerged were rally goers chasing a handful of individuals out of the park, including one man dressed in all black and wearing a black helmet with a sticker that said, “No justice, No peace.”

In livestreams from the event, some rally goers could be heard stating they were going downtown to confront Antifa, but organizers appeared to tamp down those claims.

Many at the rally were carrying guns, baseball bats or shields, and a number were dressed in fatigues. Militia members armed with different types of weapons were also posted throughout the park, according to the Oregonian.

“Make America Great Again” hats, along with t-shirts and flags supporting President Donald Trump were common. A few “Don’t Tread on Me,” flags and an occasional confederate flag also waved. Some carried signs that said “Free Kyle Now,” or wore t-shirts with “Kyle Rittenhouse did nothing wrong!” on them, a reference to the 17-year-old charged in the shooting deaths of two Black Lives Matter protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Others passed out signs asking for information about the death of Aaron “Jay” Danielson, who was fatally shot by self-described Antifa member Michael Forest Reinoehl, when a caravan of Proud Boys & Patriot Prayer members drove into downtown Portland during a Black Lives Matter protest.  Reinoehl, who claimed he acted in self defense, was killed by law enforcement officers a few days later as they tried to arrest him in Olympia, Washington.

A second event honoring historic Black residents of Portland drew several dozen people to another park about a mile away, but an organizer told the Oregonian they had no plans to interact with the Proud Boys. Another group of about 1,000 counter-demonstrators gathered in a third park about three miles away, but did not plan to march to the park where the Proud Boys had gathered, the paper said.

The rally comes as Portland approaches its fifth month of almost nightly protests against racial injustice and police brutality that have frequently ended in violent clashes with police.