Trump supporters caravan south of Portland, head to Salem, attack counter-protesters
Hundreds of supporters of President Trump and right-wing activists gathered in Oregon City, Oregon, on Monday for a "Cruise Rally" south toward Salem, the state capital. The caravan, featuring Trump flags, QAnon banners, and Blue Lives Matter paraphernalia, broke up after several miles on Interstate 5, but a group of Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer members continued on to Salem to join about 100 Trump supporters on the steps of the state Capitol.
"At one point Monday afternoon, the right-wing crowd rushed a smaller group of Black Lives Matters counter-demonstrators, firing paint-gun pellets at them," The Associated Press reports. "Some in the right-wing group carried guns, baseball bats, sticks, and pipes," The Oregonian adds. "The Salem Police Department, supported by Oregon State Police, made multiple arrests after rally goers attacked some of the counter-protestors." Oregon Pubic Broadcasting's Sergio Olmos captured two of those attacks (the top one includes NSFW language and violence).
The two men arrested for the second assault, Ty Parker of Durango, Colorado, and Trenton Wolfskill of Eugene, Oregon, were later released, Oregon State Police said. New York Times reporter Mike Baker also captured some of the skirmishes in Salem, then went back to cover the nightly protests in Portland.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
There actually was a large protest in Portland, Baker noted later, just not in the downtown area. An anti-racism demonstration outside Portland's North Precinct Community Policing Center on Sunday night led to several arrests after several people set a mattress on fire.
The Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer activists have clashed with Black Lives Matter protesters in downtown Portland on and off for years, though tensions increased after an anti-fascist supporter fatally shot a Patriot Prayer member after a pro-Trump truck rally through downtown. (The suspect gunman, Michael Reinoehl, was killed by police as they tried to take him into custody last week.) Monday's Oregon for Trump 2020 rally purposefully avoided Portland, but the Proud Boys have announced a downtown rally for Sept. 26.
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
-
Tips and tricks for VeganuaryThe Week Recommends Here are some of our best recommendations for a plant-based start to the year
-
FBI bars Minnesota from ICE killing investigationSpeed Read The FBI had initially agreed to work with local officials
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
-
Trump says US ‘in charge’ of Venezuela after Maduro grabSpeed Read The American president claims the US will ‘run’ Venezuela for an unspecified amount of time, contradicting a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
