So I’m now in downtown Portland covering the Patriot Prayer rally and counterprotest. There’s a cop slowly driving a cruiser around the grass, stopping at times. A barricade system has been setup north of the Salmon Springs Fountain, just waiting for the crowd. #DefendPDX
Wouldn’t hurt to have a boat in the water in case someone goes over the waterfront’s railing and into the Willamette river 🤷♂️
#DefendPDX #AllOutPDX #Portland
Meanwhile: Police around the corner outside of central precinct, some are putting on riot gear for the upcoming Patriot Prayer event/counterprotest. There’s the police vehicles w the bumpers that the police will ride around on, too.
#DefendPDX #AllOutPDX
Over at Portland City Hall, where the opposition is gathering, the Raging Grannies are singing some protest songs. Eventually this group is supposed to move over to the waterfront, where Patriot Prayer and Proud Boys are supposed to converge. #DefendPDX #AllOutPDX
On a side note: it’s terribly interesting to me that the Grannies have a medic with them
What’s the timeframe for all of this to flare up? Soon, is all I can guess
About a dozen people associated with Patriot Prayer have arrived at Portland’s Waterfront Park. The guy w the bicycle and the purple hat is sporting a Joey Gibson campaign button.
#DefendPDX #AllOutPDX
Police frisking people as they attempt to enter the rally from near the fountain. #DefendPDX #AllOutPDX #Portland
Portland Police say that the Patriots’ heavy wooden poles have to go but the smaller, plastic poles used for flags can stay.
Posing for photos right now.
#DefendPDX #AllOutPDX
There’s a guy out here in a LAKERS jersey. He said “I like teams that win!”
Portland Police hitting up this group of antifa and making them take signs off of poles. Police at this station have confiscated two poles and a pocket knife. #DefendPDX #AllOutPDX
A large group of Patriot Patriot people and Proud Boys just showed up. Look at all the Confederate flags. #DefendPDX #AllOutPDX
Wild
SCENE: Here’s how things look at Salmon Springs Fountain right now. Lots of Proud Boys and Confederate flags
Patriot Prayer strongman Tiny’s shirt reads “Pinochet did nothing wrong.”
#DefendPDX #AlloutPDX
Caught the back of Tiny’s shirt.
This group of clowns is here to protest. They’re fundraising for various advocacy groups, in honor of the Proud Boys, Planned Parenthood and SPLC. “These boys right here are raising money for planned parenthood,” one of the clowns says
Another big group of Patriot Prayer people showing up. #DefendPDX #Alloutpdx
Tiny ordered the group that showed up to stay out of the barricaded area. I don’t think that area is gonna be used by the protest
Based Spartan is here and his helmet says “kill me.” I asked him why his helmet says that and he responded “why not?”
This guy, with tattoos that read “Snowden,” “Manning” and “resist” told me he’s not here to support Patriot Prayer “per se” but he’s against antifa.
#DefendPDX
There’s a lot of Confederate flags here for this “USA” chant
Police swoop into the Patriot Prayer group and start taking poles, protesters get testy w police. #DefendPDX #AllOutPDX
Antifascists and others opposed to Patriot Prayer showed up and start chanting “proud boys off our streets fascists retreat.” PB’s go to cross street and confront antifa but are called back.
Infowars is here, protesters don’t like infowars. #DefendPDX #AllOutPDX
“Hey hey, ho ho, Nazi boys have got to go.” Not getting any easier for infowars’ sacrificial lamb
Several dozen riot cops show up, clearing the roadway. #defendPDX #alloutpdx
Here’s Portland. Hundreds marching on Patriot Prayer and proud boys. Here we go. #DefendPDX #Alloutpdx
“ACAB all cops are bastards” black-clad antifascists chant as they approach The waterfront
Big hold up now. Obviously police are not letting antifa approach the waterfront via Salmon.
SCENE: in a holding pattern right now, riot police separating antifa from Patriot Prayer/Proud Boys. Cries of “Charlottesville!” and “our streets!” from antifascists. #DefendPDX #AllOutPDX
Crosswalks are closed, but there’s still protesters in the crosswalk. Perplexing! #DefendPDX
This counterprotrster offers a flower to an officer in the middle of the road. #DefendPDX #AlloutPDX
Mayor Ted Wheeler is here in spirit, I think. #DefendPDX #AllOutPDX
BREAKING: POLICE JUST OREDERED ANTIFA (group on the west side of Naito) TO LEAVE THE AREA. Cop on loudspeaker cites armed counterprotesters as the reason. #DefendPDX #AllOutPDX
Most aren’t budging
Soviet squad makes its way to the front of the standoff. #DefendPDX #AllOutPDX #Portland
Here’s a “Patriot Prayer.”
Man down. He’s dripping blood from his head. This is serious. He got in a struggle with some black clad dudes over a flag and one of them clubbed him. Video coming. #DefendPDX #Alloutpdx
Video shows a struggle for a flag and then a black-clad person hit this dude in the head before he drops. I was watching the blood pour out of his head and into the street. #DefendPDX #AllOutPDX
So right now we are still along Naito, counterprotest has shifted north on Naito and tracked Patriot Prayer’s movement. On SW Morrison and Naito right now. #defendPDX #AllOutPDX
Antifa is now shredding and attempting to burn a Nazi flag in downtown Portland. #DefendPDX #AlloutPDX
No idea where this Nazi flag came from and I couldn’t get a straight answer. You ever try to burn a flag? Not easy! #DefendPDX #AlloutPDX
Two large antifa groups down here, I’m with one that’s marching in the road, and tracking the Patriot group southbound through downtown, chanting “Nazis out of portland.” #defendPDX #alloutpdx
Apparently this group is still chasing the right-wingers. #defendPDX #alloutpdx
Lots of antifa still on patrol in downtown Portland. #AlloutPDX #DefendPDX
A pro-antifa Uhaul truck just showed up. Sign on front says “racists can’t dance.” #defendPDX #alloutPDX
Scene: Antifa caught up to the Patriot Prayer group (that’s them across the street)
Breaking: Portland Police using flash grenades on antifa. #DefendPDX #AlloutPDX. Part 1
Police shoot projectiles and flash grenades to disperse antifa. Part 2: #defendPDX #alloutPDX
Portland Police shoot riot control devices at antifa: part 3
#defendPDX #AllOutPDX
Antifa creating a traditional street barrier made of signs and newsstands. Part 4
#DefendPDX #AllOutPDX
Portland Police shoot riot control junk at antifa in downtown Portland. No sign of the Patriot Prayer group from here. Part 5
#DefendPDX #AlloutPDX
And antifa has the Patriot Prayer group in its sights get again. Resilient group. #DefendPDX #alloutPDX
Breaking: at SW Naito and Columbia police announce that this has been declared a “civil disturbance,” and people must disperse. #DefendPDX #alloutPDX
And what’s left of the group is back at Salmon Street Fountain.
A few police here, a few antifa there. Some protesters are lingering. But this looks mostly over. #DefendPDX #AlloutPDX
Ok I lied I just went back to Naito and there’s alot of people. I guess I was briefly disoriented due to temporary location change. Still active on sw Naito and Salmon
Scene in downtown Portland. Patriot Prayer group still across the street, separated by police line
Yeah I went to the corner store around the way, came back and there was some commotion on a side street and I thought things had shifted for a moment. Looked like a person driving a car peppersprayed antifa. Quit a bit more has gone on down here than I’ve been able to capture
Black-clad protester snatched a Trump 2020 hat from a Trump supporter who is sitting in the area. She got it back. #DefendPDX #AlloutPDX
Following Patriots away now
More following. I’m so over this. Plus I had a string-bean, black-clad goon get in my face.
Antifa found Patriot Prayer and the Proud Boys. And there’s Joey Gibson, hadn’t seen him all day. #DefendPDX #Alloutpdx
Tiny is barefoot in downtown Portland. Brave guy
I asked police why this person is detained and the cop told me the detainee was involved in the lobbing of projectiles. Person’s comrades shout “we love you!” #DefendPDX #AlloutPDX
Standoff between Patriot group and antifa. Patriot person yelled “is it something in the water that turns you all into faggots?” #DefendPDX #Alloutpdx
Underneath the Morrison bridge is a popular spot. 3-way scuffle under the bridge. #defendPDX #alloutPDX
WATCH: Don’t tread on me flag is turned into a knot by an antifascist. #DefendPDX #alloutPDX
EARLIER: after police finished unloading on counterprotesters w less-lethal rounds, I spied copwatcher Mike Bluehair sitting near City Hall in apparent agony. His hand was trembling, and he said he was hit in the thigh by this blue, foamy thing. #DefendPDX #alloutPDX
The buses are here to take Patriot Prayer and the Proud Boys away from Portland. #DefendPDX #AlloutPDX
I asked Tiny and he said he’s only been barefoot in downtown Portland for about half of the day. #DefendPDX #AllOutPDX
So I saw the dude who was being homophobic call a dude in a pink shirt a “faggot” and I asked him why he did that. These are the kind of “free speech” people these Patriot Prayer events bring out. #DefendPDX #AlloutPDX
And another set of buses shows up, and away they go and the remaining antifascists let up a cheer. #DefendPDX #AllOutPDX #Portland
Saw this poster of Joey Gibson at the Patriot Prayer rally earlier. #DefendPDX #AlloutPDX #Portland
The Uhaul truck was a fan favorite at yesterday’s Patriot Prayer counterprotest, so here’s more of the truck!
#DefendPDX #AllOutPDX #Portland
The copwatcher Mike Blue Hair who was hit by one of those blue police foam less lethal weapons yesterday sent me this picture of the bruise. Looks gnarly. No wonder he looked to be incapacitated when I saw him sitting on the sidewalk at City Hall. #DefendPDX #AllOutPDX
Because people insist on questioning the amount of Confederate flags at the recent Patriot Prayer rally in downtown Portland, let’s play spot the Confederate flag w this pic. I count 6 variations in this pic alone
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.