Opposing rallies in Portland, Ore., Saturday drew large crowds who sprayed mace and tossed smoke bombs, paintballs and rocks at each other.
Far-right organizers with ties to fascist groups organized an event with the stated goal of “saying no to Marxism,” drawing counter-protests from left-wing and anti-fascist groups. Worried about violence, Minutes before it began, Mayor Ted Wheeler tweeted warnings for both sides to “peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights.”
Meanwhile, the “Mother of All Back the Blue Rallies” launched nearby.
Portland has seen daily protests since the May death of George Floyd. Hundreds of demonstrators filled the streets, nearby parks and plazas for Saturday’s face-off, the Oregonian reported.
After about two hours, the right-wing crowd rushed left-wing protesters, one of them spraying mace indiscriminately.
The right-wing groups dispersed a short time later, but hundreds of Black Lives Matter supporters remained, chanting slogans at federal officers. Around 3 p.m., the gathering was declared an unlawful assembly, and federal officers began pushing the crowd out of a park.
Protesters cheered as they left, chanting “We pushed back the fash (fascists) and the feds.”