A crowd of white nationalists took to the streets of Portland, Oregon, over the weekend for what they dubbed the “End Domestic Terrorism” rally. But they were outnumbered by a massive response from counterprotesters, who gathered across the city as police escorted members of the Proud Boys, Patriot Prayer and other right-wing groups across one of the city’s main bridges. Police arrested 13 people throughout the day and seized weapons but largely avoided “the worst-case scenario” Portland’s Mayor Ted Wheeler said the city was prepared for. Portland Police put more than 700 officers on patrol, with more than one cop for every two of the estimated 1,200 protesters. Some Republican politicians have called for antifa to be recognized as a terror organization, and the FBI has found that the majority of domestic terror in the U.S. is caused by white supremacists. From Portland, we speak with Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, who this year became the first African-American woman on the Portland City Council, and Shane Burley, a freelance journalist and filmmaker based in Portland, Oregon, and author of “Fascism Today: What It Is and How to End It.”
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman. Hundreds of far-right protesters took to the streets of Portland, Oregon, Saturday for what they dubbed the “End Domestic Terrorism” rally. They were outnumbered, however, by counterprotesters, who gathered across the city as police escorted members of the Proud Boys, Patriot Prayer and other right-wing groups across one of the city’s main bridges. Portland Police drew on local, state and federal law enforcement to put more than 700 officers on patrol — more than one cop for every two of the estimated 1,200 protesters. Police arrested 13 people throughout the day, seized weapons, but largely avoided the worst-case scenario Portland’s Mayor Ted Wheeler said the city was prepared for.
Trump tweeted, “Major consideration is being given to naming ANTIFA an ‘ORGANIZATION OF TERROR.’ Portland is being watched very closely. Hopefully the Mayor will be able to properly do his job!” the president tweeted.
One of the far-right rally organizers, Joe Biggs, told a reporter the event was a success. Biggs said, quote, “Go look at President Trump’s Twitter. He talked about Portland, said he’s watching antifa. That’s all we wanted. We wanted national attention, and we got it. Mission success,” Biggs said.
