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ThinkingSapien
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Portland braces for dueling protests
Multiple far-right and extremist groups plan to protest in Portland, Oregon, this weekend where they may come face to face with anti-fascist counterdemonstrators.The city’s mayor has asked people to stay away, while police are preparing operational plans in case they need to intervene.
Here’s what we know:
What’s being planned
A gathering is being planned by a man called Joe Biggs, who used to work for Infowars, the fringe media company run by a right-wing conspiracist. Biggs has posted he wants the protest to “put an end to domestic terrorism,” specifically left-wing anti-fascist extremists known as Antifa. The group is set to gather in downtown Portland.Who’s expected to attend
There are fears that the rally will attract many right-wing extremists, as well as Antifa counter-protests.Heidi Beirich, director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center, warned there could be a gathering of what she called “our most scary extremist groups” – like the Proud Boys, followers of The Daily Stormer, American Guard, the Three Percenters and the Oath Keepers. The SPLC, which monitors extremist activity across the US, says the groups are a mix of white supremacists, neo-Nazis and anti-government militias.
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Why it’s happening now
Biggs said he organized the event to counter Antifa, specifically mentioning the attack on Ngo in Portland in June.Politicians have made similar calls regarding Antifa. Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and Bill Cassidy have introduced legislation to have Antifa groups condemned as “domestic terrorists.” President Donald Trump tweeted that consideration was being given to the idea.
The demonstrations this weekend come two years after the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville turned violent and just two weeks after authorities say a man slaughtered 22 people in El Paso, Texas, in an outpouring of his hate toward Mexicans.
