What you need to know about the upcoming far-right rallies in the Pacific Northwest
On Saturday, August 4, the far-right group Patriot Prayer is holding a “Freedom March” in Portland, Oregon, to support the candidacy of the group’s founder, Joey Gibson, who is seeking a U.S. Senate seat in Washington state.
Gibson and Patriot Prayer have been holding rallies in the Pacific Northwest since early 2017 alongside the hate group Proud Boys, who call themselves “Western chauvinists” and frequently engage in street fighting and harassment. The rallies have attracted a wide array of racist and antigovernment extremists.
A joint Patriot Prayer/Proud Boys rally in Portland descended into violence on June 30, and police declared it a riot. Extremists cheered when a video of a Proud Boy knocking out a masked counter-protester went viral. “I’m never makin fun of proudboys again,” tweeted the co-host of an influential white supremacist podcast.
It was the biggest demonstration of far-right street violence since the deadly “Unite the Right” in August 2017.
This weekend, the threat of violence looms again.
Emboldened by the June 30 fighting, more Proud Boys and other far-right activists have stated their intention to attend. And the far-right web forums are filled with paranoid rhetoric and talk about guns and other weapons.
The SPLC is watching the event closely and will be reporting on developments via Hatewatch and Twitter. Stay tuned for more information here.
Our coverage so far
- Injuries and arrests amid clashes amid Patriot Prayer and Proud Boys rally in Portland
- Portland police suspend some services citywide because of Patriot Prayer and Proud Boys rally
- Patriot Prayer and Proud Boys met by hundreds of counter-protesters in Portland
- Staff at Portland brew pub pans to shelter in basement during today's far-right march
- Ahead of rally, Patriot Prayer leaders goad supporters and antagonize Portland
- Another Charlottesville? Threats of violence loom over upcoming Portland Proud Boys, Patriot Prayer rally
More on the Proud Boys
- Extremist File: Proud Boys
- Blog: Hard Times Comin' Through: Gavin McInnes and the Charlottesville "Racism War" (August 2017)
- Blog: Do You Want Bigots, Gavin? Because This Is How You Get Bigots (August 2017)
More on Patriot Prayer
- Blog: Bay Area Weekend Rallies Turn South For ‘Patriot Prayer,’ Ends In Violence (August 2017)
- Blog: 'Patriot Prayer' rally again heavily outnumbered, again ends with violence, close call (September 2017)
- Blog: Patriot Prayer whips up anger in Seattle, but not much of a crowd (February 2018)
- Blog: Patriot Prayer and Proud Boys roll into Portland ready for a fight (June 2018)
- Blog: Portland far-right rally once again quickly turns violent as march becomes a riot (July 2018)
Blog: Joey Gibson's far-right Senate candidacy creates dilemma for Republicans (May 2018)
Additional Resources
Photo credit: AP Images
