Shooting erupts as US far-right, far-left groups clash in Portland
The US city of Portland has been rocked by rival rallies between far-right and left-wing groups, with right-wing Proud Boys and leftist Antifa members clashing in a violent street showdown.
The violence erupted after a group of some 300 left-wing protesters swarming an area in central Portland and forcing a rival camp of around 100 right-wing activists to relocate their event to an abandoned parking lot northeast of the city.
There was no police presence during the violent confrontation, however, arrests were made after gunfire erupted between the opposing groups. Several buildings and cars were damaged by gunfire.
“You should not expect to see police officers standing in the middle of the crowd trying to keep people apart. People should keep themselves apart and avoid physical confrontation,” Portland Police Bureau Chief Chuck Lovell said.
He added that "just because arrests are not made at the scene when tensions are high, does not mean that people won't be charged with crimes."
Portland has been the scene of violent clashes between political American extremists since last year.
As recently as Aug. 7, a black-clad Antifa group and a group wearing the colors of the far-right Proud Boys exchanged shots of pepper spray and paint balls after an open-air religious meeting led by a conservative pastor.
Sunday's competing protests came on the anniversary of a clash that grew violent between right-wing and leftist anti-fascist crowds in downtown Portland, where a succession of street demonstrations last year followed the murder of George Floyd, a Black man, by a Minneapolis police officer on May 25, 2020.
The clashes resulted in the shooting death of a right-wing protester, 39-year-old Aaron Danielson, on Aug. 29.
The pro-Trump, pro-gun rights Proud Boys group is designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The Proud Boys call themselves “a pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world; aka Western Chauvinists."
The members had often showed up to counter protests against Trump and racial injustice.
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