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Members of Patriot Prayer at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on August 4, 2018.
Members of Patriot Prayer at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on August 4, 2018. Steve Dykes / Getty Images

Good morning, Portland! Expect another sunshiney Portland day with a high of 74 degrees. Here’s some news to start your week:

Sound Familiar? A New York Republican club invited alt-right provocuvuert Gavin McInnes to speak Friday, sparking a violent clash between anti-facist (Antifa) protesters and Proud Boys (members of a right-wing group founded by McInnes) on the sidewalk outside of the building. Governor Andrew Cuomo has called for an FBI investigation into the violence.

Copycats: A day after the New York clash, a number of Proud Boys joined Vancouver’s right-wing agitators, Patriot Prayer, and marched in downtown Portland. The reason? They were upset when people marching last weekend to protest the Portland police shooting of Patrick Kimmons were rude to people driving by in their cars (It should be noted: one of those drivers steered his car into the march, hitting at least one person). Saturday’s event attracted Antifa counterprotesters. Patriot Prayer’s so-called “law and order” march turned into a brawl in the middle of the street, where Antifa unleashed pepper spray on their opponents and Patriot Prayer members were seen hitting people with clubs. Portland police broke it up by firing rubber bullets into the crowd. Adults!

Related: In response to Fox News blaming Portland police inaction against Antifa on Mayor Ted Wheeler, Wheeler claims he is not a “nutcase mayor.” Sounds like something a nutcase mayor would say.

Him? The Oregonian‘s conservative-leaning editorial board has endorsed Republican Knute Buehler for governor.

Pompeo to the Rescue? Donald Trump has sent Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Saudi Arabia to press King Salman over the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Good Guys: According to a federal report, more than 500 employees of the United States Border Patrol were charged with drug trafficking, accepting bribes and a range of other crimes over a two-year period.

GOSSIPTOWN, USA: Ariana Grande and SNL’s Pete Davidson have called off their engagement and Megan Markle is pregnant (it’s Harry’s).

End of an Era: Sears, the original Amazon, filed for bankruptcy today. If you’re looking for some Sears nostalgia, here’s a great episode of 99% Invisible about the department store’s DIY houses.

College footaball seems okay.

Alex Zielinski is a former News Editor for the Portland Mercury. She's here to tell stories about economic inequities, cops, civil rights, and weird city politics that you should probably be paying attention...

One reply on “Good Morning, News: Proud Boys Fight Antifa in NYC and Portland, Oregonian Backs Buehler, and Ted Wheeler: Not a Nutcase.”

  1. Divide and conquer, divide and conquer. The fake left/right “dichotomy” has infected everything. This “Proud Boys” vs. “Antifa” crap is just another sideshow meant to deflect attention away from the real issues. All you angry young jerks on both sides should be reading books like this, and focusing your anger where it belongs. It’s fiction, like Fight Club, but is based on real horrors perpetrated by real people, right here in New York state. And it’s still happening. Open your eyes, take off the blinders and stop fighting each other. There are far bigger fish to fry: https://www.amazon.com/Wasted-Story-Love-Gone-Toxic/dp/1948796309/ref=sr_1_1/131-9813031-0400758?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1538506403&sr=1-1&keywords=9781948796309

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