Keep Resisting. Itâs Working.
How We Got Through the Last Two Years, and How Weâll Get Through the Next Two
Fighting right-wing extremism begins at home. In Portland, that means we need to have some real honest conversations about Patriot Prayer, the militant right-wing group based in Vancouver, Washington. For the past few years, Patriot Prayerâs top priority has been visiting Portland to incite violence, taunt the cityâs lefty leadership, and collect praise from right-wing blogs. City officials continue to grapple with the best way to combat this violent groupâbut the responsibility doesnât rest on them alone. As we charge into the second half of Trumpâs term, letâs start changing the way we talk about our local alt-righters.
Adjectives Matter
Patriot Prayer is not just a group of rabble-rousing conservatives who enjoy waving American flags. Patriot Prayer is a far-right extremist group whose members use racist and misogynistic rhetoric to threaten minorities. Yes, the groupâs membership includes women and people of colorâbut also includes members of the self-identified white nationalist group, the Proud Boys.
False Equivalencies
Weâre past the âgood people on both sidesâ angle with this crew. When Patriot Prayer visits Portland, theyâre often greeted by locals who promptly ask them to take their bigotry and leave. These progressive counter-protesters often include members of the anti-fascist (antifa) community, a group that dresses in all black and is equated to alt-right militia groups by conservative leaders (including Donald Trump).
A quick reminder: According to the Global Terrorism Database, terror-related attacks by right-wing extremists have risen from 6 percent to 35 percent since early 2000. The share of attacks by left-wing extremists has dropped from 64 percent to 12 percent in the same period. In 2017 alone, we saw 65 attacks orchestrated by right-wing extremistsâand 11 by left-wingers. While some members of antifa get physical when Patriot Prayer comes to town, itâs often their way of defending our community from dangerous interlopers.
They Want Our Attention
Patriot Prayer, like other alt-right groups, love the spotlight. Theyâre hungry for media coverage to validate their existence and spread their hateful rhetoric. They want locals to live in fear of their visits and they want the nation to believe Portland is some violent pit of anarchy theyâre humbly obligated to battle. You know what theyâd hate? If the public and media pointed that spotlight on their enemiesâactual Portlanders who are fed up with them using our streets as a battleground. There are a number of local progressive groupsâlike Demand Utopia, Popular Mobilization, and Democratic Socialists of Americaâdoing the hard work of organizing against Patriot Prayerâs toxic visits with nonviolent action and education. Letâs give them the megaphone.