How dare you try to silence our extremists and keep them from silencing extremists!
Here's an idea... maybe the over the top attempts to silence the free speech of people (whatever their view point may be) is what is drawing right wing demonstrators from around the country! Perhaps the police bureau understands this.

And on the topic of silencing free speech, its odd that the email address I have used recently to comment on the Mercury is suddenly no longer registered on the site.

"“What’s even more unsafe is letting these movements go unopposed,” says Effie Baum, spokesperson for Popular Mobilization, or PopMob, a group that organizes left-wing rallies. “If we don’t go, they’re going to continue to grow and continue to come back."

Complete BS. The ONLY reason these groups are choosing Portland is BECAUSE they know there will be ANTIFA here in droves who are willing to bait them into a fight. If ANTIFA doesn't show up, then these idiots will have no reason to keep marching in Portland. Simple as that.

On the flip side, ANTIFA shows up and gives these losers the fight they need = national news coverage and a platform for these groups to play the victim card. It is unbelievable that ANTIFA is allowing themselves to be played like a fiddle in all of this.

We're all being 'played like a fiddle'...Rome burned while Nero fiddled, eh?!

"In statements leading up to Saturday’s event, Outlaw and Wheeler have all but guaranteed violence—both by protesters and the police"

What statements does this refer to? Sincerely curious, mildly confused.

the other article from this author arrives at different conclusion with regards to violence
https://www.portlandmercury.com/blogtown/2019/08/14/26974291/portland-leaders-deliver-unified-message-against-hate-prior-to-proud-boy-protest

Obviously, when nobody confronts fascists, they do violence elsewhere.

Leftists followed the advice in this comment section on 5/1/19: they ignored fascist instigators, protested peacefully, turned their backs on physical threats to neutralize them. You know what happened? The fascists got frustrated, armed themselves, then marched to the bar the leftists were having an after-party at and broke a woman's neck. The perpetrators of that planned attack were only recently arrested due to massive public outcry and planning yet another attack very publicly.

In 2016 when left to their own devices, the fascists invaded and attacked an immigrant church
In 2017 when left alone, the fascists drove around the region attacking black teenagers and LGBTQ people.

People should absolutely know the history and outcomes of their proposed actions (or inaction) before proposing them, and if those people have no idea what's going on anyway, maybe tey should withhold offering their advice to people that do.