Patriot Prayer has become predictable.
Every few months, the alt-right provocateurs take a bus from Vancouver, WA, to Portland, where they pelt the city with hate speech and Trump-isms, throw punches at those who disagree, and then leave us to cope with the emotional (and physical) toll.
Just as predictable, though—and perhaps more concerning—is the city’s response to these visits.
Leading up to Patriot Prayer’s violent August 4 rally in Portland, Mayor Ted Wheeler politely explained that, thanks to the First Amendment, he couldn’t do anything to stop the out-of-towners from inciting riots in his city. Commissioner Chloe Eudaly echoed Wheeler in a Facebook post. “To be clear,” she wrote, “the law does not allow me or my colleagues… to prevent this gathering.” No other city commissioner commented on the rally that the Southern Poverty Law Center predicted could be “the next Charlottesville.”
Perhaps city council is still spooked by the last time Wheeler tried to stop Patriot Prayer from storming the city in June 2017—mere days after a white nationalist (and regular participant in Patriot Prayer rallies) hurled racist slurs at a pair of teens on the MAX and then killed two men who tried to intervene. At the time, Wheeler asked the feds to revoke permits allowing Patriot Prayer to hold rallies in a federal plaza. But, as the ACLU reminded him, Wheeler’s request qualified as censoring free speech. Wheeler backed off and threw up his hands.
Fast-forward a year, and little has changed. In the process of protecting the free speech of a group aligned with white supremacy, it seems city leaders have forgotten how to use that same constitutional right to fight back.
Where are the statements from city, county, and state lawmakers loudly denouncing the group’s sexist, racist, and anti-immigrant ideals? It appears the First Amendment has become an excuse for inaction against hate groups—rather than an opportunity to decry a bigoted movement that’s decided to use Portland as a battlefield.
And that’s exactly why Patriot Prayer keeps coming back.
“I think it’s clear they’re intentionally focusing their attention on Portland because they believe city leadership is weak in maintaining order,” says Lindsay Schubiner, program director for the Western States Center, a nonprofit focused on racial and social justice in the West. “The city’s response hasn’t changed, while Patriot Prayer’s violence increases.”
Some cities have taken a different approach. Last August, news of a Patriot Prayer rally coming to San Francisco sparked instant, united opposition from elected officials at every level of government.
“You are not welcome here,” said then-Supervisor London Breed, who is now the city’s mayor. “We are going to do everything we can to stop you.” She was backed by then-Mayor Ed Lee, the city’s police chief, and state lawmakers—even US Representative Nancy Pelosi chimed in. Patriot Prayer promptly canceled the event, blaming the politicians for creating a “hostile environment.”
San Francisco’s leaders didn’t just discourage an alt-right protest. They acknowledged that Patriot Prayer was a serious threat to their city.
That’s not the case in Portland. Following Saturday’s protest, Wheeler released a brief statement simplistically condemning “numerous individuals” who came to the protest seeking to inflict harm. Later, Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw admitted that officers may have disproportionately focused their attention—and their pepper spray—on Portlanders who protested against the rally rather than the armed interlopers from Washington.
Patriot Prayer leaders, meanwhile, called the event “beautiful,” and applauded the police for defending their First Amendment rights.
What a biased crock! I do not support Patriot Prayer. However while the Max slasher who murdered the 2 men had been at their rally, I have seen video of them yelling that he is not w them.
Jeremy actually is a Bernie supporter! & 1 of those he killed, Best was a conservative Republican who tried to come to the rescue of the others!
The leader, Joey Gibson is half Japanese. Another leader is samoan.
The mayor already did condemn them & stirred up a riot in the process as he made such a fuss falsely associating Jeremy w them. & of course leaving out the inconvenient fact that he was a Bernie supporter.
But talking about hate groups, what about Antifa & those associates w them? 1 of them was caught on camera sucker punching a guy who it turns out is a Dem @ the last weekend demonstration!! They are the epitome of fascism that they supposedly oppose. & your article also denies the 1st amendment & has a fascist approach which is to shut down those you disagree w!
A much better way is to engage w open debate on the issues w those you disagree w rather than just trying to shut down those you disagree w.
Oh & falsely accusing them of being a hate group. Provocateurs yes. I do not like the way to do things. But I have not seen evidence of them being a hate group or racist.
& for things elsewhere, in DC it would have been better to just let the pathetic few of Unite the right or whatever they called themselves do their march. I heard they had about 2 dozen people.
But yet all the counter demonstrators gave them way more attention than they deserved!
& you are totally ignoring that Antifa & their allies have been doing destructive demonstrations here w lots of damage way before Patriot Prayer ever came in the scene!
The mayor has enabled violence by not enforcing the law! Smashing businesses & interfering w people getting around is NOT exactly love!
I personally am tired of all the violent & destructive demonstrations. That is drowning out the majorities who would like peace. & I hope would like to have civil discussions of differences!