Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler says violence wasn't welcome at Saturday's pro-police demonstration; There was violence

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler doesn’t tweet much about the “demonstrations” that have been going on for nearly three months in his city (except to blame President Trump for the rioting), but right-wing groups assembled Saturday at 3 at the Justice Center in downtown Portland, and counter-protesters showed up in droves. And yes, there was hate speech (if you believe such a thing) and violence.

A demonstration is scheduled to take place from noon to 3 p.m. today at Terry Schrunk Plaza. A counter demonstration is anticipated. We ask those who will be present to peacefully exercise their First Amendment Rights. Neither hate speech nor violence are welcome in Portland.

— Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) August 22, 2020

CNN’s Omar Jimenez lifted a video of “the moment a gun was pulled by a far right demonstrator … and pointed directly at counter protesters.”

This is the moment a gun was pulled by a far right demonstrator in Portland today and pointed directly at counter protestors. pic.twitter.com/hL6o5MrJWd

— Omar Jimenez (@OmarJimenez) August 22, 2020

To be honest, we’re not sure (and neither is Jimenez) if that’s a real gun, some sort of Airsoft gun, or a paintball gun, which the same man was carrying earlier. Here’s the original video, with a lot of it featuring Proud Boy and organizer Alan Swinney:

Alan swinney pulls a gun on the crowd. No shots fired. pic.twitter.com/f0jKX6nmNv

— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 22, 2020

We’d hope that wasn’t a real gun, especially since he was behind a line of his own guys at the time. Here are some more tweets from Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Sergio Olmos, who was actually on the ground there. (Language warning.)

Mass antifa vs. right-wing brawl at the Justice Center in downtown Portland. Numerous conservative groups held a pro-police rally but it was crashed by #antifa, who threw eggs, rocks, feces & urine. Both sides pepper sprayed each other for more than an hour. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/M7SQy2N1lD

— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 22, 2020

Another mass brawl breaks out in downtown Portland. Proud Boys and other right-wing groups rush in and fight #antifa, who are pushed back. Bats, sticks and pepper spray are used in the brutal melee. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/2BgrE2YmOT

— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 22, 2020

Antifa reinforcements arrive and they move in, pushing the right wingers back in the street battle outside the Justice Center in Portland. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/elYbeClu4O

— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 22, 2020

Looks like the police did move in after the official demonstration was over and the pro-police crew packed up and left:

To note: police declared unalawful assembly after Trump supporters left

— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 22, 2020

Feds come out and disperse, unlawful assembly declared after trump supporters leave pic.twitter.com/TI4i2GYKah

— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 22, 2020

Wow, Portland cops can be persuasive when they want to be.

We’d still like some confirmation on that gun; we’re old enough to remember the mainstream media mistaking a handheld fire extinguisher for tear gas. Everything is tear gas to the media.

Related:

Portland Police take to loudspeaker to remind rioters they damaged a Boys & Girls Club van, shockingly the ‘mostly peaceful’ protesters don’t seem to care https://t.co/roIJ34A9CN

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) August 22, 2020