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Hundreds of counter-protesters turned out on Sunday on the Willamette River waterfront to confront members of the right-wing Patriot Prayer group.
Fewer than 20 Patriot Prayer supporters arrived, however, as their leader, Joey Gibson earlier changed the venue of his planned 2 pm event from Portland to Vancouver.
One of them, Sean Mitchell of Troutdale, says counter-protesters and critics misunderstand Patriot Prayer.
"I came to Portland to show support for America, for the flag," Mitchell tells WW. "To them, if you love America then you're a racist, a Nazi and a bigot. "If loving America makes me a bigot, then so be it but that's not who I am. I'm here out of peace. I'm here out of love, I didn't come here to throw punches and fight."
Another Patriot Prayer supporter who ventured to Portland, Kyle Chapman, got kicked by a counter-protester and another had his "Make America Great Again" hat taken off his head but most of Sunday's hostilities were between counter-protesters and police.
Counter-protesters threw rocks and water bottles at police and sprayed them with silly string and in one case, a fire-extinguisher.
Around 1:30, police deployed pepper spray and a flash bang grenade toward the counter-protesters. They arrested at least seven counter-protesters.
Police then ordered the crowd to disperse or face further arrests and said on Twitter two officers had been injured by flying projectiles.
By 2 pm, the Patriot Prayer supporters left the protest area but a large crowd of counter-protesters remained.
