The Dialogue: What Readers Think About the Recent Political Brawl in Portland That Left One Protester Hospitalized

"Nobody is right when everybody’s wrong.”

An alt-right protester in Portland on June 30. (William Gagan)
By WW Staff

Last week, WW wrote about a political brawl in downtown Portland that left one participant in the hospital with a skull fracture and a minor brain hemorrhage ("MAGA Mayhem," WW, July 4, 2018.) For over a year, the city has seen dueling protests between the right-wing group Patriot Prayer and antifascist adversaries. The June 30 riot—ostensibly a campaign event for Washington U.S. Senate candidate Joey Gibson—was one of the most violent to date. Here's what readers had to say.

Alison Campbell, via Facebook: "How the hell is any of this making America great?"

Cole Roffman, via Facebook: "Whether you support one side or the other, Antifa was the instigator of violence."

Claire Michel, via Facebook: "Nazis started it by showing up in Portland in the first place. They wanted a fight, they got it."

JSNSR, via wweek.com: "Definitely a riot with both sides responsible. The videos I saw showed Antifa pelting the boys with bottles, eggs and fireworks. They taunted them, and the boys seemed to go after them at that point. Nobody is right when everybody's wrong."

GirlSparky, via Twitter: "Why is a candidate in Washington allowed to hold a campaign event in Oregon?"

Tom Moody, via Facebook: "The alt-right's marches are not about free speech, they are about white supremacy. Free speech is their cover story to make themselves look respectable."

Mik El, via Facebook: "Love or hate Patriot Prayer, they're going to dish out harder than whatever Antifa throws at them."

Max Welldean Matthews, via Facebook: "Antifascism will always be an act of self-defense."

Harv056, via Twitter: "These so-called patriots are a joke. They are an insult to all who have fought for our flag. Bullies and meatheads promoting hate under guise of free speech."

Michael, via Twitter: "There could have been many more [injured] if not for Portland police intervening."

Viktor, via wweek.com: "Yeah, it's a crappy job, but police really have to keep the two sides apart better."

CORRECTION

Last week's cover story misidentified the chairman of the Oregon Environmental Justice Task Force. He is Joel Iboa. WW regrets the error.

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