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Stay away from Saturday's Patriot Prayer protest—that's the request to Portlanders from City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly.
In a strongly worded statement released late Friday afternoon, Eudaly said she'll be attending a counter-protest at City Hall at 10:30 am, a good distance from the Tom McCall Waterfront Park where Joey Gibson's right-wing "March for Freedom" is scheduled to take place.
The march has drawn the interest of white nationalists and a far-right men's fraternity called the Proud Boys.
"I strongly encourage Portlanders to consider staying away from this event," Eudaly writes, "and instead engage in a day or weekend of action—attend an event in your community, donate to organizations doing vital work in this area, sign up to volunteer, write letters to elected representatives, spread messages of love, peace, and resistance on social media, and talk to friends and family."
"There are limitless ways we can creatively and peacefully demonstrate but hate, bigotry, and intolerance is not welcome in our city."
A large coalition of antifascist protest groups, organizing under the name POPMOB, short for "popular mobilization," plan to confront Gibson and his far-right allies. On Friday afternoon, the Democrat Socialists of America urged its members to join the counterprotesters and overwhelm the far-right march.
Eudaly says if First Amendment and local free speech protections didn't stand in the way she'd block Gibson's group from coming.
"To be clear, the law does not allow me or my colleagues, including the Mayor, to prevent this gathering," she says. "If I was able to prevent it I certainly would: I believe that the principles these groups espouse are intended to foment hatred and violence in our city."
She praised Mayor Ted Wheeler and Police Chief Danielle Outlaw "for taking this threat seriously, doing everything they can to keep the public safe, and for sending a strong message that Portland will not tolerate hate."
In an earlier open letter to the police, Wheeler said he had "complete trust" in the Portland Police Bureau's ability to handle Saturday's demonstration. (The police union president harshly rebuffed Wheeler earlier today over the handling of an immigration protest.)
"Once again, you will be called upon to secure the safety of our residents during this weekend's planned demonstrations," Wheeler said. "I know that this is a particularly challenging situation, and I want you to know that I have complete trust in your ability to manage it."
Eudaly's full statement:
PORTLAND, OREGON, August 3, 2018 – Tomorrow (August 4th) white supremacists, fascists, and assorted far-right conspiracy theorists, largely from outside of our city, plan to gather in the Tom McCall Waterfront Park to exercise their First Amendment rights. According to reports, they specifically chose the location of their event in order to ensure that they could carry weapons and there have been multiple threats of violence by participants on social media. I want to thank Mayor Wheeler and Chief Outlaw for taking this threat seriously, doing everything they can to keep the public safe, and for sending a strong message that Portland will not tolerate hate.
No city permits were issued, nor are they necessary to assemble on the waterfront or march on the sidewalks. Despite threats made by individuals, these groups still have a right to peacefully assemble and to freedom of speech. What they don't have a right to do is commit acts of violence or engage in speech meant to cause physical harm to others. To be clear, the law does not allow me or my colleagues, including the Mayor, to prevent this gathering. If I was able to prevent it I certainly would: I believe that the principles these groups espouse are intended to foment hatred and violence in our city.
There are multiple ways to respond to injustice, and the right response is different for different people. I am choosing to express my voice by attending a counter protest at City Hall tomorrow at 10:30am and then leaving the area for the remainder of the day.
I strongly encourage Portlanders to consider staying away from this event and instead engage in a day or weekend of action — attend an event in your community, donate to organizations doing vital work in this area, sign up to volunteer, write letters to elected representatives, spread messages of love, peace, and resistance on social media, and talk to friends and family.
There are limitless ways we can creatively and peacefully demonstrate but hate, bigotry, and intolerance is not welcome in our city.
Commissioner Chloe Eudaly