As Showdown Looms, Two More Men Arrested for May Day Attack at Cider Riot

Four men now face criminal charges related to a riot outside a Portland cidery.

Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw speaks at a rally to denounce violence on Aug. 14, 2019. (Motoya Nakamura / Multnomah County)

Portland Police today arrested a fourth person for a brawl that started after far-right extremists followed antifascists to a Portland cidery after a day of peaceful protests on May 1.

The arrests appear to back up statements from city officials who say violence at a far-right rally planned for this weekend will not be tolerated.

Mackenzie Lewis faces a single charge for riot, a class C felony. Law enforcement officials offered few details about why Lewis was arrested, but a civil lawsuit related to the incident alleges he assaulted an antifascist protester in order to remove the person's mask.

Christopher Ponte, another man involved in the attack, turned himself in and was booked on Aug. 13 for third-degree assault and riot, both felonies.

Lewis and Ponte join two other men charged with several crimes related to the brawl including felony assault, unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful use of tear gas, and disorderly conduct.

On May 1, after a day of failed attempts to provoke antifascists into fistfights, far-right brawlers affiliated with Patriot Prayer and a closely related group called Portland's Liberation, ambushed a group of antifascists drinking on the patio of Cider Riot.

The attack led to pepper spray and blows, and video published online shows a man named Ian Kramer hit a woman in the back of the head, knocking her unconscious.

Cider Riot owner Abram Goldman-Armstrong sued Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson, Kramer, Ponte, Lewis and Matthew "Deme" Cooper for damages related to the violence during the riot.

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