The Portland Narrative of The Right Wing Rally

There was a Right Wing rally in Portland on August 17^th 2019. The rally was to raise awareness for domestic terrorism, particularly to highlight the actions of the group known as Antifa. This rally was in response to the brutal attack, at the hands of Antifa, on an independent journalist Andy Ngo that left him with a brain hemorrhage.

Narrative One

Leading up to this rally there was a lot of hot rhetoric on both sides. This of course caught national attention and the media was attempting to bill this event as the next Charlottesville. Naturally this alarmed the public, no one wants Neo-Nazi’s and White Nationalists gathering in their city.

This narrative was pushed by the mayor, Ted Wheeler, and the mainstream media. The only problem was that the Right Wing groups were not Neo-Nazi’s or White Nationalists. In fact Enrique Tarrio, one of the organizers and head of the Proud Boys is not white at all. Seems a bit odd that a White Nationalist group is led by a non-white person.

The media and the Progressive mayor, not interested in allowing the truth to get in the way of a useful narrative, ignored that fact. The mayor instead doubled down. He made the rounds on major media outlets saying that violence will not be tolerated in Portland.

His statements were a bit vague and any attempt by media personalities to get him to clarify who he was talking about were dodged. He seemed to imply that he did not want groups from outside of Portland to bring violence into the city. It seemed like mayor Wheeler was going to allow the police to do their jobs to keep the peace.

The mayor, along with a group of Portland organizations, held a rally a few days before saying they don’t want outsiders to bring violence into their city. That they don’t want people to come here and say hateful things and spread their hateful message.

In an unrelated and totally coincidental matter, several members of Patriot Prayer had arrest warrants issued for them and were taken into custody. This included the head of Patriot Prayer Joey Gibson, who turned himself in voluntarily to the police.

The Death of Narrative One

The rally was set to start at 11am on Saturday August 17^th 2019. Several groups showed up early to organize people and to share their location on social media. I arrived 15 minutes early and made my way to park where the rally was set to take place. After making my way around the police line and ending up among the black bloc I eventually made my way to the Right Wing group.

The Right Wing groups met up in the park, surrounded by police and screaming protesters. The protesters shouted at the Right Wing groups, called them Nazi’s, fascists, racists, and yelled at them to go home. While the organizers were from out of town a lot of people at the rally lived in or near Portland.

The Proud Boys got between the protesters and other members of the rally, trying to keep everyone focused on the speakers rather than engaging in shouting matches. Most the people at the rally understood that Antifa were a distraction and focused on the speakers. While in the park the Right Wing groups knelt down and said a prayer.

They prayed for Antifa and the city of Portland. To bring light into the city and to bring an end to the hate. This was followed by a signing of the national anthem and chants of USA. After this the organizers announced they would march to another location. They walked across the bridge and ended up at their location. It was here that a man walked into the group and started shouting F*** YOU while pointing at the face of every person he saw.

The Proud Boys acted quickly to keep the crowd away from him and the police quickly removed the man from the situation. No punches were thrown, no one was beat up and the police did their job. Soon after this, around 1:30pm the group was told by the organizers to disperse and head home. People left and made their way home.

The rally was over and it was peaceful. Antifa remained and turned their anger on individuals they singled out as Nazi’s, the police, and even attacked the bus the Proud Boys were attempting to leave on. Seems a bit odd that Antifa members spent hours yelling at the Right Wing groups to leave and the moment they try to leave they attack them.

After the Right Wing groups left a civil disturbance was declared due to illegal blocking of roads and several assaults committed by Antifa. The next day the media tried to carry the narrative forward writing things like ‘violence rocks Portland at Far Right rally’ or ‘13 arrested at Far-Right protest in Portland.’

They seem to have forgot that almost everyone has a cell phone with a camera and can watch the events happen in real time, unedited. These media companies had their comment sections light up as people pointed out that they are attempting to mislead people. Mayor Wheeler came out afterward and said that Joe Biggs, one of the organizers, was no longer welcome in Portland.

Wheeler said that Bigg’s message of hate had no place in the city of Portland. This narrative died as soon as the bus carrying the Right Wing rally goers left the city.

Narrative Two (Plan B)

We the people are not stupid. We understand that Antifa is a huge problem in Portland, but Mayor Wheeler refuses to directly address them and the media refuse to shine the light on this group. The first narrative was false and that falsehood was exposed for the world to see, and public sentiment started to turn against Wheeler and Antifa.

That is when the second narrative was born. In order to shift public sentiment against the peaceful Right Wing groups the media started running stories about how much businesses who closed their shops the day of the rally suffered.

The estimated cost to these businesses was $3 million and expected to grow. The media of course is trying to stand this narrative on the corpse of the previous one. They say if these Right Wing groups would not provoke people than things like this would never happen.

To clarify, the narrative goes like this. If Right Wing groups would stop committing the crime of being Right Wing in Portland than black clad people would not have to violently assault people, destroy property, and attack the police costing millions of dollars of tax payer money and hurting business.

It would seem that the Mayor does not believe the people actually committing the acts of violence and property destruction are responsible for their actions. Instead it is the groups who those people hate. It also seems that Mayor Wheeler believes the Right Wing groups are responsible for the hate and anger of other people because the Right Wing groups are the objects of that hate.

The Mayor of Portland seems to think that Right Wing groups should not be allowed to go into certain places if they are hated in those places. And if they do go into those places they are not allowed to enter, the simple act of being there is justification for the outrage, anger, hate and physical attacks they suffer. Not only that but that they are to blame for the attacks they suffer and any damage done due to those attacks.

The goal of this second narrative seems to be the same as the first, sway public opinion against the Right Wing groups.

A Comparison

Joey Gibson, leader of Patriot Prayer told reporters that he and his group have done around 60 rallies all over the state of Washington. All have been peaceful, no property damage was done, and no one was hurt. A few counter protesters even showed up but they all remained civil and everyone got to exercise their right to free speech peacefully.

 

Antifa protested in Portland after the election of President Donald Trump and cost the city $1 million in damages. There was no Patriot Prayer in the city, the Proud Boys did not exist as a group, and no one was counter protesting them. They were so upset about the election of Donald Trump they attempted to burn down and destroy the very communities they now claim they are protecting.

The question becomes, if Patriot Prayer can have around 60 peaceful rallies (so peaceful they get zero media coverage) all over the west coast, why is it that there is only fighting and violence in Portland? You must also ask, if Antifa protests turn toward violence and destruction even in the absences of Right Wing groups, why does the mayor not address directly the issue of Antifa violence?

The problem at these rallies are not the Right Wing groups (don’t get me wrong the Right Wing groups have problems of their own to be sure, just like any other group), they understand they are under a microscope at these events. They understand that any hint of aggression, any fighting, or any statement will be analyzed, picked apart, twisted and turned if it can be used to support the narrative that the cause of all the problems are Right Wing groups.

The problem is not even Antifa, but rather the culture of Portland itself. A ‘Progressive’ culture that increasingly focuses on a person’s group identity as an indicator of good or bad. A culture that believe the world is a conflict between good and evil people. A culture that believes if words make you upset that is violence, to be met with physical violence justified as self-defense. A culture that applies laws differently depending on your ideological belief and the fact that you wear a mask.

Elizabeth Hovde and Oregonian vs Mayor Wheeler, Portland Resistance and Antifa

Elizabeth Hovde did the unthinkable, she dared to tell her truth in a Progressive city. On October 28^th 2018 the Oregonian published her opinion piece titled The Misunderstood Joey Gibson and the backlash was swift and aggressive.

Misunderstood

Elizabeth Hovde’s opinion piece was based off her time spent with a local activist group known as Patriot Prayer and their leader Joey Gibson. The rally opposing Washington gun-control Initiative 1639 took place at Washington State University Vancouver campus.

Ahead of the rally the university chancellor cancelled classes and advised students to remain off campus fearing violence. The Patriot Prayer rally was anything but violent. Joey Gibson even set up a question and answer period so that he could discuss his opinion with those who disagreed.

Hovde wrote what she experienced and submitted it to the Oregonian editorial board for publication. It was published and immediately attracted the attention of some powerful people who condemned her, called for her to be fired and for people to target the Oregonians sponsors in an attempt to shut down the long standing publication.

Journalists and Public Officials for Censorship

It is a strange sight to see writers and journalists offering support for censorship. They of course would deny that is their ultimate goal. This denial would not be a lie, because they would believe that they are not supporting censorship. Yet these same people would celebrate if Hovde's article were taken down and she were fired.

I am reminded of Matthew 7:20 “Therefore by their fruits you shall know them.” While they may not be calling for censorship directly nor do they believe they are asking for that, their actions are going to result in that outcome. As Thomas Sowell once said, “Consequences matter more than intentions.”

Mayor Ted Wheeler, who has attempted to use his position as Portland’s Mayor (and police commissioner) to falsely spread public fear in an attempt to stifle the individual’s first amendments right to freedom of expression, had this to say about Elizabeth Hovde article.

His statement shows that he clearly does not understand what Patriot Prayer and Joey Gibson stand for. Joey Gibson has repeatedly called out white supremacists and neo-Nazi’s and told them they are not welcome at his rallies. The speakers at Patriot Prayer rallies are from different backgrounds and ethnicities. At an event on June 30^th 2018 Patriot Prayer had Asian, Black, Hispanic, male, female, Trans and LGBTQ attendees. Speakers included people of various ethnicities and even a Trans person.

Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury had this to say.

She is stating that the Oregonian ‘complicit’ in stoking ‘violence and hatred’ and that it is ‘unforgivable.’ If you were a supporter of Deborah Kafoury and trust what she has to say, what are you supposed to take away from this statement? She wants you to be mad at the Oregonian and to believe that they are spreading hate and violence.

What sort of response should you have to an individual or organization spreading hate and violence? Naturally you would experience fear and in order to protect yourself from that fear you must oppose the Oregonian.

People like Ted Wheeler and Deborah Kafoury will tell you that in order for them to protect you from this boogieman they must be given more power and authority. Authority over where, when, and how people can protest in Portland. Power over what can and cannot be published in the press.

Anna Griffin news director for OPB and Samantha Swindler video producer, editor, and writer for the Oregonian had this to say about their fellow writer and journalist:

Half Truths and the Weasel Rhetoric of Alex Zielinski

Alex Zielinski of the Portland Mercury penned a response to Elizabeth Hovde and the Oregonian. She starts by mentioning the tragedy of 11 people killed in a synagogue in Pittsburgh. Why? Because she is trying to tie two unrelated events together to make one look worse through association.

She even calls Hovde article The Misunderstood Joey Gibson a ‘love letter to the leader of the Portland area’s own far-right extremist group.’ She even falsely calls Patriot Prayer a ‘militaristic group of far-right provocateurs.’ Patriot Prayer is in no way militaristic, which means advocating or pursuing an aggressive military policy.

She also goes on to mislead the reader about violence at Patriot Prayer rallies. She frames these acts of violence as if they are spontaneous and happen in a vacuum, when in reality there would be no violence if Antifa did not show up and attack people, throw mortars, urine and bricks at crowds peacefully taking part in a permitted march.

Alex also misleads her readers about claims made by Mayor Ted Wheeler that Patriot Prayer members were ‘lugging rifles and ammunition’ to a peaceful protest, which she puts in scare quotes. These claims were refuted by Portland Police. The men with guns all had legal concealed carry permits and 100% cooperated with the police. When asked to leave the guns in a locked container in one truck and the ammunition in a locked container in another truck the men complied with the request. According to Portland Police “No laws were broken, and there was not imminent danger to the public.”

Yet Alex and Mayor Ted Wheeler would have you believe they were on the roof top with sniper rifles. Alex also makes the claim that LGBTQ friends and Muslim neighbors ‘feel they must stay indoors or leave town altogether’ when Patriot Prayer plans a protest. She offers no evidence or proof of these statements but claims them as fact in the hope that you, the reader, sympathize with these terrified characters that she created out of whole cloth.

As Christopher Hitchens once said “What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.” She also outright lies about Jeremy Christian, framing the man accused of fatally stabbing two men and wounding a third on a MAX train as someone who is a mainstay of Patriot Prayer rallies.

The fact is he was kicked out of the one Patriot Prayer event he tried to attend. Here is video evidence of him being kicked out of the one Patriot Prayer event he attended by Tiny and other Patriot Prayer members.

She again tries to mislead her readers by saying “Every single protest in Portland that ended in violence over the past year and a half was organized by Patriot Prayer.” She makes is sound like Patriot Prayer is going out and committing these acts of violence, but in reality the only reason there is violence at these events is because Antifa shows up and attacks, harasses, threaten and antagonize people who attend.

Antifa even left someone who came to protest Patriot Prayer bloody laying in the street with a wound on the back of his head that would require 4 staples to close. They did this because he was carrying an American flag, a symbol of freedom and liberty. She then goes on to accuse Hovde of “cropping out hateful rhetoric and violence.” Patriot Prayer has offered a $2000 reward for video proof of Joey Gibson’s hateful rhetoric and no one has been able to claim this prize.

Alex ends by condemning the Oregonian editorial board and insinuating that her fellow citizens, who are part of Patriot Prayer, who could be her neighbors, the guy pumping her gas or the mechanic working on her car, are not worth listening to.

Portland Resistance Demands Action or Else

Portland Resistance offered a condemnation of the Oregonian claiming that “giving platform to this message is unconscionable, unethical, and dangerous behavior.” They continue by making a list of demands. The demands include:

1)      Issue a front-page apology to our community for their callousness and carelessness in publishing the “The misunderstood Joey Gibson” opinion piece.

2)      Fire Elizabeth Hovde.

3)      Discontinue the practice of lending fascists a platform to recruit and legitimize their hate.

First they do not represent a community, they were not elected or selected and simply claiming you stand for someone does not mean you actually represent them. You are not entitled to an apology for simply reading an opinion you did not like, grow up.

They then want to destroy the career of Elizabeth Hovde over an opinion piece they did not like. Lastly they accuse the Oregonian of “lending fascists a platform to recruit and legitimize their hate.” A baseless accusation of a paper that has published pieces criticizing Trump, Patriot Prayer, and Joey Gibson in the past.

If you are on the Oregonian editorial board I offer this one piece of advice, do NOT apologize. It will only be taken as an admission of guilt on your part and will make things worse. Stand by your journalistic ethics.

They also threaten that if these demands are not met they “will result in a strategic boycott of Oregonian advertisers, beginning with local companies with progressive leanings and proceeding from there.” Essentially they are threatening to bring financial harm to people who had nothing to do with this opinion piece in the hope that they can force the newspaper to do what they want.

This is a naked attempt to hold businesses and charities hostage so that they can force the press to submit to their will. They justify this use of force by claiming they are opposing “white supremacists.”

It is okay to disagree and I do not want any of the people mentioned to be censored or fired, I would rather their ideas be out in the open for everyone to see. But it is not okay to attempt to shut down, censor, and suppress through the force of social ostracization. It is not okay to hold businesses and charity hostage in an attempt to damage a newspaper who published an opinion piece you disagree with.

I have often disagreed with the Oregonian and probably have disagreements with Elizabeth Hovde, but I stand with their right to freedom of speech and freedom of the press.