Right-wing group was camped on rooftop with weapons ahead of major rally
The revelations were withheld from city officials for more than two months following the incident.
LUKE BARNES OCT 16, 2018, 10:37 AM
Discovering a far-right group stationed on a rooftop with a stockpile of weapons, overlooking a major demonstration, might rattle most people, especially if that group has a documented history of clashing with counterprotestors. But evidently not the Portland Police Bureau.
On Monday it was revealed that, prior to a major protest in the city on August 4 — which ended in brutal clashes between far-right and anti-fascist demonstrators — Portland officers “discovered individuals [affiliated with the group Patriot Prayer] who positioned themselves on a rooftop parking structure with a cache of firearms,” including long guns. No arrests were made, and no one outside of the police department, not even the mayor, was informed about the incident until now.
The news comes after a weekend of far-right violence on both the East and West Coast. On Friday, the Proud Boys, a far-right group which has repeatedly worked with Patriot Prayer, attacked several people near the Metropolitan Republican Club in New York City, shouting on one occasion “Are you brave now, faggot?” And on Saturday in Portland, Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson organized a “Flash March for Law and Order,” which ended in brawls between the group and counter-protesters. According to reports, police at that demonstration did not intervene to stop the violence.
https://thinkprogress.org/portland-police-found-right-wing-group-on-rooftop-with-weapons-at-major-rally-2f5e482d1714/
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