Portland Protest Shooting

Violence erupted in Portland, Oregon Saturday after a caravan of 600 far-right wingers arrived sparking clashes with protestors amid chaos and confusion.

Source: Nathan Howard / Getty

One person was shot and killed after the group comprised of Trump supporters and Patriot Prayer, a right-wing group, came to the city. The group gathered earlier in the day at a suburban mall and drove together into Portland where protestors tried to stop them by standing in the street and blocking bridges.

After their efforts were unsuccessful, journalists captured video of pro-Trump decorated pick-up trucks full of people shooting paintball pellets and pepper spray at Black Lives Matter supporters.

Later, the Associated Press reported that a freelance photographer heard three gunshots and then saw police medics attending to a shooting victim, who appeared to be a white man. The freelancer said the man was wearing a hat bearing the insignia of Patriot Prayer. Police arrived at the shooting scene “within a minute” and said the victim did not survive.

Source: Nathan Howard / Getty

It’s unclear who shot him and homicide detectives are looking for more evidence.

“It is important for detectives get a full and accurate picture of what happened before, during, and after the shooting,” a police statement said. “If anyone was a witness, has video, or has information about the homicide, they’re asked to contact the primary detectives. This violence is completely unacceptable and we are working diligently to find and apprehend the individual or individuals responsible,” Chief Chuck Lovell said.

In the two hours after the shooting, the AP reports that ten people were arrested and sporadic fighting and vandalism took place.

Oxidized Orange Juice, of course, tweeted about Portland and called the Mayor a “fool” while pushing his usual theme of “law and order.”

He also captioned a video of his Dorito devotees driving into Portland “GREAT PATRIOTS!”

“Gret patriots”, are we even surprised?

Prior to this weekend’s shooting, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler who was previously tear-gassed while addressing protesters wrote an open letter to Sunkist Stalin telling him to keep federal troops away from the city.

“We don’t need your politics of division and demagoguery,” he said. “Portlanders are onto you. We have already seen your reckless disregard for human life in your bumbling response to the COVID pandemic. And we know you’ve reached the conclusion that images of violence or vandalism are your only ticket to reelection.”

What do YOU think about this latest development on the protests in Portland???