Portland: Proud Boys vs Antifa @BehindEnemaLies/TwitterProud Boys met Antifa at an event in Portland. They exchanged paintball gunfires and pepper spray.Artur Pawlowski (a controversial pastor known for his antiLGBT and antiCOVID views) hosted the event.Video footage shows the clashing groups before dispersing.For more stories, visit Insider's homepage.According to the Portland Tribune, members of the right-wing Proud Boys militia and left-wing Antifa (also known as anti-fascists) clashed at an anti-fascist rally in downtown Portland on Saturday.The confrontation occurred at a religious gathering that Pastor Artur Pawlowski organized at Tom McCall Waterfront Park.Pawlowski, a controversial Canadian pastor, is well-known for his street sermons. He claimed in the past that Canada's floods were caused by God’s unhappiness regarding homosexuality. He also called police who enforce COVID-19 safety regulations "Nazis."According to the Portland Tribune, Pawlowski's event attracted around 50 people. Proud Boys members appeared to have been providing security.Video shows Antifa-clad black-clad protesters, wearing shields, disrupting the event with smoke grenades, appearing to grab the speakers of the group, and also setting off smoke bombs.-Independent Media PDX August 8, 2021 (@NDpendentPDX).Proud Boys wore their trademark black and yellow colors, as well as PB insignia, then marched to the location of their planned gathering. They were armed with batons, paintball guns and other weapons, The Portland Tribune reported.They can be seen fighting before clashing and exchanging pepper spray and paintball gunfire. According to local media, the Proud Boys were expelled from the park.The street was engulfed in clashes. The sound of police sirens can still be heard behind the scenes, but there were no arrests.Continue the storyOnline right-wing commentators framed the incident as Antifa attacking Christians gatherings, while left-wing commentators described the event as a protest against political events.Andy Ngo, far-right commentator and author, tweeted that Antifa tried to "attack and shut down a family Christian prayer/worship event on the waterfront."Reverand Chuck Currie, Portland, responded, writing, "Christian minister here." It was not a "family Christian prayer event." It was an extreme-right political rally that was organized by a CA MAGA congressional candidate who failed to win.-Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie (@RevChuckCurrie) August 8, 2021Insider has the original article.
