‘Patriot’ rally at Justice Center planned for Saturday

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A rally of “patriots” is once again coming to the Justice Center Saturday, a week after a similar gathering brought Black Lives Matter counter-demonstrators and quickly unraveled into gunfire and clashes between the groups. The demonstration is already being denounced by Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty.

The demonstration is also stirring controversy due in part to the man at its center, Alan Swinney, who posted about the event on the social media site Parler on Tuesday.

“100s of patriots will be converging on the Justice center,” Swinney wrote, to “take this country back.”

Swinney is a known associate of Proud Boys, which the Anti-Defamation League said “have carved out a niche for themselves as both a right-wing fight club and a volunteer security force for the GOP. Despite their associations with mainstream politicians, Proud Boys’ actions and statements repeatedly land them in the company of white supremacists and right-wing extremists.”

An article posted Thursday on the Rose City Antifa website said “people in Portland don’t let fascist organizing happen unchallenged and uncritiqued.”

A post on the blogging website Medium condemned the gathering Thursday and urged local law makers, including Mayor Ted Wheeler, Commissioners Hardesty, Chloe Eudaly and Amanda Fritz, to not stay silent on the issue and announce a plan on how they will ensure Portlanders’ safety.

The letter was co-signed by nearly 300 Portland businesses, leaders and protest groups, including Moms United for Black Lives, Portland United Against Hate and others. Many more individuals also co-signed the letter.

Hardesty gave a statement Friday evening condemning the gathering and said she is requesting more information from the Police Commissioner’s Office on protective measures for community members being taken.

“We vehemently denounce any white nationalist organizing and recruiting in our City,” Hardesty said. “Given the attack that happened against Black Lives Matter protesters on August 15th and the pipe bombing at Laurelhurst Park, we have requested information from the Police Commissioner’s office on what measures are being taken to protect our community.”

Some federal buildings were closed in Portland on Friday due to a “threat of violence.” KOIN 6 News learned the threat involved a truck carrying explosives. It wasn’t clear which federal building it allegedly intended to target. The FBI in Portland has not ruled out the credibility of this threat.

KOIN 6 News also learned downtown Portland city workers were told to go home by noon “out of an abundance of caution” and to stay away through the weekend due to planned demonstrations.

‘Patriots’ rally from August 15

On August 15, shots rang out at the rally for ‘patriots’ near a parking garage close to the Justice Center at about 12:30 p.m. The gathering was attended by about 30 demonstrators, some of whom were holding firearms, and some BLM counter-protesters. A short chase ensued.

Other clashes occurred at the event that included mace, paint balls, and an explosion sound.

No one was reported to have been hit with the live bullets.

The man who allegedly fired the shots, Skylor Noel Jernigan, was arrested Wednesday by Portland Police Bureau and faces five charges.

KOIN 6 News photographer Robby Sherman did capture one of the shells and tweeted that the rounds were directed at BLM counter-protesters, according to witnesses.