A brawl between members of the Proud Boys and Antifa triggered a riot declaration and police intervention in Oregon City, Oregon, on June 18.
Video footage showed people wearing Proud Boys attire fighting with black-clad persons reported to be members of Antifa.
The Proud Boys are a fraternal group that described itself as anti-social-justice warriors “without being alt-right” before its website went offline. Members of the group regularly fight with members of Antifa, a far-left, anarcho-communist network.
Jim Band, the police chief in Oregon City, confirmed to The Epoch Times via email that fighting between Antifa and the Proud Boys triggered a riot declaration. The fight took place in Clackamette Park, which the Proud Boys had reserved, and they were given a permit to run a voter registration event.
About 50 people from each group arrived and shouted at each other before the situation devolved into blows, with some wielding bats and other weapons.
Video footage from the scene showed people using pepper spray and some areas fighting with fists or weapons.
Oregon State Police assisted local law enforcement with intervening and breaking up the brawl. It wasn’t clear if any arrests were made.
“What I saw today was Civil War 2.0,” Sparling said. “This was open warfare between the left-wing Antifa and the right-wing Proud Boys.”
Oregon City is about 15 miles southeast of Portland.
Antifa is most active in Portland. Its members are sometimes confronted by members of the Proud Boys and other groups.
“You made us be what we are. You created us,” Todd said.
Antifa members, meanwhile, carried various signs, including one that read “Save a life—kill a Nazi.”
“Somebody take care of these terrorists before I do,” one Antifa member said.
