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The man who was killed Saturday in Portland was a member of the radical right-wing group Patriot Prayer, which has been in frequent conflict with protesters in the city.
Supporters of President Donald Trump in a column on the way to downtown Portland to confront Black Lives Matter protesters. Mark Graves / AP / NTB scanpix
It’s Patriot Prayer leader in neighboring Washington, Joey Gibson, who claims the man was a supporter of the group and a good friend of his.
The man was found shot in Portland, Oregon, after a column of 2,500 President Donald Trump supporters in 600 cars had been in the city and in conflict with the Black Lives Matter protesters.
It is unclear if the killing is related to clashes between Trump supporters and protesters in downtown Portland.
– I can’t say much right now. All I can do is confirm that he was a good friend and supporter of Patriot Prayer, Gibson said in a text message to the AP news agency.
Supporters of President Donald Trump are heading in a column to Portland to confront Black Lives Matter protesters. Paula Bronstein / AP / NTB scanpix
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Police have requested videos, photos and eyewitness accounts of the murder, which took place Saturday night, about a quarter of an hour after Trump’s column left town.
An AP photographer says he heard three shots and then saw first aid being performed to save the life of the victim, who appeared to be a white man wearing a cap with the inscription Patriot Prayer.
Portland, located in the northwestern United States, has seen near-continuous protests since the murder of African American George Floyd in Minneapolis more than three months ago. Many of them have ended in acts of vandalism and violence, and the police have arrested hundreds of people.
Anonymous agents arrested
Earlier this summer, Washington authorities sent federal agents to the city, who without identification on their uniforms and in civilian cars arrested the protesters, contrary to what the local authorities wanted.
In his speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday, President Donald Trump criticized Portland for being a liberal and violent city and said he would ensure that there is peace and order again in the United States if he is re-elected.
On Sunday, Trump tweeted a series of criticisms of Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler blaming Wheeler for the death of the Patriot Prayer man. A tweet also appeared to be an invitation for people to enter the city as Wheeler holds a press conference Sunday afternoon.
“Great patriots,” Trump tweeted while sharing videos of supporters driving to Portland.
It was the third Saturday in a row that Trump supporters came to town. The column of cars headed downtown just as a planned Black Lives Matter demo was about to begin. Several protesters tried to stop them by standing in the street and blocking bridges.
Almost atmosphere
Videos on the site show fights and Trump supporters shooting paintballs and using a type of pepper spray at opponents, who in turn throw objects at the column.
Protesters from the Black Lives Matter movement have repeatedly attacked police and federal buildings. Some of them are demanding cuts in police funding, while the city’s mayor and other groups within the African-American community condemn the violence and say it goes against its purpose.
Early Saturday, the city police declared the situation a “rebellion” after several fires broke out outside the offices of the police union.
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