THE
THE FIGHT
THE FIGHT FLOWS THROUGH PORTLAND.
PORTLAND.
PORTLAND. YOUR NEWS STARTS NOW.
GOOD EVENING, I'M MAGGIE VESPA.
TODAY'S PROTESTS WERE EXPLOSIVE
AT TIMES BUT THERE WERE FAR
FEWER VIOLENT CONFRONTATIONS
THAN IN THE PAST.
THE ORIGINAL EVENT WAS PEGGED
AS A FREEDOM MARCH AND
CONSERVATIVE EVENT.
CONSERVATIVE EVENT. AND PATRIOT PRAYER LEADER JOEY
GIBSON, A CANDIDATE WHO SAID ON
FACEBOOK SUPPORTERS SHOULD
BRING GUNS, COUNTERPROTESTS
POPPED UP AFTER THAT AND POLICE
VOWED TO SEIZE ANY AND ALL
WEAPONS.
WEAPONS.
WEAPONS. WE HAVE KGW TEAM COVERAGE OF
THIS DAY.
THIS DAY.
THIS DAY. PAT DOORIS AND CHRISTINE
PITAWANICH HAVE BEEN DOWNTOWN
FOR THIS.
FOR THIS.
FOR THIS. CHRISTINE, LOOKED LIKE
COUNTERPROTESTERS FROM SKY 8
MAY HAVE OUTNUMBERED THE
ORIGINAL RALLY.
ORIGINAL RALLY. >> Reporter: IT SEEMED THAT WAY
FOR SURE.
FOR SURE.
FOR SURE. FROM MY VINTAGE POINT IT WAS
DIFFICULT TO TELL WHO
OUTNUMBERED THE OTHER EVENT.
THE RALLY ENDED AT 4:00 P.M.
BUT YOU CAN SEE
COUNTERPROTESTERS ARE STILL
HERE AT NATO AND SALMON.
THEY ARE STICKING AROUND
BECAUSE THERE ARE STILL SOME
PATRIOT PRAYER FOLKS HERE.
FOR THE TWO COUNTERFROM
COUNTERPROTESTS, THE DAY BEGAN
AT 10:30 WITH COUNTERPROTESTERS
RALLYING AT CITY HALL.
BY 11:30, THE OFFICIAL EVENT
WAS DONE.
WAS DONE.
WAS DONE. BUT HUNDREDS BEGAN MARCHING TO
THE WATERFRONT IN OPPOSITION OF
THE PATRIOT PRAYER RALLY.
POLICE STOOD BETWEEN THE GROUPS
ACTING AS A BARRIER.
THEY WERE FOR THE MOST PART
SUCCESSFUL IN KEEPING THE TWO
GROUPS SEPARATED.
GROUPS SEPARATED. A COUPLE OF SMALL SCUFFLES
BROKE OUT, BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL
POLICE TOLD COUNTERFROM TESTERS
THEY HAD TO LEAVE THAT THINGS
GOT CHAOTIC.
GOT CHAOTIC. PROTESTERS DID LOT LEAVE AND
POLICE SAID ROCKS AND OTHER
ITEMS WERE THROWN AT THEM SO
THEY FIRED FLASH BANGS.
COUNTERPROTESTERS BELIEVE THE
POLICE RESPONSE WAS HEAVY
HANDED, OTHERS SAID THEY
UNDERSTOOD.
UNDERSTOOD. >> I JUST FEEL LIKE WE HAVE TO
SHOW UP.
SHOW UP.
SHOW UP. IT IS ASTOUNDING, EVERY WEEK,
EVERY DAY, IT SEEMS TO BE
WORSE.
WORSE.
WORSE. NOT GETTING BETTER.
I JUST THINK AT A CERTAIN POINT
WE HAVE TO MAKE A STAND.
>> LOVE, JOY, EQUALITY, ARE ALL
POSSIBLE IF WE ARE ABLE TO KEEP
EVERYONE'S PERSPECTIVES IN
MIND.
MIND.
MIND. >>
MIND. >> Reporter: AND OVERALL, LIKE
I SAID FROM MY VANTAGE POINT,
THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH
WORSE WITH SO MANY PEOPLE.
BACK OUT HERE LIVE, I SAW AN
ARREST.
ARREST.
ARREST. I
ARREST. I SAW COUNTERPROTESTERS
THROWING BOTTLES AND OTHER
ITEMS.
ITEMS.
ITEMS. OVERALL, THIS RALLY WASN'T
NEARLY AS BAD AS OTHER PROTESTS
THAT WE HAVE SEEN IN PORTLAND.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT
WE SAW ON THE GROUND, WE DID
CATEGORIZE IT OR DOCUMENT IT
RATHER ON FACEBOOK LIVE.
SO JUST SEARCH KGW ON FACEBOOK.
AND YOU CAN FIND THAT VIDEO
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. BACK TO YOU.
>> YOU HAVE BEEN COVERING IT IN
DEPTH FOR US LIVE ALL DAY.
WE APPRECIATE IT.
>>> MEANWHILE, THE EARLIER PART
OF THE PATRIOT PRAYER RALLY
APPEARED MOSTLY PEACEFUL.
PAT DOORIS TALKED WITH PATRIOT
PRAYER LEADER AND WASHINGTON
SENATE CANDIDATE JOEY GIBSON.
SO PAT, GIBSON HAD A MESSAGE
FOR HIS SUPPORTERS.
>> Reporter: RIGHT MAGGIE.
A LOT HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT THE
PEOPLE HE ATTRACTS BUT WHEN I
WAS AROUND HIM, HIS MESSAGE WAS
RELATIVELY MAINSTREAM,
RELATIVELY MAINSTREAM, POSITIVE, UPBEAT, NOT
AGGRESSIVE.
AGGRESSIVE. THE PATRIOT PRAYER SIDE WAS
OUTNUMBERED AND STARTED THEIR
DAY ON THE WATERFRONT PARK OF
THE STREET.
THE STREET. WHILE THE POLICE SET UP A
BARRICADE AND PREPARED TO CHECK
FOR WEAPONS, NO ONE WENT THERE.
INSTEAD, THEY STAYED ON THE
EAST SIDE FACING OFF AGAINST
COUNTERPROTESTERS ON THE OTHER
SIDE.
SIDE.
SIDE. JOEY GIBSON WHO LIVES IN
VANCOUVER AND ORGANIZED THE
GATHERING GAVE A BRIEF RALLYING
TALK TO HIS SUPPORTERS.
>> GET TOGETHER, YOU DON'T HAVE
TO DO WHAT WE DO, BUT GO FIND
SOMETHING AND CHANGE THE WORLD.
THAT'S THE SPIRIT THAT WE WILL
BRING BACK INTO THIS COUNTRY.
WE ARE MISSING IT.
WE ARE MISSING THE FIRE IN THE
HEART AND I HAVE MISSED THAT
FOR 32 YEARS.
NOW I'M HERE LIVING MY DREAM
BECAUSE I'M ACTUALLY LIVING THE
WAY GOD TOLD ME.
TO BRING PEOPLE OUT HERE.
THERE IS ALWAYS A TEMPTATION TO
DIVIDE AMONG US.
YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE IN THIS
CROWD HERE TODAY.
WE HAVE SOME DIVIDERS.
LET'S GROW, LET'S BE MATURE
ADULTS AND PUT OUR DIFFERENCES
TO THE SIDE.
PUT IT TO THE SIDE.
BECAUSE NO ONE CARES.
NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR TRAUMA.
NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR
COMPLAINTS.
COMPLAINTS. THAT IS WHY YOU DON'T HEAR MOST
OF US COMPLAIN.
SO LET'S COME TOGETHER AND TAKE
ON THIS GREAT FIGHT THAT WE
HAVE IN FRONT OF US.
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY,
IT IS NOT EVEN ABOUT THOSE
PUNKS OVER THERE.
IT IS NOT ABOUT THAT.
THEY ARE JUST AN OBSTACLE.
WE HAVE TO GET THEM OUT OF THE
WAY SO WE CAN ACTUALLY COME
TOGETHER WITH LIBERALS.
HAVE CONVERSATIONS.
HAVE CONVERSATIONS. LIVE AND GROW.
>> Reporter: THEN HE TALKED
WITH REPORTERS AND RIPPED INTO
PORTLAND MAYOR TED WHEELER WHO
SAID HE DID NOT WANT TODAY'S
RALLY IN OUR CITY.
>> WE ARE USED TO IT.
THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT IS.
EVENTUALLY, PEOPLE CAN COME
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. THAT'S THE GOAL.
>> WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TODAY?
WHAT IS THE MESSAGE YOU WANT TO
SHARE WITH PEOPLE OF PORTLAND
AND VANCOUVER?
AND VANCOUVER? >> THE NUMBER ONE MESSAGE IS TO
PUT PRESSURE ON TED WHEELER TO
DO HIS JOB.
PEOPLE ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT
HAVE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH TED
WHEELER.
WHEELER.
WHEELER. I THINK WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT
FIRST.
FIRST.
FIRST. BUT I WANT TO INSPIRE PEOPLE TO
COME OUT IN PLACES LIKE
PORTLAND.
PORTLAND.
PORTLAND. EVEN IF THE CITY HATES YOU AND
THINKS THEY HATE YOU.
IT IS OKAY TO COME OUT AND SHOW
WHO YOU ARE.
>> Reporter: I ALSO TALKED WITH
A SUPPORTER WHO DROVE HERE WITH
FRIENDS FROM YAKIMA IN THE
TRICITIES.
TRICITIES. THEY ARE PART OF THE 3%
MOVEMENT.
MOVEMENT.
MOVEMENT. >> THEY SPLIT SOME OF OUR
MEMBER'S LIPS OPEN WITH
CROWBARS.
CROWBARS.
CROWBARS. THROWING ROCKS.
THROWING ROCKS. AND WITH THIS ONE, THERE IS
RUMORS AND CONSPIRACIES THEY
WILL BRING FIREARMS TO THIS
EVENT.
EVENT.
EVENT. SO, WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS WE ARE
PREPARED FOR THE WORST.
BUT WE ARE HOPING FOR THE BEST.
WE DO HAVE BALLISTIC GEAR ON.
BUT, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY
FIREARMS.
FIREARMS.
FIREARMS. ALL OF OUR GEAR IS PRIMARILY
FOR MEDICAL ATTENTION.
>> Reporter: SINCE HIS GROUP IS
THE PATRIOT PRAYER GROUP, HE
DID LEAD A PRAYER WITH HIS
ORGANIZATION.
ORGANIZATION. WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU ONE LAST
LIVE LOOK FROM SALMON SPRING
FOUNTAIN.
FOUNTAIN.
FOUNTAIN. YOU CAN SEE POLICE STILL HERE,
BUT MUCH MORE RELAXED THAN THEY
HAVE BEEN FOR MUCH OF THE DAY.
PROBABLY BECAUSE THE CROWD ON
THE OTHER SIDE, THE
COUNTERPROTESTERS, MUCH SMALLER
THAN IT WAS EARLIER TODAY.
REALLY IT WAS A VERY SIZABLE
CONTINGENT.
CONTINGENT. WHILE THERE WERE SOME ARRESTS,
CERTAINLY NONE OF THE VIOLENCE
A LOT OF PEOPLE FEARED WAS
GOING TO HAPPEN.
BACK TO YOU.
>> AND PAT, BEFORE WE LET YOU
GO.
GO.
GO. WE
GO. WE SAW SORT OF A COUPLE OF
SCUFFLES.
SCUFFLES.
SCUFFLES. WE DON'T WANT TO SAY QUITE
FIGHTS.
FIGHTS.
FIGHTS. BUT AGAIN, LIKE YOU SAID,
NOTHING LIKE WE HAVE SEEN IN
THE PAST.
THE PAST.
THE PAST. SO, DID ANYONE ELSE TELL YOU
WHY THEY CAME WEARING HELMETS
AND TACTICAL GEAR?
THEY LOOKED READY FOR A FIGHT.
>> Reporter: RIGHT.
WELL, WE ASKED GIBSON ABOUT
THAT ACTUALLY.
THAT ACTUALLY. AND HIS ANSWER WAS AN ANALOGY
TO A MOTORCYCLE RIDER.
PEOPLE WEAR HELMETS NOT
EXPECTING TO HAVE TROUBLE, BUT
JUST IN CASE.
AND BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE
EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST, THIS
SEEMS PRUDENT.
SEEMS PRUDENT. THAT WAS HIS TAKE ON IT.
>> ONE MORE QUESTION AND I WILL
LET YOU GO.
WE HEARD FLASH BANGS.
DO WE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO
SPARK THAT FIRST FLASH BANG
FROM POLICE?
FROM POLICE? >> Reporter: WELL, IT WAS AS
CHRISTINE SAID, I WAS ON THE
OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET FROM
HER.
HER.
HER. AND
HER. AND POLICE HAD ORDERED THE
PROTESTERS, THE
PROTESTERS, THE COUNTERPROTESTERS TO CLEAR AND
THEY JUST WEREN'T.
SO IT LOOKED FOR A MOMENT LIKE
THERE WAS AN OPENING WHERE THE
TWO CROWDS COULD HAVE COME
TOGETHER WHICH I THINK WOULD
HAVE BEEN A VERY, VERY BAD
THING.
THING.
THING. SO, POLICE REENFORCED THAT
QUICKLY.
QUICKLY.
QUICKLY. TRIED TO MOVE THE PROTESTERS.
WHEN THEY DIDN'T, THEY STARTED
THE FLASH BANGS.
AS PEOPLE WERE RUNNING UP THE
STREETS, THERE WERE CLUBS,
ROCKS, OTHER KINDS OF THINGS
LEFT THERE ON THE STREET.
SO, THERE WAS MOSTLY VOCAL
PROTESTING BUT SOME FOLKS WERE
READY FOR MORE THAN THAT TODAY.
>> I SAW OBJECTS FLYING IN THE
AIR.
AIR.
AIR. PAT
AIR. PAT DOORIS, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH.
MUCH.
MUCH. WE
MUCH. WE WILL OF COURSE KEEP TRACKING
THIS STORY TONIGHT.
SO STAY WITH US HERE.
ONLINE, AND,