Four people were arrested Saturday as hundreds of right-wing demonstrators faced off against self-described anti-fascist protesters in Portland, Ore., according to police.
The charges against the four individuals who were arrested individuals ranged from harassment and unlawful use of a weapon to resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, Reuters reports. They will be arraigned in court on Monday.
Police worked to keep the two groups apart while they chanted and insulted each other. Law enforcement also set up a security perimeter where officers confiscated flag poles and other potential weapons.
The counter-protesters, comprised of labor unions, immigrant rights advocates, socialists, and other groups, chanted phrases including, “Alt right scum not welcome in Portland,” and “Nazis go home.”
Joey Gibson, the leader of Patriot Prayer, organized the rally, claiming that the group was there to “promote freedom and God.”
“We’re here to promote freedom and God. That’s it,” Gibson said, according to the Associated Press. “Our country is getting soft.”
Prior demonstrations in Portland this year ended in riots, and in one instance a counter-protester ended up in the hospital with a skull fracture.
