When the Proud Boys and their far-right cohorts led the violent Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, they did so largely operating under their longstanding belief that the police were on their side. This weekend, breaking their weeks of quiet amid a stream of post-Jan. 6 arrests, they held an armed “Second Amendment” rally in Salem, Oregon—without a whiff of police presence.
That meant that the Proud Boys, acting as gun-bearing “security” for the “One Nation, One God” rally on Saturday at Salem’s Riverfront Park—an event that had no permit from the city—were able to close off access to anyone deemed undesirable, threatening both journalists and citizens with impunity. The only sign of law enforcement was a police helicopter hovering overhead.
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Journalist Tim Gruver of The CenterSquare Oregon was threatened by Proud Boys and refused entrance to cover the event. “Riverfront is a public park,” Gruver noted on Twitter. “Families are gathered right next door.”
A videographer who uses the nom de plume “Behind Enemy Lines” was also escorted out of the event by Proud Boys. “OK, gotta get you outta here,” a masked Proud Boy can be seen telling him on video he published. “Roll it up.” As he leaves, they make it clear that they believe he “doxxed” (revealed the identity of) a Proud Boy at a previous event.
Promoted online as a “May Day 2A Rally,” the event drew 100-200 attendees, according to reporters. They were observed carrying semi-automatic pistols or rifles. And despite the lack of any authority to do so, they "closed" the public park to media and forced out anyone they believed didn’t belong, including at least one elderly man who was just walking through the park.
Oregon Proud Boys have deep connections to the Jan. 6 insurrection, including two brothers who were arrested for their roles in the Capitol siege. Moreover, their participation in the invasion of the Oregon State Capitol in Salem on Dec. 21 was in many ways a powerful precursor of the Jan. 6 event, especially in terms of the far right’s antidemocratic strategies.
The leading scheduled speaker for the event was Rep. Mike Nearman, the Dalles-based state House member who was seen on video opening a door to allow insurrectionists into the building on Dec. 21. Nearman has been charged with two misdemeanors—official misconduct in the first degree and criminal trespass in the second degree—for that act.
However, Nearman was a no-show. Instead, the best-known speaker Saturday was Jo Rae Perkins, the QAnon-loving Republican nominee for Oregon’s U.S. Senate seat in 2020. Perkins called COVID-19 vaccines a "bioweapon," repeated false “stolen election” claims, and claimed the state is "going after your children."
"Let's take back Oregon, let's take back this country," she said.
A number of Salem residents remarked on the threatening and bullying behavior and the absence of a police presence on social media. “The Proud Boys are basically illegally taking over Riverfront park for the day and are forcefully ejecting people they don’t like,” tweeted one citizen. “They have weapons. Salem PD are doing nothing and have blocked me, a Salem resident, on this platform. This is not ok.”
One elderly man posted a description of the scene on Facebook:
Another Salem resident posted about his experience on Reddit:
The same man commented later that police did come to his home for a statement:
The Western States Center, a Portland-based social justice organization, issued a letter denouncing the event. It was cosigned by a coalition of religious and community groups, as well as the state’s Democratic congressional delegation and Gov. Kate Brown as well as other elected officials. “We condemn the bigotry and racism that were always in our community, and that anti-democratic groups and some elected officials have emboldened,” it read.
“The far-right actors behind the May 1 rally do not speak for Salem and they do not speak for Oregon," the letter went on. "Hate and intimidation has no place in our community, and those who explicitly or subtly encourage violence should be held accountable."
That meant that the Proud Boys, acting as gun-bearing “security” for the “One Nation, One God” rally on Saturday at Salem’s Riverfront Park—an event that had no permit from the city—were able to close off access to anyone deemed undesirable, threatening both journalists and citizens with impunity. The only sign of law enforcement was a police helicopter hovering overhead.
YouTube Video
Journalist Tim Gruver of The CenterSquare Oregon was threatened by Proud Boys and refused entrance to cover the event. “Riverfront is a public park,” Gruver noted on Twitter. “Families are gathered right next door.”
A videographer who uses the nom de plume “Behind Enemy Lines” was also escorted out of the event by Proud Boys. “OK, gotta get you outta here,” a masked Proud Boy can be seen telling him on video he published. “Roll it up.” As he leaves, they make it clear that they believe he “doxxed” (revealed the identity of) a Proud Boy at a previous event.
Promoted online as a “May Day 2A Rally,” the event drew 100-200 attendees, according to reporters. They were observed carrying semi-automatic pistols or rifles. And despite the lack of any authority to do so, they "closed" the public park to media and forced out anyone they believed didn’t belong, including at least one elderly man who was just walking through the park.
Oregon Proud Boys have deep connections to the Jan. 6 insurrection, including two brothers who were arrested for their roles in the Capitol siege. Moreover, their participation in the invasion of the Oregon State Capitol in Salem on Dec. 21 was in many ways a powerful precursor of the Jan. 6 event, especially in terms of the far right’s antidemocratic strategies.
The leading scheduled speaker for the event was Rep. Mike Nearman, the Dalles-based state House member who was seen on video opening a door to allow insurrectionists into the building on Dec. 21. Nearman has been charged with two misdemeanors—official misconduct in the first degree and criminal trespass in the second degree—for that act.
However, Nearman was a no-show. Instead, the best-known speaker Saturday was Jo Rae Perkins, the QAnon-loving Republican nominee for Oregon’s U.S. Senate seat in 2020. Perkins called COVID-19 vaccines a "bioweapon," repeated false “stolen election” claims, and claimed the state is "going after your children."
"Let's take back Oregon, let's take back this country," she said.
A number of Salem residents remarked on the threatening and bullying behavior and the absence of a police presence on social media. “The Proud Boys are basically illegally taking over Riverfront park for the day and are forcefully ejecting people they don’t like,” tweeted one citizen. “They have weapons. Salem PD are doing nothing and have blocked me, a Salem resident, on this platform. This is not ok.”
One elderly man posted a description of the scene on Facebook:
Another Salem resident posted about his experience on Reddit:
The same man commented later that police did come to his home for a statement:
The Western States Center, a Portland-based social justice organization, issued a letter denouncing the event. It was cosigned by a coalition of religious and community groups, as well as the state’s Democratic congressional delegation and Gov. Kate Brown as well as other elected officials. “We condemn the bigotry and racism that were always in our community, and that anti-democratic groups and some elected officials have emboldened,” it read.
“The far-right actors behind the May 1 rally do not speak for Salem and they do not speak for Oregon," the letter went on. "Hate and intimidation has no place in our community, and those who explicitly or subtly encourage violence should be held accountable."