Armed Anti-Lockdown Protesters Just Tried to Storm Oregon's State Capitol
Quote:
Right-wing protesters, including many armed with AR-style rifles, angrily faced off with riot police in and around the Oregon State Capitol in Salem on Monday morning, as lawmakers gathered to consider extending a moratorium on evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event was billed as an anti-lockdown protest, and intended to coincide with the lawmakers’ presence for a special legislative session. Right-wing activists, including Joey Gibson, who leads “Patriot Prayer,” a far-right group, seized on the closed-door event as an opportunity to protest ongoing lockdown orders and drum up complaints about transparency.
Some of the protesters were able to enter the building, and were seen on video walking around heavily armed. When riot police arrived, tensions escalated quickly and police deployed pepper spray, forcing protesters who were inside to leave. Meanwhile, protesters identified alternative entrances to the building.
At least two protesters were arrested at around 10:00 a.m., the Statesman Journal reported.
"At one point we used pepper balls,” Lt. Treven Upkes, a spokesperson for Salem Police Department, told the Statesman Journal. “I don’t know what else."
Other groups of protesters who made their way into another part of the building faced off angrily with riot police who blocked them from proceeding further.
Some in the crowd were seen holding pro-police Blue Lives Matter flags, but many protesters quickly became hostile towards law enforcement who were preventing them from making their way further into the building. “f**k you you pieces of s**t” one person shouted while ramming a door with a flag pole.
“You aren’t Americans, You’re f*****g working for the Chi-Coms,” shouted another, a reference to simmering conspiracy theories about the Chinese government infiltrating U.S. government agencies. One person in the crowd urged people to burn their Blue Lives matter flag, Jedeed reported on Twitter.
Earlier on, a livestreamer with the name Villain urged “antifa” to come join them.
Oregon State Police declare unlawful assembly as anti-lockdown protesters storm Capitol building, try to disrupt special sessionQuote:
Protesters broke doors and some pushed their way into the locked building, leading to arrests.
According to Oregon Public Broadcasting:
The Oregon State Police declared an unlawful assembly as a growing number of protesters pushed their way through the Capitol doors chanting, "let us in" and "arrest Kate Brown." Police officers donned gas masks as they squared off with protesters, some of whom carried firearms and bear spray, and many of whom were not wearing masks.
The San Francisco Gate reported that according to police:
While entering the building, protestors used chemical agents and bear spray against officers. At least two people were arrested after a smaller group of protestors were successful in entering a portion of the Capitol building. Outside protesters banged their fists against the doors chanting, "Let us in."
_________________
Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity.
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
Last edited by ASPartOfMe on 21 Dec 2020, 7:35 pm, edited 3 times in total.