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Portland Braces for Trouble Ahead of Opposing Rallies

VOA News

   Police in Portland, Oregon, are mobilizing in preparation for Saturday
   when far-right protesters are expected to come face-to-face with local
   anti-fascist counter-demonstrators.

   Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler joined leaders of the city's religious,
   police and business groups to warn groups "who plan on using Portland
   on August 17th as a platform to spread your hate.'' Those groups are
   "not welcome here,'' he said.

   He said all of Portland's nearly 1,000 police officers will be on duty
   Saturday and will be helped by the Oregon State Police and the FBI.

   Saturday's rally is organized by a member of the Proud Boys, which has
   been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

   Expected to join them are the American Guard, Three Percenters,
   Oathkeepers and Daily Stormers.

   According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the American Guard is a
   "white nationalist group," Three Percenters and Oathkeepers are
   "extremist" anti-government militias, and the Daily Stormers are
   "neo-Nazis."

   Countering the right-wingers is Portland's Rose City Antifa, an
   anti-fascist group that has called on its members to take to the
   streets in an opposing rally.

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