A controversial Oregon Republican gubernatorial candidate came to the belly of the beast to hold a rally over the weekend in Portland, and a mob of people dressed in black and looking like Antifa attacked the crowd with smoke bombs and paint and threatened to hurt anyone if they didn’t “get the f**k out!”
Two GOP activists were hurt by an exploding smoke bomb, according to police.
The attack on candidate Stan Pulliam’s supporters, which included children, occurred on Saturday and came a day after an Antifa mob threw paint, eggs, and projectiles from an overpass at a “People’s Convoy” of trucks, as PJ Media reported. That attack could have killed people on the freeway.
The attack on Pulliam’s event occurred in a familiar place to Antifa riot watchers. It was across the street from the Hatfield Federal Courthouse, the scene where the 2020 and 2021 riots took place. Windows are still boarded up on some businesses as a result of the riots and economic devastation of the downtown core area.
Besides the smoke bombs, paint, and rocks thrown at the sparsely attended Pulliam gathering, attackers also clanged a cowbell and blew whistles to interfere with the Sandy, Ore. mayor’s bullhorn speech. Pulliam bellowed, “we will not be intimidated!” “we will return!” and “we will take our state back!” at the militants.
BREAKING: Antifa black bloc attacks Republican volunteers in Oregon, explosion goes off as the militants fan out waving flags pic.twitter.com/9koZhNfQCf
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) May 1, 2022
Pulliam’s event, which his campaign oddly doesn’t appear to have touted on any of his social media accounts in advance, was steps away from the Portland Police Bureau’s headquarters and across the street from the main Multnomah County Courthouse, which is usually teeming with Multnomah County Sheriffs deputies.
Multiple people in Pulliam’s group urged each other to call the police. When a woman yelled, “Where’s the police?” fellow rally-goers responded with knowing laughs.
The cops did come 20 minutes later “once sufficient resources were in place.” By that time, the black-flag-waving collection of male and female attackers had disappeared into the purple fog of their smoke bombs.
In addition to police, arson investigators are looking into the attack.
This is what happens when a Republican dares to hold an event in Portland to talk about funding our police. Antifa shows up. Well we won’t be intimidated and stop speaking the truth. #WarOnWoke #orpol #orgov pic.twitter.com/tBRiHMao7W
— Mayor Stan Pulliam (@StanPulliam) April 30, 2022
Pulliam has declared “war on woke” and pledged to jail Antifa members, making both issues major planks of his campaign.
Earlier today we tried to hold a rally as #Antifa rioters attacked. This city doesn't belong to the woke left & we're going to keep talking about the issues as voters fill out their ballots! And as our next Governor, I’ll put these punks in jail. #WarOnWoke #ORpol #ORgov (1/2) pic.twitter.com/c1dj3DIJ1B
— Mayor Stan Pulliam (@StanPulliam) May 1, 2022
His candidacy hit a rough patch when it was discovered he and his wife had been part of the “swingers” scene earlier in the marriage.
The attack was captured on video, which will undoubtedly be used in upcoming campaign ads. The Oregon primary is May 17.
Later, Pulliam issued a statement reading in part, “[Saturday] a group of Oregonians attempted what used to be protected free speech – showing up to a peaceful campaign rally in Portland. The fact that this was not possible is a sign of the slow decay that has taken hold of our state and once beautiful city of Portland.”
My statement on how I will lock up #Antifa and end their terrorizing of Portlanders when I’m elected Governor. #orpol #orgov https://t.co/siuodcdymr pic.twitter.com/hp4jS40YpC
— Mayor Stan Pulliam (@StanPulliam) May 1, 2022
Portland Police issued a press release, headlining the attack this way: “a group assaulted another group using fireworks in downtown Portland, causing injuries to two people, and Arson Investigators are asking for public assistance.”
Related: Antifa’s Violent Attack on the Portland ‘Peoples Truck Convoy’ Was Openly Plotted on Twitter
The statement said that those who called the police were told to meet them at another location to discuss the incidents as “only a few officers [were] available.”
On Saturday, April 30, 2022, at 12:03p.m., Central Precinct officers were notified of a group throwing items such as a smoke grenade at another group in the area of Southwest 3rd Avenue and Southwest Main Street. A PPB Sergeant began monitoring the situation and gathering available resources, although there were only a few officers available in the precinct. Updated information was that paint and larger fireworks were being thrown, and significant explosions were heard in the area. The sergeant requested the callers try to drive away to meet officers at another location in an attempt to deescalate the situation and allow officers to investigate. The group was able to drive away and meet with officers nearby.
Suspects Cause Injuries to 2 People Using Fireworks Downtown https://t.co/dEIbFhUxMm
— Portland Police News (@PPBPIO) April 30, 2022
Though the attack was scary and dangerous for outraged Pulliam backers, his candidacy is getting a lot of free media attention. He was on Fox News Monday morning.
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