A demonstration was organized in support of President Trump by the group Patriot Prayer in Portland yesterday and it brought out the expected “peaceful protesters” from the Left in response. The group, which had a permit which the Mayor had unsuccessfully tried to cancel, gathered at Terry Schrunk Plaza across from City Hall. The leftists assembled across the street and things quickly went downhill from there. (Associated Press)

Thousands of demonstrators and counter protesters converged in downtown Portland, Oregon, on Sunday, a day marked by multiple arrests and clashes between police and protesters.

A pro-President Donald Trump free speech rally drew several hundred to a plaza near City Hall more than a week after two Portland men were fatally stabbed trying to stop a man from shouting anti-Muslim insults at two teenage girls on a light-rail train.

That rally was met across the street by hundreds of counter-protesters organized by immigrant rights, religious and labor groups. They said they wanted to make a stand against hate and racism.

Oddly enough, the group that ostensibly wanted to “stand against hate and racism” were the ones who initially started the trouble, but the mainstream press reports curiously didn’t make that very clear. Unfortunately, a third group of counter-protesters showed up at another location nearby, many wearing black masks and carrying “unknown objects” (which we’ve seen all too often before) and that’s when things really took a turn. Catherine Garcia, writing at The Week, teases out a few more details.

Hundreds of people attended the “Trump Free Speech” rally at Terry D. Schrunk Plaza, CNN reports, and even more counter-protesters gathered across the street. Police say at first, the two sides yelled expletives at each other, then counter-protesters started to throw glass bottles and bricks at the officers, who responded by using pepper spray.

ABC reports there were three separate protest sites and almost all of the arrests and weapons seizures came from the third one which I mentioned above. While looking at this information, keep in mind that we’re dealing with three groups. The pro-Trump rally participants were at Schrunk Plaza. The “counter-protesters” were across the street at City Hall and the third, more troubling group was centered around Chapman Square. The media was providing conflicting coverage, but the real news was found by following the Portland Police Twitter account in real time. Once the details began to become clear, law enforcement confirmed that the initial incidents of rocks and bottle throwing at the original site were contained pretty quickly and most of the action moved to the Chapman Square location where the masked leftists were ready to mix it up.

Criminal conduct in Chapman Square led to police action. Crowds at Terry Schrunk Plaza and City Hall are not involved.

— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) June 4, 2017

Pretty soon they began making arrests and confiscating weapons from the Chapman Square group.

Weapons and other items being seized at SW 4th and Morrison. pic.twitter.com/KYBTPRJsb7

— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) June 4, 2017

The liberal champions of transparency and free speech adopted their usual tactic of hiding their faces and attacking the cops from a distance.

Unidentified suspects on roof of Chapman Square bathroom. Bag of bricks located, possibly taken from building. pic.twitter.com/WtMeIxUXW6

— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) June 5, 2017

The “NO PLATFORM FOR HATE” sign is a nice touch piled on top of the bricks and other weapons hurled at the cops.

Items collected from SW Madison Street, 3rd to 4th Avenues, between Terry Schrunk Plaza and Chapman Square. pic.twitter.com/IiRhOxEJWv

— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) June 5, 2017

Another collection of weapons from the peaceful protesters.

Another collection of weapons seized today. pic.twitter.com/tdMmMSM2Wp

— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) June 5, 2017

All in all, the cops wound up arresting 14 people (see mug shots and a list of names at the link) and took pictures recording the identities of many more which may be used as the investigation continues.

Welcome to the new era of peaceful protesting. If you organize a march against the current White House administration you will be lionized by the press and land interviews on CNN and MSNBC. If you set up a rally in support of any White House policies, people will show up with weapons and attempt to shut you down.

God. Bless. America.