On April 1, approximately 17 members of the neo-Nazi group NSC-131 came to Portland to see who they could push around. It is important to recap what occurred: Wearing face masks and uniform clothing, they marched down Congress Street “yelling derogatory slogans and statements to people” (according to a memo from the Portland Police) directed at people of color and those they perceived as LGBT+.

When the group reached City Hall, it was met by three LGBT+ counterdemonstrators who were holding a pride banner. According to a video, the NSC-131 converged on the three counterdemonstrators, uttered a slur and physically attacked them until the police intervened and laid the NSC-131 members on the ground at gunpoint. But when one of NSC-131’s members began asking the police the right questions, including whether they were being detained, NSC-131 members apparently found some people they could scare and intimidate; the police abruptly released them without making charges, taking names or having them remove their masks. They got up off the pavement, folded up their banner and quickly walked away.

The police mishandled the situation. The victims of the attack bravely testified as much. The police and city officials then went into damage control. While the city’s response may be understandable, it comes at the expense of diminished confidence in its ability to handle difficult situations. And while it’s unclear who takes accountability in Portland, what we do know is that if our leaders don’t push back, we can expect to be pushed around again.

Zack Barowitz
Portland