Portland, Ore. braces for far-right rally expected to draw thousands

"No mystery that these de-ranged, armed mobsters are Trump/Amerika supporters. Keeping OUR bloody, violent, racist heritage A/Live for over 300 years. If this doesn't tell you something. Hey, I've got an idea, how aout DROPPING political views. Naw, then the FIGHT would END! (Proud Boys, Patriot Prayer, give me a break.)..."

A rally by the far-right Proud Boys in Portland, Ore., is expected to draw thousands of supporters and counterprotesters Saturday.

With the city bracing for violent clashes, Gov. Kate Brown declared a state of emergency Friday and agreed to send in troopers to help local police, according to the Statesman Journal,.

The Proud Boys, designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, has described the rally as a "free speech" event to support President Trump and police, restore law and order and condemn “violent gangs of rioting felons."

"As we head into the weekend, we are aware that white supremacist groups from out of town, including the Proud Boys, are planning a rally on Saturday in Portland," Brown, a Democrat, said in a statement. "Significant crowds of people are expected to join -- some people will be armed, with others ready to harass or intimidate Oregonians. Many are from out of state."

She added that while Americans have the right to peacefully assemble, "these types of demonstrations in the past have often ended in fistfights, and sometimes escalated to bloodshed."

"The First Amendment does not give anyone license to hurt or kill someone because of opposing political views," the governor said.

“The Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer groups have come time and time again looking for a fight, and the results are always tragic. Let me be perfectly clear: We will not tolerate any type of violence this weekend," she added. "Left, right or center, violence is never a path towards meaningful change.”