Wyden, Merkley: “White nationalist hate groups, with their racist rants and glorification of violence, have no place in our hometown or anywhere else in America.”

Portland – U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today issued the following joint statement about the planned gathering in Portland by the “Proud Boys” and other extremist right-wing groups:

“White nationalist hate groups, with their racist rants and glorification of violence, have no place in our hometown or anywhere else in America.

We will always defend the First Amendment right of peaceful demonstrations in Portland and everywhere, no matter how odious we find their views, but reject violence with equal passion in any form and any quarter.

These extremist right-wing groups planning to descend on Portland boast a message of white supremacy and have a history of inciting violence.  We are proud to stand with our fellow Portlanders working as a community to respond peacefully in the face of this deliberate provocation by racists.”

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