Portland judge tosses riot charges leveled against two conservative activists: 'I am somewhat bewildered that the state has driven this case to this point'



Two outspoken conservative activists in Portland, Oregon, are walking free, now that a judge has dismissed the riot charges leveled against them by the local district attorney.

Joey Gibson, 38, the founder of Patriot Prayer, and Russell Schultz, 52, two men notably associated with the conservative counter-protesting scene in one of America's most left-leaning cities, will no longer face rioting charges stemming from an incident outside Cider Rules, a now-defunct Portland bar that was reportedly once a regular hangout for members of Antifa.

On May 1, 2019, known as "May Day" to many communists and socialists, Cider Rules and Rose City Antifa hosted a joint May Day celebration, and Gibson, Schultz, and other conservatives arrived outside the pub for reasons unknown. Shortly after their arrival, violence broke out between the two groups. There were several reported injuries, and one woman was knocked unconscious.

Police ultimately arrested Gibson, Schultz, and four of their associates. Three of the six immediately struck plea deals with prosecutors, and one of them, Ian Kramer, is currently serving almost two years for striking a woman in the head.

However, Gibson, Schultz, and MacKenzie Lewis all rolled the dice and pled not guilty to the charges issued against them by Mike Schmidt, a district attorney whom Antifa reporter Andy Ngo describes as a "radical leftist."

The gamble has paid off for Gibson and Schultz. On Tuesday morning, Multnomah County Circuit judge Benjamin Souede dropped all charges against the two men, citing insufficient evidence.

"I am somewhat bewildered that the state has driven this case to this point," Souede said.

"The state is trying to convict Mr. Schultz for being present at an incident that violence occurred, and they cannot do so," he added.

Souede acknowledged that Gibson and Schultz likely instigated tensions with their presence and their language that day. However, the judge then reminded prosecutors that words alone were insufficient for rioting charges. Under Oregon law, defendants must also have engaged in "tumultuous and violent conduct."

"If the defendant could be convicted of riot in this case, there would be no protection for protesters in Oregon,” Souede said. "If being there and using your body to take up space is sufficient, then any protester runs the risk of arrest if it turns out that tumult ensues."

So Gibson and Schultz are free men, but Lewis, 32, remains on trial because there is video of him allegedly shoving a female and ripping off her mask.

Back in 2019, police claimed they were also earnestly searching for persons of interest from the pro-Antifa side, though no leftists were ever arrested. The Cider Rules establishment closed in November 2019, six months after the May Day incident.

After an Antifa member murdered a Patriot Prayer member, Facebook suddenly shutters Patriot's Prayer's page — because it's a 'violent social militia'



Facebook has yanked Patriot Prayers's group page as well as the page of its founder, Joey Gibson,reports say.

What's a brief history here?

The company made the move just two days after two people were fatally shot in Seattle, Washington, protests, one of which was a Patriot Prayer member.

A self-proclaimed Antifa member reportedlyshot and killed Patriot Prayer member and Trump supporter Aaron Danielson after reportedly targeting the demonstrator.

What are the details?

According toThe Oregonian, Gibson said that at least five related Facebook pages have been removed as well.

Jen Ridings, a Facebook spokeswoman, told the outlet in an emailed statement that the company chose to remove the pages as part of its “ongoing efforts to remove Violent Social Militias from our platform."

In August, the social media giant said it would be focusing efforts to expand the company's “Dangerous Individuals and Organizations policy" due to “growing movements that, while not directly organizing violence, have celebrated violent acts, shown that they have weapons and suggest they will use them, or have individual followers with patterns of violent behavior."

In a statement, Gibson's attorney, Angus Lee, said that the company's move to shutter the accounts is a “very serious demonstration of the unchecked power of electronic oligarchs to control information."

“Obviously," Lee added, “Mr. Gibson is very upset right now and feels as though there is an effort to silence him."

Gibson toldKOIN-TV that he is disappointed that the company chose to remove the Patriot Prayer page amid a surge of violent protests across the country.

“Antifa groups murdered my friend while he is walking home, and instead of the multibillion dollar company banning Portland antifa pages they ban Patriot Prayer and myself," he said.

The page, according toNBC News, had approximately 45,000 fans before it was deactivated.

Mayor Ted Wheeler and Joe Biden shift blame to President Trump for violence leading to deadly Portland shooting



Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) blamed President Donald Trump for violence that led up to Saturday's fatal shooting of a seemingly conservative-leaning man in the city that Wheeler governs.

"Do you seriously wonder, Mr. President, why this is the first time in decades that America has seen this level of violence? It's you who have created the hate and the division," Wheeler said on Sunday during a press conference regarding the deadly Portland shooting.

"Yesterday's events began with hundreds of cars filled with supporters of the president rallying in Clackamas County and then driving through downtown Portland," Wheeler said. "They were supported and energized by the president himself."

"President Trump, for four years, we've had to live with you and your racist attacks on black people, we learned early about your sexist attitudes towards women," Wheeler said of the president. "We've had to endure clips of you mocking a disabled man. We've had to listen to your anti-democratic attacks on journalists. We've read your tweets slamming private citizens to the point of receiving death threats. And we've listened to your attacks on immigrants."

"We've listened to you label Mexicans — rapists," Wheeler continued. "We've heard you say that John McCain wasn't a hero because he was a prisoner of war. And now you're attacking Democratic mayors and the very institutions of democracy that have served this nation well since its founding."

"Do you seriously wonder, Mr. President, why this is the first time in decades that America has seen this level of violence? It's you who have created the hate and the division," the Portland mayor stated.

"President Trump, you bring no peace. You bring no respect to our democracy," he added. "You, Mr. President, need to do your job as the leader of this nation. I, Mr. President, will do my job as the mayor of this city. We will both be held accountable as we should. I'm calling out every other elected official in Oregon to join me. Not only in defeating racism but helping me to stop the violence as we are and will continue to be held accountable by all of our residents."

Video of @tedwheeler blaming @realDonaldTrump for the riots, "hate," and "division": "Do you seriously wonder, Mr.… https://t.co/AfcwU2okgC
— Julio Rosas (@Julio Rosas)1598818788.0

Trump retaliated to Wheeler's accusation in a series of tweets, including calling him a "weak and pathetic mayor."

"Ted Wheeler, the wacky Radical Left Do Nothing Democrat Mayor of Portland, who has watched great death and destruction of his City during his tenure, thinks this lawless situation should go on forever. Wrong! Portland will never recover with a fool for a Mayor," Trump wrote.

"He tried mixing with the Agitators and Anarchists and they mocked him," the president continued. "He would like to blame me and the Federal Government for going in, but he hasn't seen anything yet We have only been there with a small group to defend our U.S. Courthouse, because he couldn't do it."

"The people of Portland, like all other cities & parts of our great Country, want Law & Order," Trump stressed.

Trump then called out Joe Biden, "The Radical Left Democrat Mayors, like the dummy running Portland, or the guy right now in his basement unwilling to lead or even speak out against crime, will never be able to do it!"

Biden joined Wheeler in saying that Trump was to blame for the violence in Democratic-controlled cities across the nation.

"The deadly violence we saw overnight in Portland is unacceptable," Biden said on Sunday. "Shooting in the streets of a great American city is unacceptable. I condemn this violence unequivocally. I condemn violence of every kind by anyone, whether on the left or the right. And I challenge Donald Trump to do the same."

"We must not become a country at war with ourselves. A country that accepts the killing of fellow Americans who do not agree with you," the Democratic presidential nominee said. "A country that vows vengeance toward one another. But that is the America that President Trump wants us to be, the America he believes we are."

"What does President Trump think will happen when he continues to insist on fanning the flames of hate and division in our society and using the politics of fear to whip up his supporters? He is recklessly encouraging violence," Biden stated.

"He may believe tweeting about law and order makes him strong - but his failure to call on his supporters to stop seeking conflict shows just how weak he is," Biden added. "He may think that war in our streets is good for his reelection chances, but that is not presidential leadership - or even basic human compassion."

"Donald Trump has been president for almost four years," the former vice president said. "The temperature in the country is higher, tensions run stronger, divisions run deeper. And all of us are less safe because Donald Trump can't do the job of the American president."

Portland has experienced 93-straight days of protests, many of which have escalated into riots. Black Lives Matter protesters chained themselves inside the lobby of Wheeler's condo on Friday.

Earlier this month, Wheeler warned rioters in Portland that they are helping Trump get reelected. "You are creating the B-roll film that will be used in ads nationally to help Donald Trump during this campaign," Wheeler said.

Trump has offered to send in federal officers to quell the riots in Portland numerous times, and as recently as two days before the fatal shooting.

On Friday, Wheeler rebuffed the president's offer by writing a letter. "Yet again, you said you offered to aid Portland by sending in federal law enforcement to our city," Wheeler wrote. "On behalf of the City of Portland: No thanks." Adding, "Stay away please."

Despite not having federal agents in Portland, the Department of Justice announced last week that 74 people are facing federal charges for crimes committed during violent riots in Oregon's largest city.

Also on Sunday, Trump tweeted out condolences to the man who was shot dead in Portland. The victim is identified as Jay Bishop.

Rest In Peace Jay! https://t.co/j6FYxIygmh
— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump)1598825237.0

Bishop was a member of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer, and was wearing a hat dedicated to the right-wing group when he was killed. Joey Gibson, founder of the Patriot Prayer, said, "We love Jay and he had such a huge heart. God bless him and the life he lived."

Crowd cheers news of man shot dead in Portland: 'I am not sad that a f***ing fascist died tonight!'



A man was shot dead in Portland on Saturday night, and a group appeared to celebrate the death.

Tensions flared in Portland when pro-Trump demonstrators held a rally where they showed support for the president with a caravan through Oregon's largest city. There were several stormy clashes between the pro-Trump supporters and counterprotesters throughout the day.

Trump supporters were fending off attacks on the street from Antifa in Portland. The purported shooter is seen stan… https://t.co/lxEI9ExDcJ
— Ian Miles Cheong (@Ian Miles Cheong)1598770207.0

Footage shows a man being shot. The victim was wearing a hat with the insignia of Patriot Prayer, a right-wing group based out of Washington. The man who was shot also had a side satchel with a Blue Lives Matter patch on it.

It is not known if the shooting had any connection to the pro-Trump caravan.

(Content Warning: The following media contain graphic videos and images):

@selfdeclaredref @MrAndyNgo @KittyLists @tr00p3rr @CassandraRules @stillgrayPortland shooting broken down. https://t.co/6ao4Zqv5qF
— The American Truth (@The American Truth)1598768513.0
Photo: Trump supporter murdered in Portland last night was wearing Blue Lives Matter flag https://t.co/VPvNixdS1Y
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸)1598792672.0

Following the deadly shooting, a crowd dressed in all black appears to be celebrating the news of the man being killed.

"And tonight I just got word, the person who died was a Patriot Prayer person," a woman with a megaphone shouts. "He was a f***ing Nazi. Our community held it's own and took out the trash. I'm not going to shed any tears over a Nazi."

"If ya'll are not angry, you're not paying attention. If ya'll are not angry, you're not with me! Everybody needs to realize what's going on in the community. Our community can hold its own without the police," the woman said. "We can take out the trash on our own. I am not sad that a f***king fascist died tonight!"

The crowd then cheered.

“He was a f—ing Nazi! Our community held its own.”Antifa & BLM in Portland celebrate the homicide of a purported… https://t.co/VmAHFWs4mi
— Andy Ngô (@Andy Ngô)1598769715.0
Listen to these insane leftists cheer that a Trump voter was murdered tonight in Portland. This is absolutely sick. https://t.co/7e8BJpedi1
— Robby Starbuck (@Robby Starbuck)1598770149.0

A few hours after the man was shot to death, protesters were dancing and apparently, "the energy here is joyous now."

The energy here is joyous now. Dancing, chanting, an American flag burns, and this dude has a dope sign.… https://t.co/t79TloMQYh
— The Important Project (@The Important Project)1598767337.0
Antifa burn a US flag to celebrate the death of the man shot in downtown Portland. They call him a “fascist” despit… https://t.co/ombpbxymoy
— Andy Ngô (@Andy Ngô)1598780374.0

The identity of the shooting victim has not been released, and Portland Police have not released the name of the suspect.

Joey Gibson, the founder of Patriot Prayer, reacted to Saturday's shooting death in Portland.

"I can't say much right now. All I can do is verify that he was a good friend and a supporter of Patriot Prayer," Gibson said, according to USA Today.

Patriot Prayer describes its organization as "using the power of love and prayer to fight the corruption both in the government and citizen levels that seek to gain power through division and deception." Patriot Prayer has participated in pro-Trump rallies since at least 2017, according to the Star Tribune.

"If anyone can provide information about this case, I ask them to please reach out to our detectives," Police Chief Chuck Lovell said. "This violence is completely unacceptable and we are working diligently to find and apprehend the individual or individuals responsible."