Members of the Proud Boys and other right-wing demonstrators march across the Hawthorne Bridge during an "End Domestic Terrorism" rally in Portland, Ore., on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019. The group includes organizer Joe Biggs, in green hat, and Proud Boys Chairman Enrique Tarrio, holding megaphone. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Police arrested at least 13 people and seized metal poles, bear spray and other weapons Saturday as hundreds of far-right protesters and anti-fascist counter-demonstrators swarmed downtown Portland, Oregon.
Authorities closed bridges and streets to try to keep the rival groups apart. They were largely successful.
"This was a dynamic event with demonstrators frequently moving from one part of the city to another," Mayor Ted Wheeler said at an evening news conference.
As of early afternoon, most of the right-wing groups had left the area via a downtown bridge. Police used officers on bikes and in riot gear to keep black-clad, helmet- and mask-wearing anti-fascist protesters - known as antifa - from following them.
But hundreds of people remained downtown and on nearby streets, and there were skirmishes throughout the day. Police declared a gathering of mostly left-wing protesters near Pioneer Courthouse Square a "civil disturbance" and told people to leave.
Police spokeswoman Lt. Tina Jones at one point said there were about 1,200 on the streets, but that number fell throughout the day. Six people suffered minor injuries.
The events began late Saturday morning. Flag-waving members of the Proud Boys, Three Percenters militia group and others gathered downtown, some also wearing body armor and helmets. Police said they had seized the weapons, including shields, from multiple groups as they assembled along the Willamette River, which runs through the city.
More than two dozen local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, were in the city for the right-wing rally. Portland Police said all of the city's 1,000 officers would be on duty for the gathering that was hyped on social media and elsewhere for weeks.
President Donald Trump weighed in early Saturday, writing on Twitter that "Portland is being watched very closely ... Hopefully the Mayor will be able to properly do his job."
He also wrote that "major consideration is being given to naming ANTIFA an 'ORGANIZATION of TERROR.'"
But it wasn't immediately clear what he meant by that as there's no mechanism for the United States government to declare a domestic organization a terror group.
Wheeler responded to the president's tweet in an interview with CNN, saying, "frankly, it's not helpful."
At the evening news conference Wheeler tied the demonstrations to "a rising white nationalist movement."
"We're certainly seeing that play out. ... Portland being a very progressive community is always going to be at or near ground zero of this battle," Wheeler said.
The self-described anti-fascists had vowed to confront the right-wing rally, while leaders from the far right urged their followers to turn out in large numbers to protest the arrests of six members of right-wing groups in the run-up to the event.
Patriot Prayer's Joey Gibson, who organized similar rallies in 2017 and 2018 that erupted in clashes, surrendered Friday on an arrest warrant for felony rioting. He was at a confrontation that broke out on May 1 outside a bar where antifa members had gathered after a May Day demonstration.
In a video he livestreamed on Facebook, Gibson accused the police of playing politics by arresting him but not the masked demonstrators who beat up conservative blogger Andy Ngo at a June 29 rally that drew national attention.
A video of that attack went viral and led the Proud Boys, who have been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, to organize Saturday's event.
Police continue to investigate several incidents from clashes on May 1 and June 29 and are politically neutral, Jones said.
Authorities had asked residents not to call 911 unless it's a life-threatening emergency and to stay away from the heart of downtown.
Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw said authorities tried to keep everyone safe and allow people to exercise their free speech rights.
"Today was a long and arduous day," Outlaw said at the news conference. "The disruptions were held to a very small area of downtown Portland."
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Follow Gillian Flaccus on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gflaccus
A man yells as right-wing demonstrators and counter-protesters gather in Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland, Ore., on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said the situation was "potentially dangerous and volatile" but as of early afternoon most of the right-wing groups had left the area via a downtown bridge and police used officers on bikes and in riot gear to keep black clad, helmet and mask-wearing anti-fascist protesters - known as antifa - from following them. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
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Joseph Oakman and fellow Proud Boys plant a flag in Tom McCall Waterfront Park during an "End Domestic Terrorism" rally in Portland, Ore., on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said the situation was "potentially dangerous and volatile" but as of early afternoon most of the right-wing groups had left the area via a downtown bridge and police used officers on bikes and in riot gear to keep black clad, helmet and mask-wearing anti-fascist protesters - known as antifa - from following them. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
The Associated Press
Right-wing demonstrators and counter-protesters gather in Tom McCall Waterfront Park during an "End Domestic Terrorism" rally in Portland, Ore., on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said the situation was "potentially dangerous and volatile" but as of early afternoon most of the right-wing groups had left the area via a downtown bridge and police used officers on bikes and in riot gear to keep black clad, helmet and mask-wearing anti-fascist protesters - known as antifa - from following them. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
The Associated Press
Anti-fascist counter-demonstrators cross the Burnside Bridge across the Willamette River from the west side of the city to the east side in search of the far-right group, the Proud Boys, in Portland, Ore., Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019. Self-described anti-fascists vowed to confront the rally while leaders from the far right urged their followers to turn out in large numbers to protest the arrests of multiple members of right-wing groups in the run-up to the event. Antifa members often cover their faces with masks, making it harder to identify them. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)
The Associated Press
Police officers ride on the side of a vehicle as right-wing demonstrators and counter-protesters gather in Portland, Ore., for an "End Domestic Terrorism" rally on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019. Right-wing groups and counterprotesters gathered in downtown Portland and authorities set up concrete barriers and closed streets in an effort to contain the two groups.(AP Photo/Noah Berger)
The Associated Press
Joseph Oakman and fellow Proud Boys plant a flag in Tom McCall Waterfront Park during an "End Domestic Terrorism" rally in Portland, Ore., on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said the situation was "potentially dangerous and volatile" but as of early afternoon most of the right-wing groups had left the area via a downtown bridge and police used officers on bikes and in riot gear to keep black clad, helmet and mask-wearing anti-fascist protesters - known as antifa - from following them. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
The Associated Press
Portland police riot gear watch counterprotesters gathered in downtown Portland, Ore., on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019. Police seized weapons such as bear spray and shields as right-wing groups and counterprotesters gathered on Saturday. Authorities also set up concrete barriers and closed streets in an effort to contain the groups. (AP Photo/APTN)
The Associated Press
Black-clad protesters, gathered to oppose conservative groups staging an "End Domestic Terrorism" rally, hold signs in Portland, Ore., on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019. Police have mobilized to prevent clashes between conservative groups and counter-protesters who plan to converge in the city. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
The Associated Press
Black-clad protesters, gathered to oppose conservative groups staging an "End Domestic Terrorism" rally, hold signs in Portland, Ore., on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019. Police have mobilized to prevent clashes between conservative groups and counter-protesters who plan to converge in the city. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
The Associated Press
A member of the Proud Boys, who declined to give his name, carries a flag before the start of a protest in Portland, Ore., on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019. Police have mobilized to prevent clashes between conservative groups and counter-protesters who plan to converge in the city. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
The Associated Press
A member of the Proud Boys, who declined to give his name, carries a flag before the start of a protest in Portland, Ore., on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019. Police have mobilized to prevent clashes between conservative groups and counter-protesters who plan to converge in the city. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
The Associated Press
A posted sign reads "Be Safe. August 17th" is posted in Portland, Ore., Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019. Right-wing groups and counterprotesters gathered in downtown Portland, Oregon, on Saturday and authorities set up concrete barriers and closed streets in an effort to contain the groups. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)
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Portland police officer Bonczijk stretches before the start of a protest in Portland, Ore., on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019. Police have mobilized to prevent clashes between conservative groups and counter-protesters who plan to converge in the city. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
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This booking photo provided by the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office shows Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson on Friday, Aug. 16, 2019. Authorities arrested Gibson, the leader of the right-wing group, on the eve of a far-right rally that's expected to draw people from around the U.S. to Portland, Ore., on Saturday, Aug. 17 prompting Gibson to urge his followers to "show up one hundred-fold" in response. (Multnomah County Sheriff's Office via AP)
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A coming closure sign is posted in the window of a Starbucks Cafe near where a large rally is planned in Portland, Ore., Friday, Aug. 16, 2019. In the past week, authorities in Portland have arrested a half-dozen members of right-wing groups on charges related to violence at previous politically motivated rallies as the liberal city braces for potential clashes between far-right groups and self-described anti-fascists who violently oppose them. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)
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A "Banana Bloc Dance Party" gathering is held near Battleship Oregon Memorial Marine Park on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019, in downtown Portland, Ore. Hundreds of far-right protesters and anti-fascist counter-demonstrators swarmed the downtown area, as police set up concrete barriers and closed streets and bridges in an effort to contain and separate the rival groups. (AP Photo/Moriah Ratner)
The Associated Press
Members of the Proud Boys and other right-wing demonstrators march along the Willamette River during an "End Domestic Terrorism" rally in Portland, Ore., on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019. Police have mobilized to prevent clashes between conservative groups and counter-protesters who converged on the city. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
The Associated Press
Portland Police prepare to head towards Tom McCall Waterfront Park as right-wing groups and counterprotesters gathered in downtown Portland, Ore., on Saturday, Aug. 17, 2019. Flag-waving members of the Proud Boys and Three Percenters militia group began gathering late in the morning, some wearing body armor and helmets. Meanwhile black clad, helmet and mask-wearing anti-fascist protesters - known as antifa - were also among the several hundred people on the streets. (AP Photo/Moriah Ratner)
The Associated Press