Two men who took part in a pro-President Donald Trump rally in Salem, Oregon, on Labor Day were arrested after they attacked counter-protesters.
Video footage showed a group of rallygoers chasing counter-protesters, including Black Lives Matter activists, striking one with a baseball bat and hitting another multiple times.
Two people were arrested, one wearing a military-style vest. It wasn’t clear whether either were armed.
An Oregon State Police spokesman told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that the men were Ty Parker, 53, of Durango, Colorado, who was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor assault and first-degree intimidation; and Trenton Wolfskill, 37, of Eugene, who was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor assault.
The men were released after being cited.
The event, dubbed “American Lives Matter Rally & March,” initially attracted about 200 people, around 50 of whom were counter-protesters, police said.
After dozens of additional people arrived from a vehicle convoy, the groups began to engage each other, shooting “what was reported to be paintball and/or CS projectiles at each other,” the police statement said, adding: “The American Lives Matter Rally group ran across court street chasing/pushing the counter-protestors through the tree line in the Capitol Mall Park.”
Salem police officers and state troopers responded together.
“Troopers will continue to conduct follow up investigation on other criminal reports taken during this event,” the spokesman said.
The rally featured members of Patriot Prayer, a right-wing group that joined a car caravan rally late last month that went into Portland. A Patriot Prayer supporter was shot dead following that rally by a member of Antifa, the far-left, anarcho-communist network.
Members of the Proud Boys, an all-male fraternity, were also in the crowd on Monday, The Oregonian reported.
The Proud Boys shared video of one of the assaults on Parler, writing: “Hulk smash!” and using emojis indicating they were laughing so hard they were crying.
Salem is about 45 miles southwest of Portland.
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