CLEVELAND, Ohio — Activists, parents and first-time protesters motivated by accounts of children separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border plan to rally in hundreds of cities nationwide Saturday to press President Donald Trump’s administration to reunite the families quickly.

A protest is set for Public Square in Cleveland at 10 a.m.

More than 600 marches could draw hundreds of thousands of people across the country, from immigrant-friendly cities like Los Angeles and New York City to conservative Appalachia and Wyoming under the banner Families Belong Together.

Though many who show up will be seasoned anti-Trump demonstrators, others will be new to immigration activism, including parents who say they feel compelled to show up after heart-wrenching accounts of children forcibly taken from their families as they crossed the border illegally. In Portland, Oregon, for example, several stay-at-home moms have organized their first rally while caring for young kids.

“I’m not a radical, and I’m not an activist,” said Kate Sharaf, a Portland co-organizer. “I just reached a point where I felt I had to do more.”

Immigrant advocacy groups say they’re thrilled — and surprised — to see the issue gaining traction among those not tied to immigration.

“Honestly, I am blown away. I have literally never seen Americans show up for immigrants like this,” said Jess Morales Rocketto, political director at the National Domestic Workers Alliance, which represents nannies, housekeepers and caregivers, many of whom are immigrants. “We just kept hearing over and over again, if it was my child, I would want someone to do something.”

Saturday’s rallies are getting funding and support from the American Civil Liberties Union, MoveOn.org, the National Domestic Workers Alliance and The Leadership Conference. But local organizers are shouldering on-the-ground planning, many of them women relying on informal networks established during worldwide women’s marches on Trump’s inauguration and its anniversary.

Tyler Houlton, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, welcomed interest in the immigration system and said only Congress has the power to change the law.

“We appreciate that these individuals have expressed an interest in and concern with the critical issue of securing our nation’s borders and enforcing our immigration laws,” Houlton said. “As we have indicated before, the department is disappointed and frustrated by our nation’s disastrous immigration laws and supports action.”

Trump took to Twitter on Saturday morning to show his support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement amid calls from some Democrats for major changes to immigration enforcement.

Tweeting from New Jersey, Trump said that Democrats “are making a strong push to abolish ICE, one of the smartest, toughest and most spirited law enforcement groups of men and women that I have ever seen.” He urged ICE agents to “not worry or lose your spirit.”

In Portland, Sharaf and other mothers who organized the rally hope to attract 5,000 people.

Right-wing activists with the group Patriot Prayer also have a permit to march later in the day Saturday and the Portland Police Bureau said Friday they planned to have a heavy police presence.

Sharaf and co-organizer Erin Conroy have coordinated with immigrant advocacy groups.

“This is not my wheelhouse,” Conroy said. “As far as I’m concerned, this is a national emergency that we all need to be focused on right now.”

That passion is heartening for the broader anti-Trump coalition, which hopes marches will attract people who have otherwise been on the sidelines, said David S. Meyer, a political science professor at the University of California, Irvine, who has authored books on U.S. political protest.

“There are people who have all kinds of other grievances or gripes with the Trump administration and they’re quite happy to use this one as the most productive and salient for the moment,” he said.

Immigration attorney Linda Rivas said groups have met with U.S. authorities, congressional representatives and other leaders to discuss an escalating immigration crackdown that they say began decades ago. But the family separation policy has been a watershed for attracting a broader spectrum of demonstrators, she said.

“To finally have people on board wanting to take action, marching, taking to the streets, it’s been motivating for us as advocates because we have to keep going,” Rivas said.</s>Police Declare A Riot After Far-Right And Antifa Groups Clash In Portland, Ore.

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What began in downtown Portland, Ore., on Saturday as a permitted march by the far-right group Patriot Prayer was quickly declared a riot and halted by police after altercations with anti-fascist counterprotesters escalated, with reports of projectiles causing several injuries.

Four people were taken to area hospitals by ambulance, one with a serious but not life-threatening injury and the other three with non-serious injuries. Additionally, a patrol vehicle escorted one police officer who experienced non-serious injuries to a hospital, according to a statement by the Portland police department.

Police arrested four individuals, though all were in connection to events prior to Saturday's events.

Supporters of Patriot Prayer, led by its incendiary leader Joey Gibson, who is also running for a U.S. Senate seat in Washington state, began to assemble in parks along Third Avenue in downtown Portland early Saturday afternoon.

Far-left antifa protesters congregated in similar or greater numbers nearby.

The two groups lobbed insults at each other across a heavy law enforcement presence, clad in riot gear, there to keep the two sides apart and screen for weapons.

Around 6 p.m. local time, Patriot Prayer initiated its permitted march, working its way along Third Avenue. But projectiles quickly began flying. Police then cancelled the permit, used bullhorns to declare the situation a riot and deployed flash bangs and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds.

"We seized numerous weapons early on, and interceded and separated people when necessary. However, once projectiles, such as fireworks, eggs, rocks, bottles and construction equipment were thrown and people were injured, we ordered people to disperse," Deputy Police Chief Bob Day said in a statement.

Portland police disputed rumors that they had used tear gas.

They also said the four arrests made were not in relation to Saturday's protests, and all were connected to investigations that began in early June and, in one case, late May.

In its statement, the police department also said it is aware other "criminal behavior" was recorded that may include disorderly conduct, assault, theft, among other crimes. They encouraged tips and said there may be more arrests "at a later time."

The Federal Protective Service, among the law enforcement present Saturday, shut down the Terry Schrunk Federal Plaza as local police declared a riot.

Before Saturday, Eugene Antifa, a far-left group, posted on Facebook its intention to stymie groups like Patriot Prayer. "It is very important that antifascists keep up the pressure so that we can stop them once and for all," it wrote.

During the protests, one of the far-right protesters later arrested by police, Tusitala "Tiny" Toese told KGW that his commitment to his Patriot Prayer "family" was unflappable. "If I have to die next to my family, to my brothers and sister (sic), that's standing up for freedom in America, I will have to," he said.

The Southern Poverty Law Center wrote last year that Patriot Prayer had "trolled the Northwest with a series of rallies designed to provoke violence." The group was behind a rally in San Francisco last year that was cancelled before it took place, after many had anticipated violent clashes.

Saturday's protests follow previous confrontations between Patriot Prayer and anti-fascist groups in Oregon's largest city.

Earlier last month, a "goodbye party for a prominent conservative activist transformed into a clash between the left and the right," according to the Portland Tribune.

Last year saw thousands skirmish in fights between Patriot Prayer and counter-protesters at a rally following a stabbing on public transportation after a man reportedly harassed a woman wearing a hijab, as NPR's Maquita Peters reported.

Separate "Families Belong Together" protests — decrying the Trump administration's now rescinded policy of separating families at the border — erupted in cities around the country Saturday. Another part of downtown Portland played host to one such rally Saturday.</s>PORTLAND, Ore. -- Two opposing protest groups -- Patriot Prayer and antifa -- clashed in downtown Portland Saturday, CBS Portland affiliate KOIN reports. Portland police said failure to leave the area could leave to arrests, calling the demonstration a riot.

More than 100 members of Patriot Prayer group gathered at Terry Schrunk Plaza for a "freedom rally," while more than 100 counter protesters with an antifa group gathered across the street at Chapman Square for rallies before a march. Police revoked Patriot Prayer's permit for the rally after the two groups began to clash.

People were lighting firecrackers and smoke bombs in the crowd while police used flash bangs in an effort to disperse the clashing protesters. Police tweeted Saturday night they used "aerial distractions" and not tear gas.

Portland Police have used aerial distraction devices in today's protest. Portland Police have not used tear gas as some are reporting. — Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) July 1, 2018

Patroit Prayer organizer Joey Gibson told KOIN the clashes "good in terms that we showed that there's a political move right now to have the police stand down in order to impact free speech in some of these big cities."

"Portland's the last city on the West Coast that's doing that, so we just have to keep hitting it -- I don't see what else to do other than that," Gibson said. "We'll make Portland so ugly in terms of how they allow these protesters to charge us when we have a permit. The police stood down, we were told they would not stand down, so we have to challenge it."

A group called Eugene Antifa created a Facebook event called "Defend PDX: Patriot Prayer's violence must end"

"It is very important that antifascists keep up the pressure so that we can stop them once and for all," the Facebook page says.

Portland police told KOIN there would be "significant law enforcement precense" downtown. KOIN reports that police were already dressed in riot gear before the 4 p.m. start time.

The protest was similar to June 3 demonstrations near City Hall in Portland, Oregon, which led to four arrests after clashes between right-wing groups and antifa.

Thousands of people protested earlier Saturday against the the Trump administration's family separations and across the Columbia River in Vancouver, Washington. Hundreds of rallies were held nationwide to protest President Trump's "zero tolerance" immigration policy.

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, blasted Mr. Trump's immigration policies and asked the crowd what score the president would get for his zero tolerance policy. The crowd shouted back, "Zero!"</s>PORTLAND, Ore. -- Liberal activists, parents and first-time protesters motivated by accounts of children separated from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border plan to rally in hundreds of cities nationwide Saturday to press President Trump's administration to reunite the families quickly. More than 600 marches could draw hundreds of thousands of people across the country, from immigrant-friendly cities like Los Angeles and New York City to conservative Appalachia and Wyoming under the banner Families Belong Together.

Though many who show up will be seasoned anti-Trump demonstrators, others will be new to immigration activism, including parents who say they feel compelled to show up after heart-wrenching accounts of children forcibly taken from their families as they crossed the border illegally. In Portland, Oregon, for example, several stay-at-home moms have organized their first rally while caring for young kids.

"I'm not a radical, and I'm not an activist," said Kate Sharaf, a Portland co-organizer. "I just reached a point where I felt I had to do more."

Immigrant advocacy groups say they're thrilled -- and surprised -- to see the issue gaining traction among those not tied to immigration.

"Honestly, I am blown away. I have literally never seen Americans show up for immigrants like this," said Jess Morales Rocketto, political director at the National Domestic Workers Alliance, which represents nannies, housekeepers and caregivers, many of whom are immigrants. "We just kept hearing over and over again, if it was my child, I would want someone to do something."

Saturday's rallies are getting funding and support from the American Civil Liberties Union, MoveOn.org, the National Domestic Workers Alliance and The Leadership Conference. But local organizers are shouldering on-the-ground planning, many of them women relying on informal networks established during worldwide women's marches on Mr. Trump's inauguration and its anniversary.

Tyler Houlton, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, welcomed interest in the immigration system and said only Congress has the power to change the law.

"We appreciate that these individuals have expressed an interest in and concern with the critical issue of securing our nation's borders and enforcing our immigration laws," Houlton said. "As we have indicated before, the department is disappointed and frustrated by our nation's disastrous immigration laws and supports action."

In Portland, Sharaf and other mothers who organized the rally hope to attract 5,000 people.

Right-wing activists with the group Patriot Prayer also have a permit to march later in the day Saturday and the Portland Police Bureau said Friday they planned to have a heavy police presence.

Sharaf and co-organizer Erin Conroy have coordinated with immigrant advocacy groups.

"This is not my wheelhouse," Conroy said. "As far as I'm concerned, this is a national emergency that we all need to be focused on right now."

That passion is heartening for the broader anti-Trump coalition, which hopes marches will attract people who have otherwise been on the sidelines, said David S. Meyer, a political science professor at the University of California, Irvine, who has authored books on U.S. political protest.

"There are people who have all kinds of other grievances or gripes with the Trump administration and they're quite happy to use this one as the most productive and salient for the moment," he said.

Immigration attorney Linda Rivas said groups have met with U.S. authorities, congressional representatives and other leaders to discuss an escalating immigration crackdown that they say began decades ago. But the family separation policy has been a watershed for attracting a broader spectrum of demonstrators, she said.

"To finally have people on board wanting to take action, marching, taking to the streets, it's been motivating for us as advocates because we have to keep going," Rivas said.

On Thursday, more than a thousand people and organizations including the ACLU, the ACLU of Texas and United We Dream gathered in Texas to demand that separated families be immediately reunited, the ACLU said in a news release. They gathered in Brownsville, which according to the ACLU is one of the "hardest hit" areas under the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy.

"The administration doesn't have a plan to reunite families. But we have a plan," said Terri Burke, executive director of the ACLU of Texas. "We are going to keep fighting. Refugees are welcome here, immigrants are welcome here. We won't stop until every single child is reunited."</s>PORTLAND, Ore. -- Two opposing protest groups -- Patriot Prayer and antifa -- clashed in downtown Portland Saturday, CBS Portland affiliate KOIN reports. Portland police said failure to leave the area could leave to arrests, calling the demonstration a riot.

More than 100 members of Patriot Prayer group gathered at Terry Schrunk Plaza for a "freedom rally," while more than 100 counter protesters with an antifa group gathered across the street at Chapman Square for rallies before a march. Police revoked Patriot Prayer's permit for the rally after the two groups began to clash.

People were lighting firecrackers and smoke bombs in the crowd while police used flash bangs in an effort to disperse the clashing protesters.

"It is very important that antifascists keep up the pressure so that we can stop them once and for all," the Facebook page says.

Portland police told KOIN there would be "significant law enforcement precense" downtown. KOIN reports that police were already dressed in riot gear before the 4 p.m. start time.

The protest was similar to June 3 demonstrations near City Hall in Portland, Oregon, which led to four arrests after clashes between right-wing groups and antifa.

Thousands of people protested earlier Saturday against the the Trump administration's family separations and across the Columbia River in Vancouver, Washington. Hundreds of rallies were held nationwide to protest President Trump's "zero tolerance" immigration policy.

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, blasted Mr. Trump's immigration policies and asked the crowd what score the president would get for his zero tolerance policy. The crowd shouted back, "Zero!"</s>A rally turned violent in downtown Portland, Oregon.The brawl, all caught on camera.Two opposing protest groups, the conservative Patriot Prayer and the liberal anti-fascists or Antifa, slugged it out in the street.People were also reportedly lighting firecrackers and smoke bombs in the crowd.The Patriot Prayer group claimed to be gathering for a "freedom rally."Antifa calls Patriot Prayer racist and full of hate speech.Nine people were arrested, and a police officer was hurt trying to break up the fight.</s>Members of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer and left-wing Antifa groups clashed on Saturday at a rally in Portland, Oregon. Several people were injured, but police were able to break up the brawl.</s>Protesters of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer clash with protesters from anti-fascist groups during a demonstration in Portland, Oregon, U.S. June 30, 2018, in this still image taken from video from obtained from social media. MANDATORY CREDIT. Bryan Colomo/via REUTERS

(Reuters) - Anti-fascist and right-wing activists clashed in Portland, Oregon on Saturday night as violence broke out during a march in support of a conservative Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, media reported.

Scuffles broke out after anti-fascists pelted marchers from the right-wing Patriot Prayer group with eggs, water bottles and firecrackers, the Oregonian newspaper reported. The Patriot Prayer group's founder Joey Gibson is running for the Senate.

Police made a handful of arrests from both sides, and officers seized utility knives, pepper spray and clubs, according to the newspaper.

A spokesperson for the Portland police could not be immediately reached for comment.</s>Two opposing groups showed up to a “Freedom and Courage” rally Saturday in downtown Portland, Oregon, and a riot broke out, reports CBS News. When neither side wanted to leave, Portland’s police department threatened arrests would come next. “More than 100 members of Patriot Prayer group gathered at Terry Schrunk Plaza for a ‘freedom rally,’ while more than 100 counter protesters with an Antifa group gathered across the street at Chapman Square for rallies before a march. Police revoked Patriot Prayer’s permit for the rally after the two groups began to clash.” The march was set to start at 6 p.m., and while the police had no problem with the peaceful protest aspect of it all when things took a turn towards criminal activity, they had to step in.

“People were lighting firecrackers and smoke bombs and throwing eggs and water bottles into the crowd. Police used aerial distraction devices, pepper spray and pepper balls in an effort to disperse the clashing protesters,” reports KOIN. Portland police told KOIN that they were prepared for issues to occur at the rally and planned to have a substantial police presence there, with cops taking the necessary precautions by donning their riot gear before the event even started.

After their permit was revoked, Patriot Prayer gathered their group at Terry Schrunk Plaza but the park was closed by the Federal Protective Service, who insisted that everyone had to leave. Those who still wanted to have an event headed to SW 3rd between SW Clay and Columbia. But trouble followed and after another clash occurred, so those who remained boarded a bus and left.

Patriot Prayer’s organizer, Joey Gibson, told KOIN, that the fighting was “good in terms that we showed that there’s a political move right now to have the police stand down in order to impact free speech in some of these big cities.” He saw Portland as one of the last cities on the west coast doing that so that’s why they keep doing this. “We’ll make Portland so ugly in terms of how they allow these protesters to charge us when we have a permit. The police stood down, we were told they would not stand down, so we have to challenge it.”

The last time this happened was back on June 3 where clashes happened in a demonstration near City Hall in Portland. That one ended with four arrests after the right-wing groups and Antifa clashed. In Saturday’s clash, a group called Eugene Antifa made a Facebook event, according to CBS News, where they gave their reason for doing what they do. “It is very important that antifascists keep up the pressure so that we can stop them once and for all.”</s>Anti-fascist and right-wing activists clashed in Portland, Oregon on Saturday night as violence broke out during a march in support of a conservative Republican candidate for the US Senate, media reported.



Scuffles broke out after anti-fascists pelted marchers from the right-wing Patriot Prayer group with eggs, water bottles and firecrackers, the Oregonian newspaper reported. The Patriot Prayer group’s founder Joey Gibson is running for the Senate.

Police made a handful of arrests from both sides, and officers seized utility knives, pepper spray and clubs, according to the newspaper.

A spokesperson for the Portland police could not be immediately reached for comment.
A right-wing Patriot Prayer rally in Portland, Oregon turns violent, with clashes reported between the group and the left-wing group Antifa. The Portland Police Bureau reports that four arrests were made for outstanding warrants, and that Patriot Prayer's permit to march was cancelled once the violence began.