A man assaulted by Antifa supporters in a video that went viral following a demonstration against a far-right rally in Portland, Oregon, says he is not a fascist but a Bernie Sanders-supporting progressive and registered Democrat. On August 4, Portland-based far-right group Patriot Prayer rallied at the city's Tom McCall Waterfront Park. But it was opposed by a larger number of counter-demonstrators from various left-wing and liberal groups in the city. Footage shows Paul Welch, 38, wrestling with masked anti-fascists for possession of the American flag he brought to the counter-demo. They demanded he let go of the flag, calling it a "fascist symbol," reported The Oregonian. "The right and certainly a lot of smaller groups like Patriot Prayer might rush to things like the flag and try to take it up as, 'This is our symbol exclusively,'" Welch, a protest regular, told The Oregonian. "Part of my thinking was to take it back." One of the men in the video beats Welch on the legs with a club-like object before striking him on the head with it. Welch is left bleeding on the floor, holding his head, as his assailants calmly walk off. He feared he would be beaten to death but was taken to hospital by onlookers and his head gash stapled back together by doctors. Welch, who said he voted for socialist Sanders in the 2016 Democratic primary, was also concussed. Portland police are investigating the incident, which was captured on camera by the journalist Mike Bivins and posted to Twitter. Video shows a struggle for a flag and then a black-clad person hit this dude in the head before he drops. I was watching the blood pour out of his head and into the street. #DefendPDX #AllOutPDX pic.twitter.com/KPRk1D8l00 â PDX Mike Bivins (@itsmikebivins) August 4, 2018 The city's police department is also investigating its own use of force against counter-demonstrators at the far-right rally. Police Chief Danielle Outlaw said they have received allegations of civilian injuries while the force tried to disperse the demonstrating crowds. Officers in riot gear and armed with batons charged the crowds, and also fired stun grenades and used pepper spray. "The Portland Police Bureau's response to protest is completely unacceptable in a free society," said David Rogers, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, in a statement after the protests. "The repeated use of excessive force, and the targeting of demonstrators based on political beliefs are a danger to the First Amendment rights of all people. We call on the Portland Police Bureau, Mayor Wheeler, and Chief Outlaw to immediately end the use of weapons, munitions, and explosives against protesters." But police said they were dealing with violent protestors armed with weapons. "Unfortunately, today, some people chose to commit illegal acts of violence, which required members of the Police Bureau to take action in order to keep all participants and non-participants safe," Chief Outlaw said. "This was a dangerous situation for all those involved, including officers, and I am disheartened that this kind of illegal behavior occurred in our beautiful city." Rose City Antifa, the anti-fascist group in Portland, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<doc-sep>A Bernie Sanders supporter who was beaten by Antifa earlier this month in Portland, Oregon, says he had no idea that carrying an American flag would elicit such violence. Paul Welch, 38, was sent to an urgent care clinic on Aug. 4 with a 3-inch gash in the back of his head because the “slightly progressive leftist” carried an Old Glory. Black-clad members of Antifa to literally lashed out at him for holding the “fascist” symbol. “My bones turned to Jell-O and I just went down,” Mr. Welch, who voted for the Vermont senator during the 2016 primary elections, told The Oregonian for an interview published Monday. “I remember thinking there was a very good chance that I could be beaten to death.” Footage of the City Hall incident was originally captured by freelance journalist Mike Bivins and shared on Twitter. NEW: Paul Welch was one of hundreds of progressive Portlanders who opposed a right-wing rally in downtown this month. An antifascist activist beat him bloody in the streets while dozens watched. Why? Welch was carrying an American flag. Here’s his story. https://t.co/973ERx25gs — Shane D. Kavanaugh (@shanedkavanaugh) August 20, 2018 “I had felt like showing that a liberal, free Portland — or any major city, really — is much more American and much more numerous and strong than any of these interloping groups,” Mr. Welch said of his rationale for carrying the flag. The line cook added that his original intent was not to side with any one group, although he did consider the conservative activists at the event “tacitly fascist.” “They’re just offensive,” Mr. Welch said of the group Patriot Prayer and its allies. Sgt. Chris Burley, a Portland police spokesman, told the newspaper that an investigation into the incident is ongoing. Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters Copyright © 2021 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.<doc-sep>Share this Story: Antifa thugs pummel 'fascist' flag-waving Bernie Sanders supporter Antifa thugs pummel 'fascist' flag-waving Bernie Sanders supporter Photo by PAUL WELCH Article content Whoops! Black-clad antifa thugs pummeled a flag-waving American patriot at a rally in Portland, Oregon. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Antifa thugs pummel 'fascist' flag-waving Bernie Sanders supporter Back to video The problem was: The man they beat up wasn’t a neo-Nazi or a Proud Boy, he was a Bernie Sanders supporter. According to The Oregonian, Paul Welch, 38, was marching peacefully when he was confronted by the mini Maoists, who demanded he ditch the Stars and Stripes. It is, after all, a fascist symbol, he was informed. He refused, and a tug-of-war over his flag erupted. Welch took a club to the back of the head, leaving him a bloody wreck. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “I didn’t come as a part of any one group,” Welch told The Oregonian. “I was just protesting outsiders coming here for their tacitly fascist event.” Protesters were taking aim at the right-wing Patriot Prayer when they mistook Welch for a “fascist.” “I had felt like showing that a liberal, free Portland — or any major city, really — is much more American and much more numerous and strong than any of these interloping groups,” he said. A registered Democrat, who describes himself as a “slightly progressive leftist,” Welch said he supported Sanders in the 2016 presidential primary. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content He said he brought his flag to the rally because he wanted to take back the flag as a symbol for all Americans, not just the right wing. At one point, Welch said he feared he would be beaten to death by the trio who attacked him. The result was a concussion. “It strikes me as the worst sort of political theatre,” he said. “It’s kind of like you’re playing into your opponents’ hands when you do that sort of thing. That’s not what I was there for.” A spokesman with Popular Mobilization, a group that helped organize the counter-protest at city hall, declined to comment. Share this article in your social network Latest National Stories Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Toronto Sun Headline News Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Toronto SUN, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address. By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. 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Progressive Bernie Sanders supporter Paul Welch showed up at a Portland, Oregon, rally on Aug. 4 to demonstrate his liberal political leanings — but he left with a busted head after Antifa protesters attacked him. It was all because he dared to carry an American flag, the Oregonian revealed Monday. What are the details? Patriot Prayer held the rally in downtown Portland on Aug. 4. Welch, a 38-year-old line cook, joined a group of progressives who were marching to protest the rally. Welch carried an American flag as he marched — but during the demonstration, members of Antifa reportedly approached him told him to give them the flag, claiming that it is "a fascist symbol," he told the Oregonian. He was adamantly not a supporter of the conservative activists or their movement, he told the paper, he but took an object to the back of his head anyway and ended up lying on the ground as blood ran from his scalp. The rally held at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park attracted many demonstrators from many different backgrounds of political ideology, according to Welch. Welch, however, simply wanted to make his political points of view known and to show that conservatives don't have a corner on the market when it comes to claiming patriotic symbols like the American flag. "The right and certainly a lot of smaller groups like Patriot Prayer might rush to things like the flag and try to take it up as, 'This is our symbol exclusively,'" Welch explained. "Part of my thinking was to take it back." Antifa protesters, however, didn't appear to listen to Welch's reasons for carrying a flag. They saw a man marching with an American flag and attacked. Welch said that he believed he was hit with an unidentified metal object. "My bones turned to Jell-O and I just went down," Welch told the Oregonian about the moments following a back-of-the-head strike from a black-clad marcher. Video footage of a portion of the scuffle ends with Welch lying on the ground, clutching at the back of his head. "I remember thinking there was a very good chance that I could be beaten to death," Welch added, and said that the attack serves only to damage the left's credibility. "It strikes me as the worst sort of political theater," he explained. "It's kind of like you're playing into your opponents' hands when you do that sort of thing. That's not what I was there for." As a result of the attack, Welch suffered a concussion as well as a laceration, which required four staples to close the three-inch gash. The Oregonian reported that Welch filed a police report on the incident the same week. Sgt. Chris Burley, a spokesperson for the Portland Police, said the department had opened an investigation into the incident. Man down. He’s dripping blood from his head. This is serious. He got in a struggle with some black clad dudes over a flag and one of them clubbed him. Video coming. #DefendPDX #Alloutpdx pic.twitter.com/2rWnAkAC2J — PDX Mike Bivins (@itsmikebivins) August 4, 2018 You can see a brief video of the incident below.