Arrests made during dueling protests in Salem

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Police in Salem used flash-bang grenades to separate opposing groups of protesters Friday afternoon.

Authorities had declared an unlawful assembly and Salem Police Lt. Debbie Aguilar said “several arrests” had been made. An exact figure wasn’t immediately available.

The Statesman Journal reports that a rally against COVID-19 mandates put on by Oregon Women For Trump took place at the State Capitol and a few hundred people marched through the rain to the governor’s residence.

While a group of right-wing protesters were returning around 4 p.m. to the Capitol, they encountered a group of counter -protesters. Officers from Oregon State Police and the Salem Police Department intervened before the sides could clash.

Police from Salem and the Oregon State Police had a large presence in Salem all day Friday, and for the most part, the protests were peaceful.