Trump supporters, Black Lives Matter protesters stage dueling Bend rallies
(Update: adding video, story, comments)
Booth selling merchandise in support of President Trump soon has company
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- What started out as a President Trump merchandise booth in front of Bend’s Third Street Safeway soon become a two-sided rally between Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter supporters.
Stewart P., who did not share his last name with NewsChannel 21, said he began selling Trump flags, hats and t-shirts around 10 a.m. Thursday in Safeway’s parking lot.
Luke Richter, the president of Central Oregon Peacekeepers, said he approached Stewart to find out if he had permission to sell the merchandise on Safeway’s property.
Richter said a group of Central Oregon Peacekeepers were asked to leave the property a week before when they were in the parking lot gathering donations for Warm Springs fire evacuees.
Richter then began live streaming on the Peacekeepers Facebook page. Shortly after, Black Lives Matter supporters showed up and began selling their own merchandise alongside the Trump booth.
Eventually, Stewart moved his Trump booth to the public sidewalk off of Safeway’s property.
“Our intent was just to offer people who are supportive of Trump an opportunity to maybe buy some flags or things paraphernalia that they might be able to show with pride,” Stewart told NewsChannel 21. “My intent was not to create any commotion or anything like that.”
Throughout the day, each group yelled at each other but no fights broke out and no arrests were made by police who were on hand, talking to participants.
"I've actually never been to a type of protest where it's like this,” said BLM supporter Kloii Hummingbird. “Where it started like a Trump protest and it's now half-and-half split through this invisible line."
