Dueling Bend rallies turn into melee; Mace, Taser used, gun pointed; 1 arrest
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A boisterous confrontation amid dual rallies by President Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters near Pilot Butte turned violent and brought out police Saturday afternoon, leading to one arrest. Videos on social media showed fights, the use of Mace and a Taser, and at one point a man pointing a gun by a pickup truck.
Police were still sorting out what took place and provided limited information Saturday night. Lt. Juli McConkey said they learned shortly after 4:30 p.m. of a flag being taken and a man displaying a handgun during “two separate First Amendment events.”
The 23-year-old Bend man who allegedly stole the flag was cited on a theft charge and released, she said.
“Bend police patrol vehicles were blocked in, interfering with the duties of the officers,” McConkey added.
“This is an open case and is still under investigation,” she said. “We will continue to investigate crimes and work with the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office for the prosecution.”
A Trump 2020 “caravan cruise rally” was called for Saturday afternoon, as organizers told participants that it would begin at the Pilot Butte Trailhead. The Central Oregon Peacekeepers and Central Oregon Diversity Project said they would hold their own rally.
The first hours of the events were fairly peaceful, as Black Lives Matter supporters had anyone who wished, including Trump supporters, sign a chalkboard with a message condemning white supremacy. Organizers of the cruise to support President Trump also said they wanted a peaceful event and trip through town.
Bend native and Black Lives Matter rally participant Jamie Kruse said both groups announced their gathering spots Saturday morning, first the Black Lives Matter supporters.
One video posted on Twitter showed a man reaching for his gun, pulling and and pointing it, apparently at protesters. Kruse said the man was allowed to leave after talking to police.
Various other videos on social media showed confrontations around the parking lot that included fistfights, the use a Taser and at least a few cases of Mace being sprayed.
Kruse said she posted a video that showed some women standing behind a police car who wouldn’t move out of the way, so police pushed them, but they still refused to move. They eventually fell to the ground, and police pulled the backpack of a woman on the ground, “in effect choking her,” Kruse said, which led to more screams and chaos as other women came to her side to protect her.
As BLM protesters loudly refused to move and confronted officers, another incident happened in front of the police cruiser, Kruse said, and police dragged a woman across the pavement by her arms out of the way, prompting an outcry by witnesses.
“The cruisers were being blocked because we requested that a sergeant be sent down immediately after these officers allowed the man who pointed the gun at the protesters to leave,” Kruse said.
A supporter of the president became emotional when talking with NewsChannel 21 about the violence she witnessed.
“I want peace,” Suzanne S. said. “I don’t want them – I don’t want us to be fighting. I don’t want us to say things we shouldn’t be saying to each other. I want everyone to get along. I want this to stop. I don’t want violence any more, on either side. I don’t want any harsh words between us, either. I’m done with that.”
But Kruse said the Trump supporters she saw weren't peaceful, as they "rolled coal" (kicking out exhaust) as they drove by, shouted and used obscene gestures, at one point calling her daughters "brain-washed b******s."
The Central Oregon Diversity Project and Central Oregon Peacekeepers members also were adamant earlier in the afternoon that they weren’t there to protest, just to have a fun gathering together.
“Honestly, to me, this isn’t a rally,” Kerstin Arias said. “This is a kick-back. It's a block party. It’s a celebration.”
