Patriot Prayer leader: ‘Tolerant’ Portland’s hate is unbelievable

After yet another clash with anti-fascist group Antifa in Portland this past weekend, Patriot Prayer founder Joey Gibson said the City of Roses is among the most divisive and hate-filled in the nation.

But that’s exactly why it is so vital that Patriot Prayer hold rallies in the city, said Gibson, who is also running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

“I’m extremely passionate about going there and putting pressure on [Portland Mayor] Ted Wheeler … The most important thing is going in there and standing up for what I believe in,” he said.

Unlike other rallies that turned into violent episodes between the two politically opposite groups, Gibson said that Saturday’s rally was very calm.

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“The police did a good job of keeping it peaceful because the pressure was on Ted Wheeler,” Gibson said. “So it was a pretty successful day.”

However, according to Gibson, the “hate is unbelievable” in the city of Portland. The same people holding signs proclaiming that “love is the answer” came up to Gibson yelling and cussing in his face.

“We’ve got to make sure everyone understands what it’s like in these cities. These cities that claim to be the most tolerant are actually the opposite, the most intolerant cities in the country,” Gibson said. “And Portland is filled with a lot of hate.”

Last week, Dori spoke with a food truck owner who said that his daughter was threatened with physical harm just for servicing customers who work in the Portland Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters.

“People within Portland really need to question themselves,” Gibson said. “Is this the answer, is this okay? Is this appropriate to treat people this way? Because it’s not very tolerant.”

Gibson said that in Portland, hardworking business owners often end up being punished for their political viewpoints, while criminals are able to break the law and face little to no repercussions from the government.

“It’s a lot harder to build a business in this city than it is to be a criminal or be homeless or get drugs,” Gibson said.

On the campaign side, Gibson isn’t concerned that he appears to be losing in the polls to former State Republican Party Chair Susan Hutchison.

“I just put out the effort that I could, and whatever happens, happens,” he said. “Susan Hutchison is a very well-respected Republican in the state of Washington … I wish her the best of luck and hope to God that she beats Maria Cantwell.”

Cantwell, Gibson said, is “not even a traditional liberal,” but someone who has sold out to the biggest businesses.

“She’s just someone who has just cozied up to big business, she’s not going to vote for the people at the bottom, she’s always going to vote for big business,” Gibson said. “I just don’t get it — I guess it’s because she’s got a D next to her name.”