PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon State Police declared an unlawful assembly Wednesday afternoon and arrested two people as demonstrators gathered at the Oregon Capitol in Salem as backers of outgoing President Donald Trump simultaneously stormed the U.S. Capitol in D.C.
OSP ordered those gathered in Salem to leave the area immediately or risk being arrested or on the receiving end of the use of force. Salem police said they were working with OSP troopers to control “mutual combat by opposing groups” on the Capitol grounds.
By 4 p.m., Salem police announced streets in the area had reopened and many demonstrators had left. Though some clashes erupted between opposing protest groups, they were short-lived and didn’t require police intervention, authorities said.
A 43-year-old Lincoln City man was arrested in connection with the protest, according to state police. David Willis was arrested and charged with harassment and disorderly conduct. Authorities said they also arrested 39-year-old Cody Melby for trespassing while in possession of a gun.
Both the Oregon State Police and the Salem Police Department issued statements ahead of time about the planned protest, which started around noon.
In Salem, Oregon Women For Trump promoted and encouraged protesters to show up for “Operation Occupy the Capital” at the State Capitol to wave a flag, march, make a presence and “stand proud in support of a free and fair election!”
Also on Wednesday, the U.S. House and Senate convened to certify the Electoral College votes of all 50 states. Those votes confirm Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the President-elect and Vice President-elect of the United States.
But more than 100 members of the House of Representatives, long-held in Donald Trump’s sway, have said they would object Wednesday to Biden’s victory. More than a dozen senators have done the same, defying the explicit wishes of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
An insurrection of pro-Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol and disrupted the proceedings, forcing all congressional lawmakers to be evacuated.
The final outcome is not in doubt: The results will eventually be certified for Biden, who will be sworn in as the nation’s 46th president two weeks later.
The event in Salem came on the heels of a New Year’s Day protest at the State Capitol that was declared an unlawful assembly as right-wing supporters clashed in the streets with counter-protesters essentially over the mask-wearing mandate during the pandemic in Oregon.
The protesters marched to Gov. Brown’s official residence and were met by SWAT officers and weren’t able to get close to the house. Several people were arrested.
Judge bans Proud Boys leader from Washington after arrest
(AP) — A judge has banned the leader of the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group, from the nation’s capital after he was accused of vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church and found with high-capacity firearm magazines when he was arrested.
The order bans Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, 36, from entering the District of Columbia, with very limited exceptions to meet with his attorney or appear in court. It comes a day after he was arrested arriving in Washington ahead of protests planned by supporters of President Donald Trump to coincide with the congressional vote expected Wednesday to affirm Joe Biden’s election victory.
Tarrio was arrested Monday by the Metropolitan Police Department and accused of burning a Black Lives Matter banner that was torn down from a historic Black church in downtown Washington last month. He was charged with destruction of property and is also facing a weapons charges after officers found him with the firearm magazines when he was arrested.