Police in Portland responded to a brawl outside a bar Wednesday night where members of far-left Antifa clashed with a far-right group.
People from both sides fought and sprayed bear repellent and pepper spray at each other, the reports said. Abram Goldman-Armstrong, owner of the bar, called Cider Riot, told The Oregonianthat Joey Gibson, founder of the far-right group Patriot Prayer, was there with about 20 protesters.
The fight happened after a day of generally peaceful May Day protests across the Oregon city. Hundreds of people rallied for the rights of immigrants, workers and other marginalized groups, specifically at gatherings in Elizabeth Caruthers Park, Holladay Park and Chapman Square.
No arrests were made and no force was used by police during any of the free speech assemblies, according to a statement late Wednesday from the Portland Police Department.
However, one video posted by freelance journalist Mike Bivins appeared to show that a woman had been knocked unconscious. The circumstances relating to the video weren't immediately clear.
In another post, journalist and photographer Andy Ngo claims to have been pepper-sprayed by an Antifa demonstrator. Ngo then appears to drop the camera and fall back before the video ends.
In 2017, 25 people were arrested in Portland after a peaceful protest turned into a riot on May Day, OregonLive reported.
Police arrived at the bar at 8:30 p.m. to interview witnesses, Oregon Live reported. No arrests were announced related to the brawl.
Antifa -- short for antifascist — is the term used for those who say they oppose neo-Nazis, racists and other hate groups. Most recently, the FBI was investigating a possible Antifa plot to buy guns from a Mexican cartel and stage an armed rebellion against U.S. law enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border.
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