Already distanced on ideological lines, the division between the Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Donald Trump supporters have further deepened after a video of BLM and Antifa appeared to show former celebrating the killing of supposedly a Trump supporter during the Saturday violence in Portland, Oregon.
“He was a f—ing Nazi! Our community held its own.”
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 30, 2020
Antifa & BLM in Portland celebrate the homicide of a purported Trump supporter who was affiliated with Patriot Prayer, a Portland-area conservative group. pic.twitter.com/xjIWk0KHN2
The video doing the rounds on Twitter shows big numbers of BLM activists and members standing in distance and apparently a group leader is addressing the gathering hailing the killing of a "Nazi" man.
On Saturday, Trump supporters had organized a caravan of about 600 vehicles, that was third in recent times, and had planned to drive around the city.
They had organised the tour after Trump compared Portland as a liberal city overrun with violence in a speech at the recently held Republican National Convention. Trump cautioned his supporters that if he loses the election in November Democrats would make the whole country like Portland.
Portland at the center of BLM protest
Portland is at the center of more than three-month-long protests that erupted after the killing of a black man George Floyd by a white police officer in May.
The chain of protests since then has seen Black Lives Movement activists targetting many government buildings and police buildings decrying police brutality and demanding reduction in the budget for police. Hundreds of people have been arrested by the police in an effort to bring law and order in the city since then.
After the Republican convention, Trump supporters had planned to lead a rally in favor of him and his bid for re-election. However, as they entered inside the city they were confronted by the BLM activist and clash broke at. One person died in the clash and that he was white, is the only information that police revealed about the victim.
Video allegedly shows BLM, Antifa celebration the killing of a white man
In the follow-up, a video was then shared on twitter which showed that the BLM and Antifa members celebrating the death of an apparent Trump supporter. That furthered deepened the fissure.
While Antifa and BLM equated the killing of the man with that of three persons a day ahead by a right-wing extremist man in Kenosha in Wisconsin, those on the end of the other side of the spectrum criticized the BLM for celebrating the death of person saying they enjoy violence and killing.
Here are some of the reactions:
Those on the other side have this to say:
