The Gold Coast Bulletin

Anarchy and death on streets of chaos

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SAN FRANCISCO: A man was shot dead in the US city of Portland, police said on Sunday, in the latest violence to up-end anti-racism protests as President Donald Trump presses an election message characteri­sing his Democratic opponent Joe Biden as weak on violent crime.

But hours after the gunfire on Saturday during a pro-Trump rally in the Oregon city, Mr Biden accused the president of fanning the flames of violence in a polarised and tense nation.

The shooting followed a week of countrywid­e protests – including the cancellati­on of numerous sporting events

– over the police shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, of African American Jacob Blake.

The violence in Portland erupted during a rally involving hundreds of vehicles in a procession in downtown Portland, police said. OregonLive reported “clashes” and “tense moments” between demonstrat­ors and counterpro­testers.

Photograph­s from the scene showed the victim wearing a hat with a logo for “Patriot Prayer”, described by local media as a far-right group at the centre of multiple Portland demonstrat­ions that have ended in violence.

The Portland clashes fol

lowed unrest in Kenosha, where prosecutor­s accused 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhous­e of shooting dead two men and wounding another who were protesting against Mr Blake’s shooting.

Mr Trump was due to travel on Tuesday to the Midwestern city to meet law enforcemen­t officials and view damage from unrest triggered by Mr Blake’s shooting last weekend.

Wisconsin’s governor Tony Evers sent the president a letter asking him to reconsider the visit as it “will only hinder our healing”, according to US media reports.

Violence connected to anti-racism protests has become a major issue in the campaign for November’s presidenti­al election, with Mr Trump presenting himself as the “law and order” choice and arguing that a Biden presidency would allow leftwing mob rule.

Mr Biden meanwhile condemned the violence and argued that Mr Trump had played a role in spurring the clashes.

“He is recklessly encouragin­g violence,” the Democratic nominee said in a statement. “He may believe tweeting about law and order makes him strong – but his failure to call on his supporters to stop seeking conflict shows just how weak he is.”

Mr Biden’s campaign said he would give a speech on Monday to address what it called a key question facing voters in November: “Are you safe in Donald Trump’s America?”

Mr Trump spent Sunday morning tweeting and retweeting dozens of posts purporting to show violence in Democratic-run cities, and especially Portland.

The president has repeatedly threatened to send federal forces into the west coast city if Mayor Ted Wheeler does not crack down.

Mr Trump attacked Mr Wheeler, a Democrat, for refusing help from the National Guard.

 ?? Picture: GETTY IMAGES ?? Police arrive to treat the shooting victim but he could not be saved.
Picture: GETTY IMAGES Police arrive to treat the shooting victim but he could not be saved.

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