IF YOU'RE ANTI-ANTI-RACIST...:

A self-described "everyday anti-fascist," Ben's two years of quietly documenting the inner-workings of the local far-right have come to a close. But his experience offers an unprecedented peek into how Portland's alt-right agitators function.

Ben's interest in local activism began in 2011, after a four-year stint with the US Navy ended during the height of the recession. While he didn't consider himself a staunch liberal at the time, Ben grew frustrated with the feds' response to the financial crisis and began participating in Occupy Portland rallies. While earning a psychology degree at Washington State University, Ben joined the Young Democrats of Clark County and began canvassing for local Democrats running for school boards or city council seats.

It was only after Donald Trump's election that Ben began hearing about Patriot Prayer's increasingly contentious events. Wanting to witness the Vancouver group's tactics firsthand, Ben decided to attend--and document--a Patriot Prayer rally in downtown Portland on June 4, 2017.

It was a mess. Patriot Prayer was joined by three left-wing protest groups and a pack of heavily armored police officers. Police used pepper spray on several anti-fascist (commonly shortened to "antifa") protesters, arrested 14 participants, and ended up detaining more than a hundred attendees--including several journalists--when the crowds didn't disperse.

Ben managed to avoid the police, and instead documented protesters on the periphery of the clashing rallies. That's when he encountered four people affiliated with Patriot Prayer beating up a left-wing protester on a sidewalk.

"I was shocked by the violence," Ben says. "I remember thinking, 'Patriot Prayer is only going to get more violent. And no one is going to stop them.'"

Ben, who calls veterans the "original" anti-fascists, says his time in the Navy inspired him to take action.

"When I joined the military, I made an oath to defend the constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic," says Ben. "There's no expiration date on that oath. I want to live my ideals."

So Ben decided to fight back. But instead of joining local anti-fascist groups, Ben set his sights on weakening Patriot Prayer from the inside.

The idea: Get far-right activists on camera--to help others identify them--and act as an "early warning system" by leaking Patriot Prayer's plans to counter-protesters in real time.

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