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Community Leaders Heartened by Portland Response to Proud Boys Rally

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “My read of the situation is that we wanted these White nationalists and alt-right leaders out of our community. And the police gave them the quickest and most expedient way to get out of our city, and I feel comfortable with that,” Eric K. Ward, executive director of Western States Center, told The Skanner. “We saw a five-hour rally that lasted for less than an hour, and then (protestors) requested to be escorted across the bridge by law enforcement. We have groups who were trying to create the conditions for another Charlottesville…”

Published

7 years ago

August 22, 2019

Oakland Post

At a press conference prior to Saturday’s rally, Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty told the crowd, “I unequivocally support people who stand up against white supremacists, white nationalists, and people who are filled with hate and bile.” (Photo by Saundra Sorensen)

Proud Boys outnumbered by counter-demonstrators in largely peaceful event

By Saundra Sorensen, The Skanner News

Black community leaders found reason to celebrate in the aftermath of Saturday’s gathering of right-wing extremists in Portland.

“My read of the situation is that we wanted these White nationalists and alt-right leaders out of our community. And the police gave them the quickest and most expedient way to get out of our city, and I feel comfortable with that,” Eric K. Ward, executive director of Western States Center, told The Skanner. “We saw a five-hour rally that lasted for less than an hour, and then (protestors) requested to be escorted across the bridge by law enforcement. We have groups who were trying to create the conditions for another Charlottesville. They started coming here looking for fights, and this time they didn’t really get that. And then most couldn’t find their way back to their car. I think that really described the day,” he said.

Members of the Southern Poverty Law Center-designated hate group Proud Boys organized the unpermitted rally at downtown Portland’s waterfront, with the stated purpose of getting antifascist demonstrators in the city denounced as a monolithic domestic terrorist organization by officials.

Police estimates total attendance at the protest and counter-protest at about 1,200, with members of alt-right groups numbering about 500. Local media estimates placed the number of Proud Boys at 200 to 300 and the number of counter-protesters at 1000 to 1,200. Law enforcement officials kept both groups apart, allowing Proud Boys members and supporters to exit east on Hawthorne Bridge after a brief demonstration.

Police said they arrested 13 people during the demonstration, most on charges of disorderly conduct, and seized a small number of weapons including bear spray. Alexander G. Dial, 37, was charged with attempted assault in the second degree and unlawful use of a weapon, and Brandon Howard, 33, was charged with assault in the fourth degree and disorderly conduct in the second degree.

“I think the community came out strong,” Kayse Jama, executive director of Unite Oregon, told The Skanner. “It really became more of a festival celebration mood than a rally. The community outnumbered the White supremacists in large numbers,” he said.

Ward and Jama said they were satisfied with the police response to the rally, and praised city leadership overall. Such commendations did not come easily.

Last week, Mayor Ted Wheeler held a press conference at Pioneer Square in anticipation of the Proud Boy rally, warning of a zero-tolerance policy for violence. The event featured a more than 80-member coalition of supporting agencies, nonprofits and individuals in the community, with brief speeches by legislators and community leaders. Both Ward and Jama spoke, and both took exception to what they saw as “false equivalences” from city officials that White supremacist demonstrators and counter-protestors posed an equal threat of violence.

“Let me speak first to our law enforcement community: There is no neutral ground,” Jama said at Wednesday’s conference, pointing out that White nationalist groups planning to attend the rally “are well-trained, armed militia.”

At the scheduled start time of the rally Saturday, a handful of White nationalist protesters in paramilitary gear milled around the esplanade of Tom McCall Waterfront Park south of Morrison Bridge, where they were outnumbered by photographers and other members of local and national press. North of the bridge, a larger group of counter-protestors assembled for an adapted Shabbat service led by Rabbi Debra Kolodny in front of the Battleship Oregon Memorial. At one point, Kolodny, of Portland United Against Hate, showed the crowd where she’d written the number of the National Lawyers Guild on her forearm.

“My great aunts and uncles had numbers of death written on their arms, and I have numbers of solidarity and support written on mine,” Kolodny said. “While many of us might have our epigenetic trauma triggered by what’s happening right now, I want to assure everyone that what happened before is not going to happen again.”

Portland NAACP President Rev. E.D. Mondainé followed, telling the crowd, “It is time to rally our allies and quickly recruit them as accomplices that will stand with the disenfranchised and those who are marginalized in our cities across America in our fight for freedom.”

Kolodny told The Skanner that the event was part of The Spectacle, Portland Popular Mobilization’s counter-protest, which aimed to distract from White supremacist demonstrators.

“I went to an organizing meeting of Pop Mob, and I learned of their desire to create a counter presence that they called ‘The Spectacle’ that would be filled with song and dance and music and juggling and satire and humor, to create a unifying community experience that was joyful and connecting, and just counterbalancing,” Kolodny said.

Groups involved in The Spectacle included NAACP Portland, Portland Jobs with Justice, Rose City Antifa, Portland Democratic Socialists of America, the Interfaith Clergy Resistance, Portland Industrial Workers of the World, the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, and the Queer Liberation Front.

In practice, The Spectacle encouraged a gathering of not just masked protestors often associated with the Antifa movement, but also colorfully dressed and costumed demonstrators.

Ward praised Pop Mob’s “commitment to providing alternatives to toxic masculinity” in the protest.

“It was really overshadowing of the White nationalist movement,” Ward said. “Pop Mob has really engaged in a new set of tactics that were creative and celebratory, and I want to acknowledge that, and acknowledge that leadership.”

“They might come back,” Ward said in response to Proud Boys organizer Joe Biggs’ threat that his group would return for monthly rallies. “Every dollar spent when they come back that continues to strengthen the unity of Portlanders, is a dollar well spent. And if they want to give us the opportunity to do so again, we should be joyful about the opportunity to celebrate Portland.”

Ward added, “I’ve been in many a protest. I’ve been in some amazing community mobilizations against bigotry. I’ve not in my 30 years seen such an organic alignment, that was so celebratory, as Saturday. People felt empowered and not disempowered. And the fact that Joey Gibson and Joe Biggs are spending Monday working so hard to convince media and their followers that they were successful tells me how much they’re scrambling. They’ve never had to scramble to declare a win before. They ran out of gas in Portland. And I think it’s significant and I think other cities should take note of it.”

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2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring Review — Is This $136K EV Sedan Worth It?

AUTONETWORK ON BLACKPRESSUSA — Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, but it still feels elegant instead of trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Published

3 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

Oakland Post

The 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring is the kind of luxury EV that makes people stop and ask a simple question: Is this really better than a Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, or BMW i7? At $136,150, it has to do more than look futuristic. It has to feel special every time you get in it.

Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, yet it still feels elegant rather than trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Inside is where the Air Grand Touring really makes its case. The 34-inch Glass Cockpit Display and retractable Pilot Panel screen give the cabin a clean, modern look that still feels different from other EVs. The Tahoe Extended Leather and Lucid Black Alcantara headliner lifts the sense of occasion, and the front seats are a highlight. They are 20-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, and include massage. That matters because luxury buyers at this price expect comfort first.

Rear passengers are not ignored either. You get 5-zone heated rear seating, a rear center console display, and power rear and rear side window sunshades. Add in the Surreal Sound Pro system with 21 speakers, and the Air feels like a true long-distance luxury sedan.

Lucid also gives this car serious EV hardware. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, 900V+ charging architecture, and Wunderbox onboard charger are big talking points. Buyers in this segment care about range, charging speed, and everyday ease, not just raw performance. That is where the Lucid continues to stand out.

On the technology side, the Air Grand Touring includes DreamDrive Premium, with 3D Surround View Monitoring, Blind Spot Warning, Automatic Park In and Out, Automatic Emergency Braking, and a Driver Monitoring System with distracted and drowsy driver alerts. This one also has DreamDrive Pro, which adds future-capable ADAS hardware.

There are still some real-world annoyances. Based on your notes, the windshield wiper control is hard to find and use, and that matters more than people think in a high-tech car. When controls become less intuitive, even a beautiful interior can feel frustrating.

Still, the 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring succeeds where it matters most. It feels luxurious, advanced, comfortable, and thoughtfully engineered. For buyers who want an EV sedan that feels truly premium and less common than the usual choices, this Lucid makes a very strong case.

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Snoop Dogg Celebrates 10 Til’ Midnight at the Compound

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles.

Published

3 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

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Snoop Dogg celebrated the premiere of 10 Til’ Midnight at his Inglewood recording studio & multipurpose facility, The Compound, but the night felt like much more than an album release. It felt like Los Angeles. It felt like legacy. And it felt like another major move from one of the city’s greatest cultural architects as he continues to prove that he is not just dropping music — he is building moments, shaping narratives, and pushing the culture forward in real time.

What made the event so powerful was the clarity behind the vision. During a panel conversation with DJ Hed, Snoop opened up about the heart behind 10 Til’ Midnight, explaining that the project was created to help bridge older and younger generations while also speaking to the long-standing divisions between Bloods and Crips in a unique way through film. That alone gave the project a different kind of weight. This was not just about songs. This was about using creativity as a tool for connection. This was about taking a story rooted in Los Angeles and telling it in a way that could bring people together.

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles. The film was shot in the city, including at WePlay Studios in Inglewood, which gave the entire project an even deeper hometown feel. It was not just a West Coast story in content — it was a Los Angeles-made production from the ground up.

That matters because, in a city like this, authenticity still carries weight. Snoop understands how to make sure that what he creates does not just represent Los Angeles on the surface, but actually comes from it.

What also makes 10 Til’ Midnight significant is that it represents another major step in Snoop’s evolution as both an artist and executive. Public reporting around the project identifies it as his 22nd studio album, but the bigger story is what it represents in this season of his life. This is one of several consecutive moves he has made in his 50s that show he is still building, still expanding, and still finding new ways to reinvent what the next chapter looks like.

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Now, as the head of Death Row Records and the newly aligned leader of Death Row Pictures, he is taking the brand into a new dimension. That is what made this moment feel bigger than music. Snoop is not just protecting the legacy of Death Row — he is stretching it. He is expanding it beyond records and into film, visual storytelling, and larger creative worlds that can continue carrying the label’s impact forward. Public reporting has noted that this project arrives as part of that broader cinematic push.

That is a major Los Angeles move because the city has always been built on the intersection of music, film, neighborhood identity, and cultural storytelling. With 10 Til’ Midnight, Snoop is leaning all the way into that intersection.

The room at The Compound reflected that. It felt like a private premiere, but it also felt like a statement — a reminder that Snoop Dogg’s staying power has never been based only on nostalgia. It comes from his ability to remain connected, remain visionary, and remain in tune with how to move the culture without losing the essence of who he is.

That is why this premiere mattered. It was not just about celebrating another album. It was about witnessing a Los Angeles legend continue to evolve, continue to unify, and continue to use art to tell stories that hit deeper than entertainment alone.

In that sense, 10 Til’ Midnight became more than a project launch. It became another example of how Snoop Dogg is still taking Los Angeles to the next level — using music, film, and legacy together to build something bigger than a moment.

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OP-ED: Small Businesses Need Minnesota to Act on Pass-Through Tax Policy

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER — A Twin Cities immigrant entrepreneur who built several businesses including grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods is calling on Minnesota lawmakers to extend the Pass-Through Entity tax option before it expires, warning that its loss would hit small businesses already recovering from Operation Metro Surge with higher federal tax bills.

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3 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

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A Twin Cities Small Business Owner Is Urging Minnesota to Extend a Tax Policy That Could Save Thousands of Businesses

By Daniel Hernandez | Minnesota Spokesman Recorder

I came to the United States as a teenager with a clear goal: to build something meaningful through hard work. I put in long days in construction, restaurants, and landscaping; doing whatever it took to learn, save, and eventually start my own business.

Over time, I built and ran several successful ventures, including an event photography company, a magazine, a tax and accounting firm, and now grocery stores serving neighborhoods across the Twin Cities where other retailers chose not to invest. I’ve created jobs, supported families, and committed to communities that deserve stability and opportunity.

That’s why I’m speaking out now.

Small business owners in Minneapolis and the communities we serve are recovering from serious disruptions, including the impacts of Operation Metro Surge. That event hit immigrant communities especially hard. In my own case, I lost nearly half of my 60 employees and saw revenue drop by about 85%. While I worked to provide competitive wages, health benefits, and paid time off, the real hardship fell on the people who lost their jobs and income.

Even as we rebuild, small businesses are facing another challenge. The Minnesota Legislature is considering letting an important tax policy expire: the Pass-Through Entity tax option.

Here’s what that means in plain terms.

Many small businesses, including mine, are pass-through businesses. That means the business itself doesn’t pay income tax. Instead, the owners report the income on their personal tax returns. But under current federal rules, there’s a limit on how much state tax we can deduct. That often leads to higher federal tax bills.

The Pass-Through Entity option fixes that. It allows the business to pay the state tax directly, which means the business can fully deduct those taxes on its federal return and lower the total amount of income taxed federally. The result is straightforward: small business owners pay less in federal taxes, without reducing what the state collects.

This policy is not new or controversial. Thirty-six states already offer it. It doesn’t cost Minnesota anything, it’s revenue neutral. And it benefits more than 66,000 businesses across the state.

In a state where the cost of doing business is already high, it’s hard to understand why we wouldn’t offer the same basic tax treatment as states like California and Illinois.

Small businesses have carried a heavy load in recent years, through a pandemic, rising costs and public safety disruptions. We’ve adapted, reinvested and stayed committed to our communities. What we need now are practical policies that support that work, not make it harder.

If the Minnesota House does not act soon, many businesses will face significantly higher federal tax bills. That’s money that could otherwise be used to hire workers, raise wages or reinvest in local neighborhoods.

I urge Gov. Tim Walz and members of the House Tax Committee to pass House File 3127 and extend the Pass-Through Entity election.

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. We’ve proven our resilience. Now we need our state leaders to show the same commitment to us.

Daniel Hernandez is the owner of Colonial Market located at 2100 E. Lake St.

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