This weekend, nationwide protests were held in response to Donald Trump's executive order that places a 90-day immigration ban on seven Muslim-majority countries. Some of the largest protests were held at major US airports, in cities like New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Los Angeles. For the most part, the events were peaceful, though during yesterday's protest at Portland International Airport, a Trump supporter entered the anti-Trump rally and got knocked unconscious.
The protests at PDX began on Saturday, drawing 100 to 150 demonstrators, though Sunday's crowd of about 600 protestors made for a much bigger event, reports The Oregonian. Across the country, the protests have been mostly comprised of anti-Trump participants, which perhaps explains the overall lack of violence. The man who was assaulted has been identified as 39-year-old Grant Chisholm. He was one of four men from a group called Bible Believers who went to the airport in order to stage a counter-protest.
Footage from earlier in the protest, taken while outside the terminal, shows Chisholm and other counter-protestors getting into heated confrontations with anti-Trump demonstrators.
The assault took place after the protest had moved inside the terminal. Chisholm told The Oregonian that he was hit by an anti-Trump protestor three times on the head with "something metallic." "They almost killed me tonight," he told the newspaper. He also said that protestors kicked him in the head when he was on the ground, as he was drifting in and out of consciousness while vomiting.
Authorities and medical personnel eventually surrounded Chisholm and separated him from the crowd of protestors, some of whom can be heard cheering about the assault in the below footage. Chisholm is repeatedly referred to as a Nazi. WARNING: Graphic footage
Police eventually transported Chisholm to Legacy Emannuel Medical Center, and he was released two hours later. Chisholm said that he suffered a concussion.
After the assault, police made use of riot gear as well as riot guns for the purpose of crowd control. The protest ended around 6:30 PM.
