Patriot Prayer is an American far-right group founded by Joey Gibson in 2016 and based in Vancouver, Washington, a suburban city in the Portland metropolitan area. Since 2016, the group has organized several dozen pro-gun, pro-Trump rallies held in cities in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. Often met with large numbers of counter-protesters, attendees have repeatedly clashed with left-wing groups in the Portland area. Far-right groups, such as the Proud Boys, have attended the rallies organized by Patriot Prayer, as well as white nationalists, sparking controversy and violence.
Patriot Prayer has focused on fighting anti-fascist and leftist groups; street fights between the groups, which have taken place since 2017, have frequently been filmed and posted online by observers and members. A brawl between Patriot Prayer and anti-fascist activists at Cider Riot in May 2019 led to criminal proceedings against members of the group. Three people pleaded guilty, while Gibson and another member were acquitted of their charges.
Patriot Prayer has described itself as in favor of free speech and opposed to big government. An infiltrator into Patriot Prayer said that the group had around 15 core members in 2019.Zielinsky, Alex (August 26, 2019) "Undercover in Patriot Prayer: Insights From a Vancouver Democrat Who's Been Working Against the Far-Right Group from the Inside" Portland Mercury
Overview Patriot Prayer was founded in 2016 by Joey Gibson. Gibson was motivated to become an activist after he viewed TV coverage of a June 2, 2016, Trump rally in San Jose, California, where protests turned to brawling. Since early 2017, Patriot Prayer supporters have traveled to downtown Portland to hold rallies in support of Donald Trump. Patriot Prayer is a far-right group,(August 3, 2018) "Portland police warn protesters to leave guns at home ahead of planned far-right, antifa demonstrations" CBS News.(August 1, 2018) "What you need to know about the upcoming far-right rallies in the Pacific Northwest" Southern Poverty Law Center.(August 5, 2018) "Portland police arrest four in far-right rally and counter-protest" BBC News part of the right-wing of American politics. The group has held rallies in areas known for their liberal politics. It has also been described as anti-government. The San Jose Mercury News described Patriot Prayer as a right-wing group whose events "attracted white supremacists and ended up in violent confrontations among demonstrators on both sides." In 2017, Gibson considered himself a conservative libertarian.
Patriot Prayer has been connected to the alt-right and other far-right groups. Gibson denied that the group was white nationalist and claimed that they supported "freedom, love and peace". The group's stated aim is the support of the First Amendment, free speech and to "liberate the conservatives on the West Coast".
Patriot Prayer is known for being a "pro-Trump group". The Weekly Standard described early Patriot Prayer rallies as having "overtly pro-Trump themes."
Opposition to Gibson's rallies grew in May 2017 following the 2017 Portland train attack, a racially motivated double murder by Jeremy Christian, a man known to have attended Patriot Prayer rallies.
In August 2017, David Neiwert, writing for the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), described Patriot Prayer as "trolling" the Pacific Northwest with the intention of provoking a response from antifa. Neiwert noted that Gibson denounced white supremacists and neo-Nazis after the Unite the Right Rally and stated that he aimed to "actively exclude" white supremacist groups. Members of Identity Evropa have attended the groups rallies. The SPLC referred to Patriot Prayer as "violent extremists".Neiwert, David (October 15, 2018) "Patriot Prayer again brings violence to Portland with 'flash march' downtown, rounding out a weekend of far-right violence" Southern Poverty Law Center
In 2018, authorities were prompted to investigate after Patriot Prayer called the Council on American–Islamic Relations a "Muslim extremist organization" and made online threats against the group.Shepard, Katie (November 12, 2018) "Apparel Company Boots Patriot Prayer and Refuses to Continue Selling their Merchandise" Willamette Week. Retrieved: January 17, 2019.Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (November 5, 2018) "Patriot Prayer page threat against Muslim group prompts police investigation" The Oregonian. Retrieved: January 17, 2019 Patriot Prayer has harassed and assaulted Abolish ICE and other leftist activists.
The group has also attracted anti-government paramilitary groups like the Oath Keepers and Three Percenters.
Organizational structure, membership and recruitment For a period beginning in February 2019, Patriot Prayer was a corporation, but on September 18, 2019, it was voluntarily dissolved. In October 2019, Gibson advised followers to send him donations through the Church of Faith and Freedom, an organization that officials who oversee charities and non-profits found no record of in the states it claimed to be active: California, Oregon, and Washington.
Crosscut described Gibson as "the man who seems to run everything." An infiltrator into Patriot Prayer said that the group had around 15 core members in 2019. Members of the group have included Tusitala "Tiny" Toese, a one-time close confidant of Gibson who has faced multiple criminal charges for violence and Chandler Pappas who was indicted by a grand jury on eight felony charges in 2021 for his role in the breach of the Oregon state capitol. Toese is also a leader of the Proud Boys. Ethan Nordean, a Proud Boy indicted on federal charges for his involvement in the 2021 United States Capitol attack, began attending Patriot Prayer rallies in 2017. Six individuals affiliated with Patriot Prayer, including Gibson, were indicted on felony rioting charges following a brawl between Patriot Prayer and patrons of Cider Riot, a Portland cider house, on May 1, 2019; several members pleaded guilty to the charges. In July 2022, Gibson was acquitted of the charges.
Several crowdfunding websites removed Gibson and Patriot Prayer from their platforms, including GivingFuel in November 2018, Go Get Funding in September 2019, and GoFundMe by October 2019.
Patriot Prayer had often used Facebook to recruit attendees. In September 2020, Facebook took down the pages for Patriot Prayer and Gibson as part of their efforts to remove "violent social militias" from its social networks.
Activities and events Starting in 2016, Patriot Prayer has hosted dozens of pro-gun and pro-Trump rallies in the Pacific Northwest. The attendees of Patriot Prayer's rallies, known to draw supporters from Proud Boys and other anti-government extremist groups, have repeatedly clashed with left-wing groups in the Portland, Oregon, area.
Prior to the violence at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Patriot Prayer's rallies featured "right-wing nationalists". Since Charlottesville, the group has tried to distance themselves from the alt-right. Rose City Antifa organized opposition to Patriot Prayer rallies in Portland.
2017–2018
April "Rally for Trump and Freedom" Portland On April 2, 2017, Patriot Prayer held a "Rally for Trump and Freedom", attended by approximately 300 people. Supporters of President Donald Trump were confronted by anarchists during a pro-Trump rally at Vancouver's Esther Short Park, north of Portland. Security for the rally was provided by the Three Percenters militia group.
April "March for Free Speech" Portland Following the cancellation of a Rose Festival event due to threats of violence, allegedly from anti-fascists, against expected rally participants the Multnomah County Republican Party, Gibson organized a "March for Free Speech" to occur on April 29, 2017. Gibson told The Guardian: "We are going to continue with our rally. There is no way that we will stop. It is even more important that we come out with a strong message of love." There were an estimated 60 counter-protesters, and police made three arrests. At the march yelling racial slurs was Jeremy Christian who was later arrested for the 2017 Portland train attack where two men were fatally stabbed. Gibson denounced Christian's actions and said he ejected Christian from the April 29 rally due to his "bizarre behavior".
May "Stand Against Communism" rally Seattle On May 1, 2017, Patriot Prayer counter-protested at Seattle's May Day parade with their "Stand Against Communism" rally. The events were mostly peaceful, with arrests of counter-protesters.
On May 11 and 13, 2017, Patriot Prayer organized the attendance of a dozen "antifa watchers" at a protest at a south-east Portland grocery liquidator. Interviewed by The Oregonian, Gibson said the group were there to watch the protest and report any property damage, and that he intended "to start conversations".
June "Trump Free Speech Rally" Portland
A June 4, 2017 "Trump Free Speech Rally" in downtown Portland attracted a large counter-protest and 14 people were arrested after Portland's mayor Ted Wheeler unsuccessfully sought to have the event's permit revoked. The Washington Post, stated that the event provided "a vivid illustration of the city's divisions". The rally caused controversy as it was scheduled one week after the stabbings by Jeremy Christian. The mayor of Portland, Ted Wheeler, had requested that federal authorities revoke the permit, saying he was concerned over increasing tensions in the city due to the stabbings. The General Services Administration denied the request, stating that the permit had been lawfully obtained weeks beforehand. The Oregon chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union's legal director, Mat Dos Santos, said it was unconstitutional of Wheeler to attempt to prevent the demonstration based on the political and personal viewpoints of those who organized the event. Gibson canceled the event citing safety concerns.
June "Free speech Evergreen State College" rally in Olympia, Washington On June 15, 2017, Patriot Prayer members held a rally at Evergreen State College shortly after the university became the focus of a national controversy over how academic institutions handled issues of race. Patriot Prayer promoted solidarity with Bret Weinstein, whose critical comments about an event for racial awareness had ignited the 2017 campus protests. The campus had been closed twice in early June over safety concerns after a man called in threatening a mass shooting on school grounds aimed at leftists; officials closed the campus early once they learned of the rally planned for June 15.
Patriot Prayer promoted their event as a "March Against Evergreen State College" which was changed to "Free Speech Evergreen State College". State troopers in riot gear worked to keep the peace as several dozen Patriot Prayer members and supporters were met by over 100 counter-protesters made up of Evergreen students, faculty, and anti-fascists, including some from the Evergreen Anti-Fascist Community Defense Network. Patriot Prayer members were sprayed with silly string and after repeatedly advancing into the opposition, Gibson was also pepper-sprayed.
June/August "Freedom Marches" Portland On June 30, 2017, Patriot Prayer's self-titled "Freedom March", held at the Portland Waterfront near the annual Blues Festival, was met by counter-protesters. The often heated exchanges of the dueling rallies ended with minimal violence and no reports of arrests. The rally occurred during national debate on the First Amendment, where violent clashes between right-wing and left-wing groups occurred over appearances by contentious public figures, often in liberal cities such as Portland. The atmosphere in Portland was also tense due to the recent arrest of Christian for the train attack.