3 things to know
➡️ The hate group the Proud Boys and Portland’s anti-fascist groups clashed over the past weekend. The brawl happened to occur exactly one year after a similar fracas unfolded in PDX. And, like last year, there was little to no initial response from local law enforcement — although the group’s Twitter account said they were “monitoring the situation.” The events began at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park and eventually splintered into verbal arguments “followed by roving street battles that were marked by bear mace and bursts of fireworks that shrouded a stretch of Northeast 122nd Avenue in thick smoke,” according to OregonLive. Head to the links for a story on the Proud Boys flipping a van, related gunfire, and more. (OregonLive / Oregon Public Broadcasting)
💖 Local organizations are preparing to help displaced refugees from Afghanistan. After the Taliban took over the Middle Eastern country last week, many citizens have been trying to leave — and Oregon nonprofits are jumping in to help. One organization, Catholic Charities, said the federal government estimates approximately 21,000 refugees will come through via Special Immigrant Visas, and to anticipate several hundred thousand more Afghan citizens seeking asylum in the United States in the coming months. (Portland Mercury / KGW / KATU)
Take action: KGW has a growing list of local and national nonprofits actively assisting refugees in leaving the country and reestablishing their lives here — and how to donate to them. As an individual, consider volunteering with or donating to organizations like the Portland Refugee Support Group to help welcome folks to Oregon. Is there a local org not mentioned here that deserves a spotlight? Hit reply to this email, and we can make that happen.
🍺 You’ll get carded twice at these local bars — once for your ID, second for proof of vaccination. In a growing coalition that spans 25 or so bars throughout Portland, called “Portland’s Vaxx Coalition,” anyone looking to sit inside for a drink will need to provide proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test to do so. For the most part, bars in the coalition say that people have been gracious and respectful of the rules — while others like Paymaster Lounge say that the restrictions earned them 1-star Yelp reviews and a voicemail box filled with hateful comments. (OregonLive / Willamette Week)
Quotable: “Come on, we don’t want to be dealing with this until 2025. It’s time to take care of each other, and to try to keep each other safe, or this is never going to go away. We know how to make it better. We’ve been doing this now since March of 2020. And we know how to control it, so let’s get on with it.” — Sepal Meacham, owner of Paymaster Lounge
