Gavin McInnes

---

Proud Young Rob Cantrall (left) and ANTIFA activist Luis Enrique Marquez

Since the election of Donald Trump , extreme right-wing groups and left-wing activists have fought on the American roads. It happened in New York , Berkeley, Charlottesville, and elsewhere. But a liberal enclave could The West , the epicenter of the fighting: Portland , Oregon, a progressive city in The Pacific North.

Two activists who agreed to be on opposite sides in Portland disputes to meet and talk. But You would have any similarities?

I Don 't think they would both be in the same room until they were both in the same room.

We had a meeting on neutral ground - a cannabis club in The East agreed to Portland . Recreational use of weed is legal in Oregon, And One Thing that Luis and Rob have in common, is that they think, liberalisation of the drug laws is a good idea.

Luis, nervous and on edge enters, wearing sunglasses and a hat. Rob is wide eyed and, as it seems, with the intention of at least a verbal altercation.

These two Men , separated by a broad table, are Sworn Enemies . They have met on the road, and online, You have submitted all the threats and abuse back and forth.

As part of the BBC season, we have asked You to meet to see whether people might find political opposites in the US, no Common Ground .

But there is a possibility that The Meeting could end in a brawl.

Three burly security guards about us, as I read The Rules : "Number One , no violence. "

Rob asks to take Luis, His sunglasses.

"I feel so much more like I Am , the interact with them, if I could see your eyes," he says.

Luis responds with a terse "no".

And it starts to go downhill from there.

More on this story

to Listen to the BBC World Service

watch on BBC World TV

to See the full conversation between Luis and Rob .

Hipster and fight

Luis and Rob are a part of what a familiar scene in an unusual place. A city of 700,000 that has been in the America's Pacific north-West , Portland has a reputation for progressive politics, relaxed life style. In Some districts, less than 10% of the voters cast a ballot for Donald Trump .

But since the election in 2016, the Portland show was also a regular place for Some of the worst political violence in America for decades.

Anarchist riots led shortly after the election in 2016, property damage and More Than 100 arrests. Soon after, an extreme right-wing group called the Patriot's prayer repeatedly holding pro-Trump, pro-"free speech" marches.

The Patriot-prayer on the road, they are connected by the Proud , boys," a group that describes itself as a fraternal organization. Others, including the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), call a

Joey Gibson (right) is the leader of the extreme right-wing Patriot group

prayer is The marches are met by counter-protests, including a loose Confederation of anti-fascists, or antifa, for short.

There is not an antifa organization, or Political Philosophy . They are a mixed bunch of anarchists, socialists, and Communists. But what really makes them stand out from Portland , left a majority of their willingness to directly confront The Right -wing player.

in The Past two years, the rallies and counter-demonstrations have always led to injuries, smashed window, property damage, and arrests.

On both the extreme right and the extreme left, there are people who are not afraid of violence.

In a working-class neighborhood in South East Portland , American flags fly from houses and basketball hoops guard on Pick-up trucks.

A modest House in a Side Street looks a bit different. There are political signs: "We are all immigrants. We are all Family . "An anti-fascist banner hangs inside. There is also a hole where a brick was thrown into the windshield.

This is the Home of the antifa-activist Luis Enrique Marquez . It also works as a kind of community hub, with activists heading in and through The Day , chatting, Smoking and planning.

Luis, is in His mid-40s, is talkative and polite. The anti-fascists are also anti-hierarchy, but it is clear that many of the younger activists Look Up to him.

"My personal philosophy is that where fascism is, I'll be there and I will confront," he tells me.

Luis Enrique Marquez

Luis has always been in Portland punk, skinhead and anti-racist subcultures, but he dated His devotion to the antifascist cause to Trump choice.

"I was angry," he says. "I wanted to hear My Voice , that I do not agree with this President. "

You may also be interested in:

Luis and His colleagues want more of the Portland liberals would be in The Streets As we talk, His comrades, prepare for a wall of image: a cartoon version of Donald Trump as Humpty Dumpty , the fall of a wall of His own creation. You plan to hang it on a busy road.

Anti-fascists to work on a banner mocking Donald Trump

I ask Luis about a different kind of Direct Action . Why confront the far right - this is not You fight in The Streets , will give You the attention You desire?

He thinks for a long moment.

"it's like a kind of marketplace of ideas argument, isn't it?" he says. "Good ideas rise to The Top and Bad Ideas to get to the bottom? 'Let them say what they want, they are just a bunch of yahoos. '

"words are dangerous", he argues. "Hitler didn't gas a single Jew, but His words have gassed millions.

"So, if You come to me or my friends, and You speak of hate, there is a consequence for their actions. "

ANTIFA activist at a Portland rally

the next day, my crew and I drive five hours to the South by mountains and dense forests of pines and Douglas firs, down to the bottom of the Oregon.

here we meet up with Rob Cantrall, head of a local Chapter of Proud young.

He is a big Guy - tall, stocky, and clearly someone You would not want to the challenge in the fight. He is 46, but looks older. And he is wearing a Fred Perry polo shirt, the Proud , the boys have adopted as their uniform.

Rob and The Other Proud of the boys insist that You only fight in self-defense.

"is One of the lessons that we never hit First ," he tells me. "Some guys want to fight. Some guys Don 't. "

Rob is in The First category: "I get very violent fight. I'm not One of the more violent, because I like to fight, for a very long time, and I want to get it done. You 're not there to look cool. They are there to be a threat to the press. "

Pride Boy Rob Cantrall

There are dozens of Proud Young branches in the USA and in the UK, Canada and elsewhere, although there is no Central registration and an accurate estimate of the total number of members is hard to come by.

The Group the existence of which was announced in the year 2016 by Gavin Mcinnes , a co-founder of Vice Magazine. Meeting, McInnes, "usually consist of drinking, fighting, and reading Pat Buchanan 's Death of The West ".

Proud of the Young founder Gavin Mcinnes

The Pride of boy-initiation-are political rituals, both bizarre and clearly. In order to be accepted in The First level of The Group , the Men - The Group is only accessible for biological Men Must recite: "I Am a Western chauvinist, and I Refuse to apologize for the creation of the modern world. "

The second degree includes, First hit by fellow colleagues and called The Names of five Breakfast cereals to avoid, along with porn and Masturbation commit - The Group says they erode the traditional relationships. Progress up to the Third Degree , the members get a Proud Boy tattoo.

There is also a volunteer of the fourth degree. Various Proud of the guys told me, it will be awarded for the defense of the battle group anti-fascists on The Streets or arrested.

Rob is a third-degree-Proud to be Young. He expects The Group to give him confidence with women and a New Sense of purpose. But it is also caused friction in His Family .

"My mother gave me Grief ," he says, "my liberal brother gave me Grief . "

Rob shows me around-the-cannabis-farm where he worked last summer, in the midst of trees and hills. But now that The Harvest is over, he scratched on a monthly $900 disability cheque - although this is One of the stated goals of the Proud boy to end all of healing.

When we meet, Rob is already sleeping in the car, with His cat, His litter box, and most of His other Possessions .

marijuana>farm in southern Oregon, where the Proud Young Rob works

Luis looks at me with disbelief.

long reads, social media

Source of news: bbc.com