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| Coco Douglas, 8, leaves a handmade sign and rocks she painted at a memorial in Portland, Ore., on Saturday, May 27, 2017, for two bystanders who were stabbed to death Friday while trying to stop a man who was yelling anti-Muslim slurs and acting aggressively toward two young women. From left are Coco's brother, Desmond Douglas; her father, Christopher Douglas; and her stepmother, Angel Sauls. |
The mayor of Portland,
Oregon, on Monday urged U.S. officials and organizers to cancel a
"Trump Free Speech Rally" and similar events, saying they are
inappropriate could be dangerous after two men were stabbed to death on a
train as they tried to help a pair of young women targeted by an
anti-Muslim tirade.
Mayor Ted Wheeler said he hopes the victims will inspire "changes in the political dialogue in this country."
Taliesin
Myrddin Namkai Meche, 23, and Ricky John Best, 53, were killed as they
tried to stop Jeremy Joseph Christian from harassing the women, one of
whom was wearing a hijab, authorities say. Another who stepped in was
seriously injured.
Christian's social media
postings indicate an affinity for Nazis and political violence. He was
charged with aggravated murder, intimidation - the state equivalent of a
hate crime - and being a felon in possession of a weapon and was
scheduled to be in court Tuesday.
The federal
government has issued a permit for the free-speech rally Saturday and
has yet to give a permit for an event June 10. The mayor says his main
concern was the participants "coming to peddle a message of hatred,"
saying hate speech is not protected by the Constitution.
A
Facebook page for the event says there would be speakers and live music
in "one of the most liberal areas on the West Coast." It features Kyle
Chapman, who describes himself as an American nationalist and ardent
supporter of President Donald Trump. Chapman was arrested at a March 4
protest in Berkeley, California.
Trump
condemned the stabbing, writing Monday on Twitter: "The violent attacks
in Portland on Friday are unacceptable. The victims were standing up to
hate and intolerance. Our prayers are w/ them."
Wheeler said he appreciated Trump's words but stressed the need for action.
"I
hope we rise to the memory of these two gentlemen who lost their
lives," the mayor told reporters. "Let's do them honor by standing with
them and carrying on their legacy of standing up to hate and bigotry and
violence."
The mother of one of the targets
of the rant said she was overwhelmed with gratitude and sadness for the
strangers who died defending her daughter, 16-year-old Destinee Mangum.
Mangum
told news station KPTV that she and her 17-year-old friend were riding
the train when Christian started yelling at them. She said her friend is
Muslim, but she's not.
"He told us to go back
to Saudi Arabia, and he told us we shouldn't be here, to get out of his
country," Mangum said. "He was just telling us that we basically
weren't anything and that we should kill ourselves."
The teens moved toward the back of the train, preparing to get off at the next stop.
"And
then we turned around while they were fighting, and he just started
stabbing people, and it was just blood everywhere, and we just started
running for our lives," Mangum said.
Micah
David-Cole Fletcher, 21, was stabbed in the neck. His girlfriend,
Miranda Helm, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that he was recovering his
strength in the hospital and eating.
Telephone
messages left at the home of Christian's mother Sunday and Monday were
not returned. It was not clear if he had a lawyer yet.
Christian
served prison time after holding up employees at a convenience store
with a gun in 2002, court records show. He was sent back after pleading
guilty in 2011 to being a felon in possession of a firearm. He went back
again in 2013 for violating a condition of his release, according to
court records.
Tomica Clark told The
Oregonian/OregonLive that she has known Christian since elementary
school. She said she was surprised to hear people call Christian racist.
Clark is black and said Christian had many black friends.
"He never disrespected me," Clark said, but added that he changed after he got out of prison.
"Prison took the real him away," she said.
