Document text
Outrage, fear fuel protests Protesters gather Thursday in Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland. (Mark Graves/The Oregonian/OregonLive.com via AP) Friday Nov 11, 2016 at 6:10 PM Nov 11, 2016 at 6:10 PM By TERRENCE PETTY Associated Press PORTLAND — Donald Trump says the thousands of men and women taking to the streets to protest his election are "professional protesters incited by the media." But who are they really? The answer varies from state to state. The crowds include high school students, immigrants and even anarchists. An organizer of the Portland anti-Trump protests is 23-year-old Gregory McKelvey, who has been a spokesman for the black activist group Don't Shoot Portland. At a Thursday night protest by about 4,000 people, masked anarchists marching with the otherwise peaceful protesters smashed Portland store windows with baseball bats, among other acts of mayhem. The protest became a riot and ended with 25 arrests. On Friday, McKelvey defended the demonstration. "It was our aim to channel the shared frustration, fear and anger that is so alive among so many of us," he said in statement. He disavowed the rioters: "The violent actions that occurred last night had absolutely nothing to do with our group."