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A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 18 February 2023
Oregon, a hotbed of extremism, seeks to curb paramilitaries

Continued from Front groups like the Proud Boys Baruth introduced the
and Patriot Prayer, but not measure in response to a
All 50 states prohibit private black-clad anarchists who firearms training facility built
paramilitary organizations have vandalized down- without permits in the town
and/or paramilitary activ- town Portland and battled of Pawlet. Neighbors fre-
ity, but no other law cre- police. quently complained about
ates civil remedies, said “This bill would clearly put gunfire coming from the
Mary McCord, an expert restrictions on who could Slate Ridge facility, calling
on terrorism and domes- gather in a group and for it a menace. Baruth’s bill
tic extremism who helped what reasons they chose now goes to the Vermont
craft the bill. The Oregon to,” wrote Matthew Hol- House.
bill is also unique because it man, a resident of Coos Under the proposed Or-
would allow people injured Bay, a town on Oregon’s egon law, a paramilitary
by private, unauthorized southwest coast. group could range from
paramilitary activity to sue, The pioneering measure ones that wear uniforms
she said. Law enforcement officers and protesters clash outside the raises a host of issues, which and insignia, like the Three
Opponents say the law Oregon State Capitol during a special session of the state lawmakers tried to parse in Percenters, to a handful of
would infringe on rights legislature in Salem, Ore., on Dec. 21, 2020. a House Judiciary Commit- people who act in a coor-
to freely associate and to Associated Press tee hearing last week: dinated way with a com-
bear arms. If residents are afraid to mand structure to engage
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Da- to operate with impunity suspicion that the Demo- go to a park with their chil- in violence, McCord said.
cia Grayber, a Democrat throughout Oregon, re- crat-controlled Legislature dren while an armed militia Rep. Rick Lewis, a Repub-
from suburban Portland, gardless of their ideology.” aims to pass a bill restricting group is present, could they lican from Silverton, asked
said the proposed reforms But dozens of conserva- the right to assemble and later sue the group? What pointedly during the com-
“would make it harder tive Oregonians, in written that the legislation would constitutes a paramilitary mittee hearing whether
for private paramilitaries testimony, have expressed target right-wing armed group? What is defined as rocks and frozen water
being armed? bottles, which Portland po-
Oregon Department of Jus- lice said had been thrown
tice attorney Carson White- at them during demonstra-
head said the proposed tions in 2021, would fall un-
law would not sanction a der the proposed law.
person for openly carrying A frozen water bottle and
firearms, which is constitu- rocks could cause serious
tionally permissible. But if a injury or death, so they
paramilitary group went to would be considered dan-
a park knowing their pres- gerous weapons under Or-
ence would be intimidat- egon law, responded Kim-
ing, anyone afraid of also berly McCullough, Attorney
going to the park could sue General Ellen Rosenblum’s
for damages, Whitehead legislative director.
said. Multnomah County District
“This particular bill is not Attorney Mike Schmidt,
directed at individuals whose jurisdiction encom-
open-carrying. This is di- passes Portland, testified in
rected at armed, coordi- favor of the bill, expressing
nated paramilitary activ- frustration that police often
ity,” added McCord, who can’t single out violent ac-
is the executive director of tors lurking among peace-
Georgetown University Law ful protesters.
Center’s Institute for Con- “Our current inability to get
stitutional Advocacy and upstream of this violence
Protection. before it starts leaves us vul-
On the other side of the nerable to organized crimi-
country in Vermont, a bill nal elements who enter
making it a crime to oper- into a protest environment
ate a paramilitary training with the express intention
camp got final approval of escalating the situation
from the state Senate on into an assault or arson or a
Friday. The measure, which riot,” Schmidt said.
senators earlier approved McCord, the terrorism ex-
by a 29-1 vote, also allows pert, said the measure
state prosecutors to seek would mark a milestone in
an injunction to close such the U.S., where the FBI has
a facility. warned of a rapidly grow-
“This bill gives the state the ing threat of homegrown
authority it needs to pro- violent extremism.
tect Vermonters from fringe “This bill as amended would
actors looking to create be the most comprehen-
civil disorder,” said state sive statute to address un-
Sen. Philip Baruth, a Demo- authorized paramilitary
crat and Progressive from activity that threatens civil
Burlington. rights,” she said.q