Far-right protester Alan Swinney arrested in Portland

Portland, Ore., police arrested far-right protester and reported Proud Boys member Alan Swinney over allegations of assault during two incidents in August, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said Wednesday. 

The indictment alleges Swinney, 50, used a paintball gun, unlawfully discharged mace and pointed a revolver at someone on two different days, Aug. 15 and Aug. 22, during ongoing demonstrations in the city.  

Swinney is being held in the Multnomah County jail and facing 12 counts, including assault, attempted assault, unlawful use of a weapon, pointing a firearm at another person and unlawful use of mace, according to a statement by the district attorney’s office.  

Photos and videos from the Aug. 22 rally in downtown Portland allegedly show Swinney pointing a gun at a crowd of protesters during a clash between far-right and anti-fascist protesters, Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) reported. 

Swinney, whom OPB has identified as a member of the Proud Boys movement, claimed at a rally a few days later that he was not facing charges. 

“There’s no warrant or anything,” Swinney told OPB at the time. “PPB [the Portland Police Bureau] said they turned it over to the district attorney and they recommended no charges.”

The district attorney’s office, however, denied Swinney’s claims that the case had been dropped, OPB reported. 

The announcement of Swinney’s arrest comes the morning after President Trump refused to explicitly condemn white supremacy. When asked to address the Proud Boys movement specifically, Trump replied “stand back and stand by.”

Swinney tweeted on Tuesday with a link for his followers to help him with legal fees. 

“Help me fight these people. Please like and retweet. Every retweet makes a terrorist lose his or her mind,” Swinney tweeted. 

Help me fight these people.
Please like and retweet.
Every retweet makes a terrorist lose his or her mind.https://t.co/7QO9ctlzwL pic.twitter.com/Iq8QKgzvzI

— Alan Swinney (@PermianEvents) September 29, 2020

As of Wednesday afternoon, Swinney’s fundraiser had raised $2,500 of its $15,000 goal. 

Swinney’s arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 1.