Eugene Antifa is releasing thousands of messages from the private communication channels of “Patriot Coalition PNW,” a burgeoning far-right network that includes members of the Proud Boys, 1776 2.0 militia, the Three Percenters, Operation Werewolf, and more. The chats provide a detailed look into the planning behind the August 22 “No to Marxism” rally in downtown Portland. They also show new evidence of collaboration between police and local far-right violence. In the coming days, antifascists will be releasing additional identities of members from the Patriot Coalition.

Contact: eugeneantifa [at] protonmail [dot] com

View the chats here:

Patriot Coalition PNW – Daily Chatter Scrapes

Patriot Coalition PNW – Code Red GO! Scrapes

Background

The Patriot Coalition is a growing network of far-right individuals and groups in the Pacific Northwest actively organizing violence against Black Lives Matter protesters and antifascists. The group was started by Robbin Sullivan-Davis of Albany, Oregon, who set up the “Patriot Coalition of PNW” Facebook page on July 3, 2020. The group was originally named the “Patriot Coalition of Oregon,” but was changed to incorporate members from California, Washington, Colorado, and Idaho. The page evolved to include a private Facebook group, and members of the private Facebook group were encouraged to join the “off site communications group,” which was hosted on the messaging app “GroupMe.” The archived Facebook group for the Patriot Coalition of PNW had 1.6k members.

Robbin established two separate chat channels on the platform “GroupMe.” The first, “Daily Chatter,” was established as a place to communicate about events such as “Back the Blue” flag waves, Proud Boy rallies, pro-Trump gatherings, and planned counter-protests to Black Lives Matter demonstrations. This channel is where most of the planning and coordination between members occurs. Members also share their conspiracy theories about “ANTIFA” and news about Portland, Oregon (where very few of them actually live). An emergency channel was also created, called “Code Red GO!” and was reserved for immediate call outs to action. This channel was where the Patriot Coalition leaders released detailed plans for major far-right events, such as the “No to Marxism” rally in Portland on August 22, 2020, and the Labor Day rally in Salem on September 7, 2020. Other GroupMe channels are reserved for leadership and members of the intelligence team. Much of the group’s “intel gathering” consisted of recycled, obvious conspiracy theories from Facebook, dangerous, random photos of “suspicious” vehicles, mugshots, and low quality photos of community members suspected to be “ANTIFA” members.

Membership on the GroupMe platform is nearing 125 members, though less than half are active in the discussions. While most of the group’s members reside in Oregon, the geographical reach of the group’s membership stretches from southwestern Washington to Colorado and central California. The group operates in a purely hierarchical manner, with declared leaders that call the shots in the chats and on the ground. Even though Robbin Davis founded the Patriot Coalition, she was eventually removed from the group entirely and replaced by Shelley Fenner of Vancouver, Washington. While Robbin Davis and Shelley Fenner are part of the self-selected ring of leadership, their roles are more secretarial and motherly in nature: offering encouragement, scolding misplaced comments in the chats, and running the social media pages. The “leads” in charge of directing the group at actions are two men from southern Oregon: Daniel Arthur Lippke and Trent Martin Ulrey. Everyone in the group is expected to follow their commands and they direct the group and announce when and how they are allowed to act. This point in the chain of command is arguably the most important to them. No one is allowed to act without the authorization from the leads, and if they do, they do not receive support from the group as a whole.

Inside the Patriot Coalition

There are several significant factors which set the Patriot Coalition GroupMe chats apart from other far-right internal communications we have monitored. Unlike the average “shitposting” fascist chats one might stumble into on Telegram or Discord, the members of this group focus on action. Their discussions revolve almost entirely around real-world issues and events, and they have proved that they are capable of violence. When a suggestion is made, they are often quick to plan and move to action. The group is made up mainly of older and middle aged adults- most are already established financially and have a good amount of time to devote to their cause. Many are self employed, retired, or own a business. They are already well equipped with resources necessary to carry out their plans: they own property, reliable vehicles, tools, firearms, weapons, and body armor. Most are well connected throughout the region, have disposable income, and are able to purchase any additional resources an action might require. While they might not be the most educated, technologically advanced, or physically fit bunch, they have a distinct set of advantages that makes them uniquely dangerous.

Groups Involved

The Patriot Coalition includes members from a wide sample of far-right groups active in the Pacific Northwest. There are multiple members of the fascist Proud Boys street gang, organizers from Sandy Backs the Blue, the Three Percenters, the 1776 2.0 miltia, and handfuls of people that are not involved with any group. This makes the Patriot Coalition a prime recruiting ground for far-right groups. There are also a number of explicit neo-Nazis within the Patriot Coalition. In our previous article, we looked at Operation Werewolf activity in the Pacific Northwest region. Two of the fascists we profiled, Richard Bowman II and Alena Gay Mack, are active members of the Patriot Coalition. Lincoln City neo-Nazi David Willis is also a member of the Patriot Coalition.

Threats of violence

The Patriot Coalition chats are awash with threats of violence against protesters, antifascists, and journalists. There seems to be little-to-no concern among the members that their chats are infiltrated, either by police or antifascists. Often times fascist chatrooms will moderate explicit threats of violence, for fear of legal action or media blowback (this is even common practice for the most extreme accelerationist fascist groups and neo-Nazi forums). This is not the case in the Patriot Coalition chats; they are a free for all. The membership of the Patriot Coalition does not seem to care about the potential legal ramifications of their messages, perhaps understanding that they are an ally to the state.Ken Woods (AKA Dub) wants to start shooting protesters.

Christopher James Tough would love to bring sticks of dynamite to Portland, Oregon.

James Walsh III (AKA Member 161) jokes about bringing a pallet of high-caliber weapons to the August 22 rally in Portland. Instead, he brought his Steel Feather Welding vehicle.

Peter Burdett (AKA Punisher95) plans to target anyone wearing “Black Lives Matter” gear.

Erik Neal (AKA Erik) suggests boiling down poison oak to use against antifascist protesters.

An unidentified member of the Patriot Coalition using the moniker “1911” shares that he has a half pound of Carolina Reaper peppers getting delivered, and Robbin Davis (AKA Patriot Coalition of Oregon) is excited to use it against protesters.

A member of the Patriot Coalition using the pseudonym “Kahrheart” recommends following protesters home.

John Hufford believes the nation is being destroyed and suggests that the only way to stop it is to “Remove them from existence.” Ken Woods (AKA Dub) is supportive because he just wants to shoot people.

Threats manifest: “No to Marxism” rally (A22)

The Patriot Coalition chats offer a detailed view into the planning for the “No to Marxism in America” rally in Portland on August 22, 2020. The rally was hosted by Amber Gwen Cummings, a far-right figure from California with a long history of organizing with white supremacists on the West coast. A week earlier, on August 15, a small far-right protest roamed around downtown Portland, attacking counter-protesters and random passerby’s with bear spray and paintballs. While leaving downtown, Portland’s Liberation hang-around Skylor Noel Jernigan fired two shots out of his moving car. Luckily no one was hit, but the Portland Police Bureau’s laissez-faire handling of the rally sent a message to the far-right that their violence was welcome in Portland (a message that the PPB has been sending for years).

“…The police gave us the green light . I was at the justice center saturday [sic] and we handle them with 40 people.” -John Kramer, 8/17/2020.

Prior to the rally, members of the group were encouraged to purchase tactical helmets and protective gear. The group chose to wear blue shirts so they could identify one another (the group considered blue armbands, but the idea was shot down because they feared it would make them look like Nazis), and members were encouraged to cover their faces to prevent identification. On August 20, Erik Neal hosted a shield and hand-to-hand combat training event in Marcola, Oregon. Corey Wyatt’s crew (see also: Above the Rest: Roofing and White Power) built the shields that appeared on the front lines in Portland, likely inspired by previous far-right shield walls in the Eugene-Springfield area.

The step-by-step plan for the August 22 rally was created by Daniel Lippke (AKA Dan-Meford) and Trent Ulrey (AKA Trent-Medford). The group met on Chris and Shelley Fenner’s property in Vancouver, Washington, at 10am, an hour before the rally was scheduled to begin. From there, the group split into different units and drove to two separate parking structures (SmartPark on 4th and Yamhill and the 5th Avenue building) near the rally location and parked on the upper levels. One team was tasked with “security” and open carried long guns without magazines (pursuant with Portland open carry laws), while another was tasked with providing medical assistance, and another attacked antifascists. The original plan called for both a daytime and nighttime mobilization, but the leadership called off the nighttime plan due to the injuries they sustained while clashing with antifascists. About two dozen members of the chat attended the rally on August 22, but more had planned to arrive for the “evening festivities.”

For much of the rally, the far-right crowd outnumbered the anti-fascist counter-protest, and many of them were better equipped. The antifascist crowd gathered in Chapman square, while the far-right crowd amassed on the steps of the Justice Center and slowly filled into the street. The Portland Police remained out of sight for the entirety of the rally, save for briefly appearing to steal defensive gear from antifascists before the park filled up. Most of the far-right rally-goers openly carried weapons including baseball bats, axe handles, batons, pipes, bear mace, bug spray, spiked shields, knives, and paintball guns. The Patriot Coalition group arrived together shortly after 12pm and formed a shield wall in the middle of the street. After a few hours of small fights and a copious amount of paintballs and bear spray, the far-right group began to attack a Black Lives Matter support vehicle called the Snack Van.Members of the Patriot Coalition and other assorted fascists rally in Portland on August 22.

Future Violence

The Patriot Coalition chats also provide important information about future far-right violence. We learn that neo-Nazi David Willis is making paint-filled fire extinguishers for use against antifascists, and has purchased glass breaker balls as ammunition for his paintball gun. We also learn that Mark Melchi and his 1776 2.0 militia have been making homemade “flamethrower” devices that he “developed for their wall of degenerates.” Daniel Arthur Lippke (Dan-Medford) is making homemade smoke grenades, and Ramon Blackwood (AKA T. Durden) is using his connections to purchase the same crowd-control sprays used by federal law enforcement. Christopher James Tough has leveraged his TikTok fame to get gear for another far-right attack in Portland, and has received dozens of gas masks from a Texas TikTok user who goes by “Ghost Patriot.” David Willis plans to fill four fire extinguishers with paint for use against antifascists.

State Collaboration

The Patriot Coalition chats reveal new links between law enforcement and far-right activity in the Pacific Northwest. For background on collaboration between the state on the far right in Oregon, we recommend Rose City Antifa’s excellent article from 2019. Here’s what the new chats show:

• • The Patriot Coalition knew that the Portland Police would allow far-right violence on August 22: On August 15, a week before Amber Cummings’ “No to Marxism” event, the Portland Police Bureau let former Proud Boy Alan Swinney mace and shoot paintballs at a small group of counter-protesters. Patriot Coalition member John Kramer attended the event and reported back to the group that “…The police gave us the green light.” He told members to “come literally as prepared as you can,” knowing that the Portland Police would allow the far-right crowd to have weapons.
  • Federal agents in Portland “thanked” the far-right for attacking antifascists: After the August 22 “No to Marxism” rally, where far-right protesters attacked antifascists with baseball bats and seriously injured at least one person with an improvised explosive device, Dan Lippke (AKA Dan-Medford) relayed the following to the Patriot Coalition chat: “So I just got a call from a friend who has friends in uh…federal buildings in a certain northern Oregon city. The agents and police in there say good job, thank you, and they made sure antifa paid for that pain we went through today.” After the far-right crowd was chased out away from their rally point, federal officers declared the event an “unlawful assembly” and fired pepper balls at what remained of the antifascist crowd.
  • Neo-Nazi David Willis has a source within the Portland Police Bureau: Lincoln City neo-Nazi David Willis, who claims to have been involved with the white power skinhead gang “East Side White Pride,” also claims to have a source within the Portland Police Bureau’s detective division. After the August 22 “No to Marxism” event, David Willis told members of the Patriot Coalition: “i confirmed it threw a source in ppb that antifa fired 2 live rounds at patriots in a parking garage [sic].” He encourages others to contact his source as “victims” of the alleged shots. David Willis has a long history of run-ins with law enforcement. In 1998, Willis was arrested in Lincoln county for a laundry list of crimes, including a hate crime, but he was found “not guilty.”
  • Members of the Patriot Coalition have a source within federal law enforcement: On September 16, ten days before the Proud Boys plan to rally in Portland, Ramon Luis Blackwood (AKA T. Durden) revealed that he had received intelligence about federal orders: “I need a lead to call me asap. I just got Intel from a back end source. Orders that were just given out. Fed orders.” Ramon’s request to speak with a lead suggests to us that the information was pertinent to the upcoming Proud Boys rally. The Proud Boys had originally planned on holding their rally in a federal park in downtown Portland, but moved the rally unexpectedly on September 17. Ramon Blackwood’s “back end source” may be the same source that gave him access to the crowd control weapons they use to attack protesters: “I just got access to the crowd dispersal spray that the feds use. It’s 40 bucks a can. Usual 65 bucks. Anybody want any??”
  • A member of the Patriot Coalition is spying on protesters and sending the data to the FBI: Mark Melchi, a member of the Patriot Coalition and leader of the 1776 2.0 militia claimed that his group is using “cell sniffing” devices and sending the data to the FBI: “We actually use cell sniffers all the time, send Data to FBI…IMSI catchers. Don’t need to snatch phones, although it’s fun to snatch and watch their face.” It is not clear how Mark Melchi would obtain an IMSI “sniffer” device, let alone use it successfully, but the possibility is alarming.
  • A militia leader within the Patriot Coalition is “hunting” antifascists in Colorado: Mark Melchi was in Colorado in early September, working on “Antifa hunting with my 1776 2.0 Colorado team.” On September 6, Melchi announced to the chat that: “We have had a successful operation out here in Colorado. So far 6 major Antifa leaders are no longer playing fantasy ninjas here.” On September 17, police carried out SWAT raids and arrested six protest leaders in the Denver area, charged with with an outrageous list of crimes. The messages posted by Melchi seem to suggest that his 1776 2.0 group played a role in the state repression against the activists.

Wildfire response

The early part of September brought devastating wildfires to the state of Oregon. Several major cities were threatened and thousands of Oregonians were forced to evacuate. Many small, tight-knit rural towns were destroyed or damaged by fast moving wildfires. Hundreds of homes were destroyed and thousands uprooted and displaced. During this regional disaster, members of the Patriot Coalition PNW quickly mobilized to do regular patrols around wildfire hot spots. Armed, members would drive roads searching for who they believed to be “ANTIFA” setting the fires. They were certain the spreading of the wildfires was due to ominous figures dressed in black, often carrying gas cans, whom they labeled as “ANTIFA.” This conspiracy theory quickly became so concerning to public safety, that even police and sheriffs departments were forced to issue public statements discrediting the absurd claim. Members of the Patriot Coalition followed vehicles they deemed “suspicious,” posted photos of cars, license plates, and faces in the chats as “intel.” Members quickly positioned themselves within the volunteer support system of the evacuation centers located in Springfield and Salem; they approached the mutual aid centers with a territorial and competitive attitude. Attempts were made to intimidate known leftist activists within the local mutual aid networks. Tensions rose to unusual heights as the wildfires came closer to the cities along the I-5 corridor, and some members suggested shooting those they suspected as arsonists on sight. Richard Bowman II shares a post from far-right Senate candidate Paul J. Romero to back up the baseless “ANTIFA” wildfire conspiracy theory.

For days, members of the Patriot Coalition drove around rural Oregon communities “patrolling” for people they believed to be looters and arsonists.

Members of the Patriot Coalition tailed vehicles and posted photos of vehicles and license plates they deemed suspicious.

A member of the Patriot Coalition with the username “Shelb” claims that someone affiliated with law enforcement told her “ANTIFA” was setting up gas cans with shotgun shells on people’s porches.

Identifications

Patriot Coalition Leadership

The Patriot Coalition is a hierarchically organized group; all group decisions are made by a small team of leaders. The leaders were decided by the founder of the group: Robbin Sullivan-Davis. Following the departure of the original founder of the group, the Patriot Coalition is now in the process of restructuring itself and launching a new Facebook group. The “central command” will select regional leaders to represent the state of Oregon divided into three parts: 1) Southern, 2) Central and Eastern, and 3) Northern and Mid. The group will have a chain of command, they will have monthly meetings and will schedule trainings. A mission statement, new vetting process, and new rules of conduct will be drafted.

Robbin Anne Sullivan-Davis

Robbin Anne Sullivan-Davis is the founder of the “Patriot Coalition of PNW” group and was the owner of the GroupMe chat until she unexpectedly relinquished ownership, transferring administrative powers to Trent Ulrey (AKA Spartan). She was permanently removed from the chat shortly thereafter. Robbin started the group on Facebook, before moving to GroupMe so members could organize in private. She set up fundraising for the group via Venmo and GoFundMe, racking up close to $500 dollars in donations. Robbin attended the August 22 “No to Marxism” rally in Portland. She currently lives in Albany, Oregon.

Trent Martin Ulrey

Trent Martin Ulrey (AKA Spartan, Trent-Medford) is one of the leaders of the Patriot Coalition and currently has ownership over the GroupMe chat. He lives in Gold Hill, Oregon (near Medford) and owns Valley Sign Solutions. Trent was the main architect behind the Patriot Coalition’s plan for the August 22 “No to Marxism” rally. In the lead up to the rally, Trent had phone conversations with a number of members of the Patriot Coalition and communicated with other far-right groups like the Proud Boys. On August 18, Trent posted a detailed plan for the “No to Marxism” rally (see: Threats Manifest: “No to Marxism” rally). During the rally, Trent was armed with a handgun, a baton, and pepper spray. After rushing the antifascist crowd, he can be seen on video deploying pepper spray.Trent Ulrey pushes his way through the far-right crowd to attack antifascists at the August 22 “No to Marxism” rally. Trent was armed with a pistol (circled, left), a large baton (in back of vest), and pepper spray (circled, right).

Trent Ulrey pepper sprays antifascists after the far-right “No to Marxism” crowd charged towards the counter rally.

Daniel Arthur Lippke

Daniel Arthur Lippke (AKA Dan Betschart, Dan-Medford) is one of the leaders of the Patriot Coalition and lives in Eagle Point, Oregon. Dan worked with Trent Ulrey to establish a detailed plan for the August 22 “No to Marxism” rally. Before the rally, Dan floated the idea of reaching out to far-right grifter Andy Ngo, to “…let him know something is up for this Saturday, and ask him to keep it quiet.” In the past, Andy Ngo has coordinated with the Proud Boys as well as the dregs of Patriot Prayer. Dan also advocated for attacking medics and press, telling others that “if they claim they’re “press” or “medic” so you can’t touch them, that’s bs.” Dan and his wife Carly teach line dancing in Southern Oregon.Daniel Arthur Lippke at the August 22 “No to Marxism” rally in Portland, Oregon.

Daniel Lippke has distinctive tattoos on his left forearm and right bicep.

Christopher James Tough

Christopher James Tough (AKA Chris Tough, Chris Himwho, Himwho) is a MAGA TikTok celebrity and one of the leaders of the Patriot Coalition. Chris has amassed a large following as “himwho” and recently launched a website for his brand. He lives in Cottage Grove, Oregon.

Christopher Tough stands with Andrew “Black Rebel” Duncomb, a former Proud Boy who marched with Nazis at the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in 2017.

Christopher James Tough has joined forces with local far-right agitators in Eugene, Oregon on a number of occasions. On July 25, Chris took part in an “All Lives Matter” counter-protest to a rally against state repression held at the federal courthouse in Eugene, Oregon. The “All Lives Matter” group bore shields with screws sticking out and sprayed protesters with wasp spray. On July 31, Chris joined other far-right protesters at the New Hope Christian College, fooled into thinking that “ANTIFA” was en route to remove a giant steel and concrete cross. On August 5, he rallied with other far-right counter protesters to attack a protest hosted by United Communists and Anarchists of Eugene, Oregon (UCA) calling to hold the Eugene Police Department accountable for the violent arrest of a 14 year old. On August 22, Chris traveled with the Patriot Coalition to the “No to Marxism” rally in downtown Portland and tried to attack antifascists with a collapsible baton.Christopher James Tough rallies with local bigots in Eugene on July 25. Chris was armed with a large wooden maskeshift club.

Christopher Tough rallies alongside neo-Nazi Corey Wyatt (white mask, camo head wrap) and local homophobe Emma Mitchem (holding phone on right) at the New Hope Christian College. 

Christopher James Tough stands with a shield and a collapsible baton at the August 22 “No to Marxism” rally in Portland, Oregon. 

Christopher James Tough stands with a shield and a collapsible baton at the August 22 “No to Marxism” rally in Portland, Oregon. 

1776 2.0 Militia

The 1776 2.0 militia is a far-right group lead locally by Mark Eric Melchi. While some right-wing militia groups posture (or pretend to be) as “anti-government,” Melchi’s militia collaborates with local and federal law enforcement. Over the last few months, the 1776 2.0 militia has been a regular, armed presence on the streets of Portland and Salem. The group is also active in other states, including Colorado.

Mark Eric Melchi

Mark Eric Melchi is the local leader of the 1776 2.0 militia and lives in Dallas, Oregon. He is a member of the Patriot Coalition and a participant in the GroupMe chat where he consistently posts violent, unhinged messages about Portland. Melchi advocates for “tactical ambushes at night” and using “Guerilla tactics” against those he deems “leaders.” He fantasizes about the possibility of a shootout with antifascists, writing prior to the August 22 “No to Marxism” rally that attendees “must be ready to defend with lethal response…We need to make it dramatic enough for them not to want to return.”

While talk of an ever-looming “civil war” is common among right-wing militias, Mark Melchi and the 1776 2.0 militia veers more into accelerationism, hoping to use far-right rallies in Portland to increase tension. Melchi is producing “flamethrowers” from fire extinguishers and plans to deploy them against antifascists and anti-racist protesters. In the Patriot Coalition chat, Melchi calls the weapons a “fire extinguisher BBQ machine”  that his crew “developed for their wall of degenerates.”Mark Melchi shows off a video of one of his homemade “flamethrowers” that he designed for use against protesters. He claims that members of his 1776 2.0 group used their device in the stairwell of a parking garage.

Mark Melchi is a regular armed presence at far-right rallies in Portland. On August 15, he rallied with local white nationalist Haley Adams in downtown Portland, carrying a Scorpion Evo-3 pistol and several magazines. On August 22, Melchi showed up at the “No to Marxism” rally, and he claims that members of his militia used their flamethrower device in the stairwell of a parking garage.Mark Melchi stands with a rifle at the August 22 “No to Marxism” rally in downtown Portland. (Photo by Nathan Howard)

Despite using anti-government aesthetics, Mark Melchi and his militia actively work with the state to target left-wing activists. He claims that his group uses IMSI catchers against protesters, “cell-sniffing” devices that imitate a cellphone tower to capture metadata and IMSI numbers within a radius. Local and federal law enforcement agencies have deployed the device against protesters. Melchi says that his group sends the cellphone data they obtain the the FBI. Additionally, messages from Melchi suggest that the Colorado chapter of 1776 2.0 may have worked with police to target local activists. On September 6, Melchi wrote that “We have had a successful operation out here in Colorado. So far 6 major Antifa leaders are no longer playing fantasy ninjas here.” On September 17, police carried out SWAT raids and arrested six protest leaders in the Denver area (more information here), charging them with kidnapping for allegedly participating in a protest outside a police station.

Kenneth Merill Woods

Kenneth Merill Woods (AKA Ken Woods, Dub) is a member of the Patriot Coalition living in Terrebonne, Oregon. On August 22, Ken attended the “No to Marxism” rally with Mark Melchi’s 1776 2.0 militia. In the Patriot Coalition chats, he frequently talks about his desire to murder antifascists and Black Lives Matter protesters. Ken idolizes Kyle Rittenhouse and may very well be the next right-wing mass murderer. Of the protests in Portland (insert she doesn’t even go here! meme), Ken says that  “[t]he only real way to end it is start shooting everyone [sic] of them.” Like most members of the Patriot Coalition, Ken Woods firmly believed that “ANTIFA” was responsible for the historic wildfires that devastated Oregon and drove around looking for people to shoot.Ken Woods open carries at the August 22 “No to Marxism” rally in Portland, Oregon. Ken rolled with Mark Melchi’s 1776 2.0 crew. 

John Joseph Kramer

John Joseph Kramer is a member of the Patriot Coalition and lives in Clackamas county, Oregon. On August 15, John Kramer rallied with local far-right protesters in downtown Portland. After the rally, he told others in the Patriot Coalition that the “The [Portland] police gave us the green light,” and to “Come literally as prepared as you can.” John Kramer claimed to be busy recruiting people for the “No to Marxism” rally in the days that followed. On August 22, John Kramer rolled with Mark Melchi’s 1776 2.0 militia, carrying a pistol and a canister of bear spray.

John Joseph Kramer carries a handgun on August 22 in Portland, Oregon. Kramer rolled with Mark Melchi’s 1776 2.0 crew for the “No to Marxism” rally.

Above the Rest: Roofing and White Power

Since the start of racial justice protests in the Eugene-Springfield area, we have been tracking and documenting an increase in far-right counter organizing. In August, we published an article about neo-Nazi Corey Eugene Wyatt (AKA Agnarr), a professional MMA fighter who has made inroads with far-right groups in the Pacific Northwest and has been a regular presence at counter-protests in the Eugene-Springfield area. Corey Wyatt works for “Above the Rest,” a roofing and construction company run by Casey Lee Lasley. Casey has participated in local far-right organizing himself, and employs a  number of neo-Nazis involved with the Patriot Coalition.

Neo-Nazi Corey Wyatt and far-right figure Marcus Edwards have worked with “Above the Rest” roofing. From left to right: Corey Wyatt, Marcus Edwards, Erik Neal, and Joe Schwinghamer.

Erik Matthew Neal

Erik Matthew Neal (AKA Erik Lean, Erik) is a member of the Patriot Coalition from Springfield, Oregon, and an employee of Above the Rest roofing & construction. Erik is an active participant in the GroupMe chat and acts as the link between the Patriot Coalition, Corey Wyatt, and the Above the Rest crew. Ahead of the August 22 rally, Erik invited members of the Patriot Coalition to train with shields and in hand-to-hand combat on a property in Marcola, Oregon.

 

 

Sarah Anne Stahl

Sarah Anne Stahl (AKA Steele Sharah, Sassyanne, Mouthy) is Erik Neal’s partner and is also a member of the Patriot Coalition. She attended the violent August 22 “No to Marxism” event in Portland with Erik Neal and the “Above the Rest” crew. Sarah repeatedly made threats against a Eugene livestreamer affiliated with Boop Troop Eugene and falsely claimed that he fired shots at far-right protesters on August 22. Sarah is a follower of the QAnon conspiracy theory.Sarah Anne Stahl, pictured at the August 22 “No to Marxism” rally in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Joseph Martin Schwinghamer

Joseph Martin Schwinghamer lives in Springfield and works for Casey Lasley’s roofing company. Like most of the crew, Joe is a felon and was incarcerated in 2016 for possession of methamphetamine and illegally possessing a firearm. He attended the August 22 “No to Marxism” rally in Portland with the “Above the Rest” crew. Joseph is easily identifiable by the large apple tattoo on his neck.Joe Schwinghamer carried a shield on August 22 in Portland, Oregon. Joe has a distinctive apple tattoo on his neck.

James Anthony Stianson

James Anthony Stianson is a white supremacist who has worked for Casey Lasley’s roofing company. He is covered in white supremacist tattoos: On his right hand, he has a Thor’s Hammer and just above that he has a Valknaut tattoo. On his chest, James has “Eastside White Pride” tattooed in cursive. East Side White Pride is also the name of a white supremacist bonehead gang that was active in Portland in the late 1980’s. In 1988, three members of East Side White Pride murdered an Ethiopian college student named Mulugeta Seraw. Lincoln city neo-Nazi and Patriot Coalition member David Willis claims to have been affiliated with East Side White Pride.James Stianson has “Eastside White Pride” tattooed across his chest. 

James Stianson has a Thor’s Hammer tattoo and a Valknaut (three triangles) on his right hand.

James Stianson has been at several far-right rallies in the Eugene-Springfield area. On July 10, he gathered with Corey Wyatt and other local racists at the Springfield library for an “All Lives Matter” rally. On July 29, James and other far-right agitators harassed and assaulted Black Lives Matter demonstrators in the Thurston neighborhood. He was arrested the next day for driving under the influence, a charge he is no stranger to. On August 22, James traveled to Portland with the “Above the Rest” crew for the “No to Marxism” rally. Despite being a felon, James had a holstered handgun at the rally.James Stianson and Corey Wyatt at the July 10 “All Lives Matter” rally in Springfield, Oregon.

James Stianson, his partner Brandy Bowman, and Casey Lasley counter-protesting a Black Lives Matter march through Thurston, Oregon, on July 29.

James Stianson stands behind ex-Proud Boy Alan Swinney on August 22 in Portland, Oregon. James’ “Thor’s Hammer” tattoo is visible.

James Stianson, a felon, carried a handgun (circled) on August 22 in Portland, Oregon. James wears a shirt for the far-right group “TAPS: The American Patriot Society.”

Sandy Backs the Blue

“Sandy Backs the Blue” is a pro-police, Nazi friendly group from the Sandy, Oregon area. The group hosts weekly “flag wave” events, often attended by members of the Proud Boys hate group. Dixie Lea Bailey (AKA Dixie Deweese, AmericanLove45) is one of the far-right organizers with “Sandy Back the Blue,” and is also a member of the Patriot Coalition. For more information on Dixie, please read Rose City Antifa’s article here.

Ramon Luis Blackwood

Ramon Luis Blackwood is a far-right activist from Sandy, Oregon, and a member of the Patriot Coalition. On August 12, Ramon Blackwood claimed that “40-50 people” were going to travel to Portland and “push back against Rioters,” but only 18 showed up. On August 22, Ramon returned to Portland with the Patriot Coalition for the “No to Marxism” rally, only to be chased away into a parking garage by antifascists. Ramon Blackwood owns Taylor Made Engineering LLC, a metal fabrication business.

Ramon Blackwood, pictured here with “Sandy Backs the Blue” activist Dixie Lea Bailey (AKA Dixie Deweese). Original tweet from Rose City Antifa here.

Ramon Blackwood at the August 22 “No to Marxism” rally in downtown Portland.

Jason Michael Gould

                                                                      NOT Tim Pool

Jason Michael Gould (AKA Jason, Jerad Ross) is a member of the Patriot Coalition with ties to “Sandy Backs the Blue.” Jason is a frequent attendee of the weekly “flag wave” events in the Sandy, Oregon area. He claims to have nine years of boxing experience and offered to give lessons to other members of the Patriot Coalition. Jason Gould attended the August 22 “No to Marxism” rally with the Patriot Coalition.Some of Jason Gould’s racist overlays on Facebook.

Jason Gould holds a large wooden shield on August 22 in Portland, Oregon. Jason has a distinctive tattoo on his inner left arm.

Other Individuals

Peter Osborne Burdett

Peter Osborne Burdett (AKA Punisher95) is a violent member of the Patriot Coalition from Tigard, Oregon. In the GroupMe chats, Peter recommended that people shoot marbles instead of paintballs, which can be lethal. He also called for “start going after the antifa press,” for “basically setting up shots to make us look like we are instagating [sic] them.” Like fellow Patriot Coalition member and neo-Nazi Richard Bowman II, Peter participates in Civil War reenactments. And, like fellow Patriot Coalition member and neo-Nazi James Anthony Stianson, Peter participates in driving under the influence.Peter Burdett with a shield on August 22 in Portland, Oregon. 

Peter Burdett with a shield and body armor on August 22 in Portland, Oregon. 

Peter has familial connections to the Portland Police Bureau. He bragged of this connection in the Patriot Coalition GroupMe, saying that: “One of my family members works at the Northeast precinct.” Peter’s second cousin, Amy Morinville, is married to Portland cop Steve Morinville, who works at the PPB North Precinct. As of 2019, Morinville was assigned to the youth services division and was being paid close to $140,000 a year.

James Howard Soderberg

James Howard Soderberg (AKA James) is a violent, bigoted member of the Patriot Coalition from Cornelius, Oregon. He first caught our attention in July, when he showed up to a far-right counter protest in Eugene armed with a shotgun and .357 revolver. He also carried a spray can with an unknown liquid. Several far-right protesters used wasp spray and brake oil spray against Black Lives Matter protesters.James Howard Soderberg appears to livestream on his phone while holding a shotgun in Eugene on July 25.

On August 29, James Howard Soderberg took part in the “Trump 2020 Cruise Rally,” hosted by Idaho resident Alex Kuzmenko (AKA Alex Kyzik). James livestreamed the event on Facebook, first from the drivers seat, then from the back of his silver F-350 truck once he crossed the bridge into downtown Portland. He was armed with pepper spray, a baseball bat wrapped in nails, and a .357 revolver. While driving, James runs a red light and nearly hits a group of anti-racist protesters, then reverses back towards them. Later, James can be seen accosting random pedestrians from the back of his pickup truck, attempting to goad them into a fight. When that doesn’t work, he goes on foot yelling homophobic slurs at passerbys and gets beaten bloody. James Howard Soderberg owns KJJ Trucking LLC.

James Howard Soderberg shows off his weapons at the “Trump 2020 Cruise Rally” to his Facebook Live audience.

James Howard Soderberg attacked a teenager (right) at the “Trump 2020 Cruise Rally,” but got beaten bloody (left).

Marshall Keith Bastiaen

Marshall Keith Bastiaen is a member of the Patriot Coalition from Eugene, Oregon. He has been active in the Eugene-Springfield far-right, rallying with local bigots on July 10 at the Springfield library, and on July 25 at the federal courthouse. On August 22, Marshall went to Portland for the “No to Marxism” rally, meeting up with other members of the Patriot Coalition. Marshall is active in the biker scene and works as a truck driver. He was recruited by the Proud Boys, but declined because of his work schedule.

Marshall Bastiaen argues with a Black Lives Matter protester in Eugene, Oregon on July 25.

Marshall Bastiaen with pepper spray and a knife at the August 22 “No to Marxism” rally in Portland, Oregon.

Call to action: All out on September 26th!

On September 26, the far-right is returning to Portland to wage violence. We support the calls by local antifascist groups to come together and #DefendPDX. No Proud Boys in the Rose City!