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Chaos erupted on the streets of Portland after opposing protesters clashed outside a women's sports bar that asked customers to leave for wearing shirts suggesting trans women should be banned from competing in women's sports.
asserted
women → see → sports
The Sports Bra, which shows women's sports, made headlines after asking a group of patrons wearing anti-trans shirts to cover up or leave the bar earlier this month.
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which → show → bar
About two weeks later, on Sunday, right-wing demonstrators gathered outside the LGBT-friendly sports bar to protest the establishment but were met by counter-protesters.
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demonstrators → gather → protesters
The anti-trans protest soon escalated and bear mace was used on those defending the bar, according to KOIN 6 News.
uncertain
mace → escalate → News
Reporter Ariel Salk said she was hit with the mace while trying to get comment from the protesters, who began walking away from the establishment.
However, several videos posted to X show the bar's defenders following the right-wing activists, even throwing items as they appear to try to leave the scene.
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they → say → scene
The situation escalated outside a Fred Meyer grocery store, with one video showing the right-wingers ducking for cover as what appear to be counter-protesters hurled objects at them.
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appear → escalate → them
On September 6, a group of patrons walked into The Sports Bra in Northeast Portland but were quickly banned after the establishment saw they were wearing XX-XY Athletics, an apparel brand that advocates for biological-sex-based separation in women's sports
Protesters clashed outside a grocery store, as pepper spray was deployed, objects were thrown, and physical altercations broke out
Protesters initially clashed outside the sports bar before right wing activist fled to a Fred Meyer grocery store
The glass sliding doors of the grocery store were smashed as bullhorns and screams added to the chaos.
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bullhorns → walk → chaos
One video also showed an item being hurled by a man wearing an XX-XY Athletics shirt at some point as well.
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item → show → point
During another moment in the parking lot, a right-wing protester can be heard saying, 'Get the f*** away from me b****,' before spraying a person trying to defend the bar with mace right in front of a police officer.
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protester → hear → officer
When the cop was confronted by another counter-protester, he can be heard saying, 'She's walking away while you guys are clearly approaching her.
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guys → confront → her
'
'She's trying to walk away while you guys are right behind her,' added the officer.
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officer → try → her
Another video showed an independent right-wing journalist being hit in the head with an object thrown from just feet away by a woman.
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journalist → show → woman
The journalist then viciously tossed the woman to the ground before appearing to land some blows, as the scene broke out into complete chaos with people running, clouds of pepper spray and shrieking.
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people → toss → spray
On Sunday, reportedly right-wing demonstrators gathered outside the lesbian owned sports bar to protest the establishment but were met by counter-protesters
'
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demonstrators → gather → protesters
We're going to continue to fight back against any hate in Portland,' said Holly Brown with Freedom Road Socialist Organization to KOIN.
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Brown → go → KOIN
'You know, we kind of see this as these people are emboldened by Trump, and so we can't allow it to stand here in Portland.
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it → know → Portland
So as long as they're coming out and attacking any marginalized community, we're also going to come up and stand back and fight back against them,' Brown said.
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Brown → come → them
According to the outlet, the Portland Police Bureau reported that officers responded to a disturbance near Northwest 24th Avenue and Broadway Street around 3.30pm.
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officers → accord → 3.30pm
Officials described the scene as two groups clashing and used de-escalation techniques to calm the opposing groups.
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groups → describe → groups
'Two groups of people with opposing views were causing a disturbance and were reported to be pepper spraying each other,' the Portland Police Bureau said in a press release.
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Bureau → oppose → release
The two groups eventually separated.'
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groups → separate → ?
The Sports Bra, a bar fully dedicated to women's sports, initially shared a statement on Instagram shortly after asking the patrons to leave in early September.
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Bra → dedicate → September
The bar also claimed that it instructed the group to cover the messages on their shirts or leave.
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it → claim → shirts
'On Sunday, Sept. 6, a group entered wearing apparel with messages advocating for the exclusion of trans women from sports,' it read.
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it → enter → sports
'When our team respectfully gave the group the choice to cover the anti-trans messaging or leave, they chose to leave.'
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they → give → messaging
Several videos posted to X show violent clashes between protesters, with mace being deployed, objects being thrown, and physical altercations
One of the patron's banned from the bar recorded herself after being banned
After having kicked out the patrons the bar then took to Instagram to double down on its stance and explain why those customers were not allowed to wear the t-shirts
The Sports Bra later shared another statement on Instagram.
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Bra → post → Instagram
'At The Sports Bra, our mission is simple: support, promote, and empower ALL girls and women in sports.
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mission → support → sports
'Since day one, we've built our space to be inclusive, especially for people who don't feel comfortable at a traditional sports bar.
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who → build → bar
That includes LGBTQ+ community members.
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That → include → members
As a reminder, the T stands for trans.
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T → stand → trans
We welcome people of every identity and background, but we do not tolerate messages or conduct that demean or exclude the very community we exist to serve and celebrate
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we → welcome → community
,' the business said.
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business → say → ?
The bar concluded by saying that it is 'firmly committed to inclusion and belonging for everyone who walks through our doors.'
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who → conclude → doors
A previous protest was held on September 11, just days after the group was banned from the bar.
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group → hold → bar
The incidents come as the debate over transgender athletes' space in sports, particularly women's sports, rages.
The legal and cultural debate is about whether transgender girls and women should be allowed to participate in female athletic teams.
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girls → come → teams
Advocates for transgender rights claim the fight is a direct attack on a person's civil rights, while their opposition believes it is unfair if transgender females play in sports that biological girls and women are in.
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girls → claim → that
In June, the US Supreme Court ruled that states now have the authority to ban transgender athletes from female school sports.
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states → rule → sports
The Aporia
