On May 26, 2017, Jeremy Joseph Christian fatally stabbed two men and injured a third after he was confronted for shouting racist and

anti-Muslim Islamophobia is the fear of, hatred of, or prejudice against the religion of Islam or Muslims in general, especially when seen as a geopolitical force or a source of terrorism. The scope and precise definition of the term ''Islamophobia'' ...

slurs at two black teenagers, Destinee Mangum and Walia Mohamed, on a

MAX Light Rail The Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) is a light rail system serving the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. Owned and operated by TriMet, it consists of five color-designated lines that altogether connect the six sections ...

train in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

.Adeel Hassan
White Supremacist Guilty of Killing 2 Who Came to Aid of Black Teens
, ''New York Times'' (February 21, 2020). Two of the victims, Ricky John Best of Happy Valley and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche of Portland, were killed; the third victim, Micah David-Cole Fletcher, survived serious wounds. Christian, a

white supremacist White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other Race (human classification), races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any Power (social and polit ...

and self-described

white nationalist White nationalism is a type of racial nationalism or pan-nationalism which espouses the belief that white people are a raceHeidi Beirich and Kevin Hicks. "Chapter 7: White nationalism in America". In Perry, Barbara. ''Hate Crimes''. Greenwoo ...

, was arrested and indicted soon after the attack on charges of murder, attempted murder, and other crimes, including a separate

hate-crime A hate crime (also known as a bias-motivated crime or bias crime) is a prejudice-motivated crime which occurs when a perpetrator targets a victim because of their membership (or perceived membership) of a certain social group or racial demograph ...

assault the day before the fatal attack.Aimee Green
Jeremy Christian guilty on all counts in MAX stabbings trial, including murder and hate crimes
, ''The Oregonian''/OregonLive (February 21, 2020). In February 2020, following a

jury trial A jury trial, or trial by jury, is a Trial, legal proceeding in which a jury makes a decision or Question of law, findings of fact. It is distinguished from a bench trial in which a judge or Judicial panel, panel of judges makes all decisions. ...

, Christian was found guilty on all counts. Christian was sentenced on June 24, 2020, to two life terms. The attack was widely condemned by the Portland community, politicians, and civil rights groups, some of which said it represented a rise in

hate speech Hate speech is defined by the ''Cambridge Dictionary'' as "public speech that expresses hate or encourages violence towards a person or group based on something such as race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation". Hate speech is "usually thoug ...

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...

, and Islamophobic incidents in the United States.

Attack

At about 4:30 p.m. PDT on May 26, 2017, Jeremy Joseph Christian fatally stabbed two people and injured a third on a

trainMaxine Bernstein
Portland MAX hero's last words: 'Tell everyone on this train I love them'
, ''

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 185 ...

''/OregonLive (May 29, 2017). after he was confronted for directing what the

Portland Police Bureau The Portland Police Bureau (PPB), officially the Portland Bureau of Police, is the law enforcement agency of the city of Portland, the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. While oversight of Portland's bureaus shifts among the five City ...

's report later said "would best be characterized as hate speech toward a variety of ethnicities and religions" at two girls on a Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) light-rail train. A witness reported that Christian used anti-Muslim slurs and "was screaming that he was a taxpayer, that colored people were ruining the city, and he had

First Amendment First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

rights". Portland police described Christian "as yelling and ranting and raving a lot of different things, including what we characterized as hate speech or biased language". At the time, although not at its rush-hour peak, the train car was crowded, with all the seats filled and some passengers standing. As the man continued ranting, the train operator was heard on the

loudspeaker A loudspeaker (commonly referred to as a speaker or speaker driver) is an electroacoustic transducer that converts an electrical audio signal into a corresponding sound. A ''speaker system'', also often simply referred to as a "speaker" or " ...

, saying "Whoever is creating the disturbance needs to exit the train immediately." The man continued, however, directing his tirade at a 17-year-old

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

Somali girl, who was wearing a

hijab In modern usage, hijab ( ar, حجاب, translit=ḥijāb, ) generally refers to headcoverings worn by Muslim women. Many Muslims believe it is obligatory for every female Muslim who has reached the age of puberty to wear a head covering. While ...

, and her non-Muslim friend, a

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

girl, age 16.Madison Park
Teen on Portland train: 'They lost their lives because of me and my friend'
,

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by the M ...

(May 29, 2017).Eder Campuzano & Jim Ryan
Man saw teenagers, one with hijab, and launched into racial tirade
, ''

''/Oregon Live (May 27, 2017). The man told the girls to "go back to Saudi Arabia", to get out of "his country", and "said they were nothing and they should kill themselves". He also reportedly said that "Muslims should die." Fearful, the pair moved to the back of the train as Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, and Micah David-Cole Fletcher—stepped in to intervene in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. According to a witness, Namkai-Meche told Christian in an angry voice: "You need to get off this train. Please, get off this train." The witness said that the men attempted to form a barrier between Christian and the girls. Then Micah David-Cole Fletcher gave him "a slight push or shove" in an attempt to move him away. Christian fell backward and Fletcher pushed him again. Christian said: "Touch me again, and I'm going to kill you." Namkai-Meche was filming with his phone and appeared to be smiling in a video of the event. According to police, Christian then stabbed Ricky Best, who was nearby, and Namkai-Meche and Fletcher by slashing them with a knife.Maxine Bernstein
MAX attack unfolded quickly: Extremist cut three in neck, police say
, ''

''/OregonLive (May 27, 2017). The stabbings happened within less than 12 seconds. At the Hollywood/Northeast 42nd Avenue Transit Center, passengers fled the car, as did Christian. He ran into the Hollywood neighborhood, chased by other passengers who had called

9-1-1 , usually written 911, is an emergency telephone number for the United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Palau, Argentina, Philippines, Jordan, as well as the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), one of eight N11 codes. Like other emergency nu ...

. After Fletcher was stabbed, a man rushed to him and rendered

first aid First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with either a minor or serious illness or injury, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery. It includes initial in ...

. Three other men gave first aid to Best until EMS personnel arrived. Medics were unable to revive Best and he was declared dead at the scene; Namkai-Meche died later at a local hospital. The two girls also fled the train following the incident, leaving their belongings behind. After the attack, the station and MAX Light Rail trains were shut down in both directions for several hours. Following their arrival at the station, police were able to locate Christian. A group of at least eight officers arrested him "on the north side of

Providence Portland Medical Center Providence Portland Medical Center, located at 4805 NE Glisan St. in the North Tabor neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, is a full-service medical center specializing in cancer and cardiac care. Opened in 1941, the hospital is licensed for 483 beds, ...

on an access road running along Interstate 84, just east of 47th Avenue, at 4:48 p.m.". According to a police affidavit filed subsequently in court, during the arrest Christian threw a

folding knife A pocketknife is a knife with one or more blades that fold into the handle. They are also known as jackknives (jack-knife), folding knives, or may be referred to as a penknife, though a penknife may also be a specific kind of pocketknife. A ty ...

with a blade that hit a police car and bounced off of it. The police affidavit also states that patrol car video footage shows Christian saying after his arrest, "I just stabbed a bunch of motherfuckers in the neck ... I can die in prison a happy man", and about one of the men on the train who had confronted him, he said, "That's what

liberalism Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality and equality before the law."political rationalism, hostility to autocracy, cultural distaste for c ...

gets you."

Investigation

Christian was booked into the Multnomah County jail. The FBI assisted Portland police in the investigation. Renn Cannon, of the Portland FBI field office, said at the time, "It's too early to say whether last night's violence was an act of domestic terrorism or a federal hate crime."

Theft from a victim

In the early morning of June 2, 2017, police arrested 51-year-old George Elwood Tschaggeny, who lived in a small homeless camp near the platform where the train stopped after the attack. According to police and prosecutors, Tschaggeny removed the wedding band from Best's finger and stole Best's backpack and wallet. He was arrested after police viewed surveillance video showing the theft and obtained a community tip on the thief's identity. According to police, he was wearing Best's ring when he was arrested and had the backpack and contents of Best's wallet. Tschaggeny was a

heroin addict Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a substance use disorder characterized by cravings for opioids, continued use despite physical and/or psychological deterioration, increased tolerance with use, and withdrawal symptoms after discontinuing opioids. Op ...

.Aimee Green
Man who stole MAX stabbing victim's wedding ring gets another 20 days in jail
, ''The Oregonian''/OregonLive (September 10, 2018).
, '' Oregon Live'', Aimee Green, November 14, 2017. Retrieved December 25, 2017. He was arraigned on charges of

identity theft Identity theft occurs when someone uses another person's personal identifying information, like their name, identifying number, or credit card number, without their permission, to commit fraud or other crimes. The term ''identity theft'' was co ...

, second-degree abuse of a corpse, first-degree theft and tampering with physical evidence. After a guilty plea on November 14, 2017, he was sentenced to 13 months in jail followed by five years of probation and court-supervised drug treatment.

Prosecution of Jeremy Joseph Christian

Indictment and pretrial proceedings

Christian was charged with two counts of aggravated murder and one count of

attempted murder Attempted murder is a crime of attempt in various jurisdictions. Canada Section 239 of the ''Criminal Code'' makes attempted murder punishable by a maximum of life imprisonment. If a gun is used, the minimum sentence is four, five or seven ye ...

, as well as three misdemeanors: two counts of second-degree intimidation and one count of being a felon possessing a restricted weapon. At his

arraignment Arraignment is a formal reading of a criminal charging document in the presence of the defendant, to inform them of the charges against them. In response to arraignment, the accused is expected to enter a plea. Acceptable pleas vary among jurisd ...

on May 30, 2017, Christian began yelling a variety of slogans as soon as he entered the courtroom, shouting: "Get out if you don't like free speech. You call it terrorism, I call it patriotism. You hear me? Die." He also yelled: "Leave this country if you hate our freedom—death to antifa!" On June 6 the Multnomah County

grand jury A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a pe ...

indicted Christian on 15 counts. Of these, 11 related to the May 26 stabbings (two counts of aggravated murder, one count of attempted

aggravated Aggravation, in law, is "any circumstance attending the commission of a crime or tort which increases its guilt or enormity or adds to its injurious consequences, but which is above and beyond the essential constituents of the crime or tort itself. ...

murder, one count of first-degree assault, one count of second-degree assault, five counts of unlawful use of a weapon, three counts of second-degree intimidation and two counts of menacing) and four related to conduct the day before the stabbing, when Christian threw a plastic bottle at a black woman at the Interstate/Rose Quarter MAX Station. Another outburst occurred at a brief, 85-second court appearance on June 7.Sara Ganim & Jason Hanna
Portland train stabbing suspect has another outburst in court
, CNN (June 7, 2017). Christian shouted that he was not guilty and that he acted in self-defense against the "violent aggression by Micah Fletcher". Christian pleaded not guilty to all charges. A Portland television station sought the release of warrants and affidavits related to the investigation; in October 2017, a federal judge denied the motion due to concerns that the release could prejudice potential jurors. In November 2017, a bail hearing was held; Christian was denied bail. On November 1, 2019, pursuant to a new state law, Christian's aggravated murder charges were downgraded to first-degree murder, eliminating the possibility of the death penalty.

Trial, conviction, and sentencing

The trial was initially scheduled to begin in June 2019 but was delayed for an additional six months to allow time for further pretrial proceedings. The judge denied Christian's request for a

change of venue A change of venue is the legal term for moving a trial to a new location. In high-profile matters, a change of venue may occur to move a jury trial away from a location where a fair and impartial jury may not be possible due to widespread publici ...

. Opening arguments for Christian's trial began January 28, 2020. In February 2019, Christian's attorneys filed a notice indicating that, at trial, the defense planned to raise mental health defenses. The defense team indicated that it might argue three such defenses: a " guilty except for insanity" defense, asserting that Christian was so mentally disturbed as to be incapable of forming

criminal intent Criminal intent refers to intention (criminal law), the subjective purpose or goal that must be proven along with criminal acts. It may also refer to: * ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'', American television series * ''Criminal Intents/Morning Star' ...

; a defense that Christian's mental illness made him only "partially responsible" for the offenses; and a defense that Christian was acting under extreme emotional disturbance. At trial, prosecutors presented the testimony of 40 witnesses against Christian, including Micah Fletcher, who was wounded in the stabbing. A Portland homicide detective who interviewed Fletcher also testified and showed the jury the

that was used. Cell phone videos and TriMet surveillance videos showing Christian stabbing the victims were introduced into evidence. Extensive video and audiorecordings of Christian's post-arrest rantings were also played to the jury. Christian did not testify in his own defense. The attorneys made their closing arguments on February 19; after 11 hours of deliberation over two days, on February 21 the jury announced they unanimously found Christian guilty on all counts. On June 24, 2020, Christian was sentenced to two consecutive life terms—one for each count of first-degree murder—with no possibility of parole. Christian was given an additional 51.5 years for related charges. During the sentencing hearing, Christian was removed from the courtroom after an angry outburst directed at one of his surviving victims.Aimee Green
Judge sentences MAX train murderer Jeremy Christian to 'true life': He should never be released from prison
, ''The Oregonian''/''OregonLive'' (June 24, 2020).

Perpetrator's prior history

Jeremy Joseph Christian had been convicted previously of kidnapping and the robbery of a convenience store in May 2002, and he was sentenced to 90 months in prison for that offense. During the robbery, he wore a ski mask, wielded a .38-caliber revolver, and handcuffed the store owner to a pole in the store; he was apprehended several blocks away from the store.Nicole Chavez

, CNN (June 7, 2017). Christian was also arrested in 2010 on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and theft, but those charges were later dropped. Christian "told officials he is a transient and doesn’t know the last time he had a permanent address." He held extremist views, posting

neo-Nazi Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazism, Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and Supremacism#Racial, racial supremacy (ofte ...

antisemitic Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

, and

far-right Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...

material on

social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...

,Jason Wilson (May 27, 2017)
"Suspect in Portland double murder posted white supremacist material online"
, ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

''. as well as material indicating an affinity for

political violence Political violence is violence which is perpetrated in order to achieve political goals. It can include violence which is used by a state against other states (war), violence which is used by a state against civilians and non-state actors (forced ...

. Christian described himself as a

.Todd C. Frankel
Suspected attacker Jeremy Joseph Christian stood out amid rising tensions in Portland
, ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' (May 27, 2017). ''

'' noted that Christian made many contradictory

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

posts, but that such contradictions are typical of extremists. It said his posts "reveal a comic book collector with nebulous political affiliations who above all else seemed to hate circumcision and

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

". At times he expressed support for

Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Vermont since 2007. He was the U.S. representative for the state's at-large congressional district from 1991 to 2007 ...

and

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

, although he wrote that he did not vote. According to friends and acquaintances, Christian's actions were becoming increasingly unstable, and he was in need of mental help, but he had not been given a formal diagnosis. In April 2017, Christian wrote, "I just Challenged

Ben Ferencz Benjamin Berell Ferencz (born March 11, 1920) is an American lawyer. He was an investigator of Nazi war crimes after World War II and the chief prosecutor for the United States Army at the Einsatzgruppen Trial, one of the 12 Subsequent Nurember ...

(Last Living Nuremberg ) to a Debate in the Hague with Putin as our judge. I will defend the Nazis and he will defend the AshkeNAZIs reference to European Jews" He praised Timothy McVeigh in an online posting on April 19, the anniversary of the 1995

Oklahoma City bombing The Oklahoma City bombing was a domestic terrorist truck bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, on April 19, 1995. Perpetrated by two anti-government extremists, Timothy McVeigh and Terry N ...

. He also "posted

conspiracy theory A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * * * * The term has a nega ...

meme A meme ( ) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural i ...

s from the right-wing Alex Jones Channel". According to '' The Portland Mercury'', Christian was a "known right-wing extremist and

". He had participated in various

alt-right The alt-right, an abbreviation of alternative right, is a far-right, white nationalist movement. A largely online phenomenon, the alt-right originated in the United States during the late 2000s before increasing in popularity during the mid-2 ...

rallies in Portland. One month before the stabbing, Christian appeared at the right-wing March for Free Speech in Portland's

Montavilla Park Montavilla Park is a public park in Portland, Oregon's Montavilla neighborhood, in the United States. The park is located on the corner of 82nd Avenue and Glisan Street, adjacent to Multnomah University. History The park was acquired in 1921 ...

, which was organized by

Patriot Prayer Patriot Prayer is a far-right group founded by Joey Gibson in 2016 and based in Vancouver, Washington, a suburban city in the Portland metropolitan area. Since 2016, the group has organized several dozen pro-gun, pro-Trump rallies held in liber ...

.Corey Pein (April 26, 2017)

, ''

Willamette Week ''Willamette Week'' (''WW'') is an alternative weekly newspaper and a website published in Portland, Oregon, United States, since 1974. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business, and culture. History Early history ''Willame ...

'' He wore a Revolutionary War-era

flag of the United States The national flag of the United States, United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rect ...

and carried a baseball bat, which police confiscated. He gave Nazi salutes and used a racial slur at least once.Doug Brown (May 27, 2017)
"Suspect in Portland hate crime murders is a known white supremacist"
, '' Portland Mercury'', Retrieved June 1, 2017. At the event, Christian was videotaped shouting "Die, Muslims!" The day before the killings, Christian had made racial threats on another train, threatened a conductor, and hurled a bottle at a black woman who then maced him, as seen on cell phone videos. Christian told police that he had

dropped out Dropping out refers to leaving high school, college, university or another group for practical reasons, necessities, inability, apathy, or disillusionment with the system from which the individual in question leaves. Canada In Canada, most ind ...

of high school but later earned his high school equivalency and took classes at Portland Community College for a year. He identified himself to police as a transient who did "not know the last time he had a permanent address" and lived with friends and family.

Victims

Ricky John Best, 53, of Happy Valley, died at the scene. He was a technician for the City of Portland's Bureau of Development Services, a U.S. Army veteran, and a father of four children. In 2012, he retired from the Army after more than twenty years of service. Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, 23, of Ashland, died at a hospital shortly after the attack. He had recently graduated from Reed College with a degree in economics and worked for the Cadmus Group consulting firm. A passenger who helped him reported his last words: "Tell everyone on this train I love them." Micah David-Cole Fletcher, 21, survived and was treated at

Legacy Emanuel Medical Center Legacy Emanuel Medical Center is a hospital located in the Eliot neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1912, it is one of only two Level I trauma centers in the state of Oregon, and home to the only burn center between Seatt ...

for serious but not life-threatening wounds, specifically a knife injury to his throat. The attacker severed Micah's left jugular vein, while narrowly missing his carotid artery by . Fletcher was released from the hospital in time to attend Christian's

on May 30, 2017. Fletcher, a student at

Portland State University Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decades ...

, won a poetry contest in 2013 while he was a junior in high school with a poem about

Islamophobia in the United States Islamophobia in the United States can be described as the affective feelings of distrust and hostility which some Americans have towards Muslims, Islam, and those persons who adhere to the religion and/or those persons who appear to adhere to it ...

. Christian and Fletcher had both attended a "free speech" rally in Montavilla about a month prior to the attack. Christian was with a right-wing group, while Fletcher was a counter-protester. Destinee Mangum, one of the two girls harassed by the assailant, expressed her gratitude to the three men who stepped in to help her.

Reactions

Community

Hundreds of people gathered near the Hollywood Transit Center on the evening of May 27 for a candlelight vigil to honor the victims. Three

crowdfunding Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and alternative finance. In 2015, over was raised worldwide by crow ...

campaigns set up to help the victims' families raised $1 million by May 29.

s in Portland said they were thankful for the support of the community after the attack. Wadji Said of the Interfaith Council of Portland compared the attack to the 1988 murder of Mulugeta Seraw, an Ethiopian immigrant who was slain by a group of racist skinheads in Portland.

Politicians and officials

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler called the victims of the attack "heroes" in a statement released on May 27. He continued saying, "Their actions were brave and selfless, and should serve as an example and inspiration to us all." Governor of Oregon Kate Brown echoed this sentiment, calling on all Oregonians to come together: "Let's not let hate and fear divide us. Instead let's take the example of the good Samaritans who sacrificed their lives for the safety of others and unite for a kinder, gentler Oregon." In the wake of the stabbings, the mayor called on the federal government to withhold a permit for a "Trump Free Speech Rally" at Terry Schrunk Plaza, a

federal enclave In United States law, a federal enclave is a parcel of federal property within a state that is under the "Special Maritime and Territorial Jurisdiction of the United States". In 1960, the year of the latest comprehensive inquiry, 7% of federal pr ...

adjacent to city hall. The mayor said on

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

that the rally "can only exacerbate an already difficult situation" in the city. He also called for withholding a permit for an

ACT! for America ACT for America, founded in 2007, is a U.S.-based anti-Muslim advocacy group that opposes what it calls "the threat of radical Islam" to Americans. Critics of the group, including the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Center for American Pr ...

rally at the same location. The

ACLU The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". T ...

of Oregon criticized the mayor's remarks. ACT! for America subsequently cancelled its planned anti-Muslim march in Portland, moving it to Seattle. Former candidate for the

2016 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *7 January: Kirib ...

called the incident "heartbreaking" and said that "No one should have to endure this racist abuse. No one should have to give their life to stop it." Oregon's U.S. Senators,

Ron Wyden Ronald Lee Wyden (; born May 3, 1949) is an American politician and retired educator serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Oregon, a seat he has held since 1996 United Stat ...

and

Jeff Merkley Jeffrey Alan Merkley (born October 24, 1956) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Oregon since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, Merkley served as the 64th speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives ...

, expressed their grief and condolences for the victims. Merkley urged President Trump to "speak out personally against the rising tide of Islamophobia and other forms of bigotry and racism in our nation that he has provoked through his numerous statements, policies and appointments".

U.S. Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

Suzanne Bonamici and Earl Blumenauer of Oregon,

Oregon Attorney General The Oregon Attorney General is a statutory office within the executive branch of the state of Oregon, and serves as the chief legal officer of the state, heading its Department of Justice with its six operating divisions. The attorney general is ch ...

Ellen Rosenblum Ellen F. Rosenblum (born January 6, 1951) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the Oregon Attorney General since 2012. She is the first female state attorney general in Oregon's history, and previously was a judge on the Oregon ...

, and other officials also gave their condolences. U.S. Representative

Keith Ellison Keith Maurice Ellison (born August 4, 1963) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the 30th attorney general of Minnesota. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Ellison was the U.S. representative for from 2007 to ...

of Minnesota, the first Muslim elected to Congress, said that the three men "exhibited the best qualities of American heroes".

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Trump delayed commenting on the stabbing attack, leading to public pressure on him to do so. Later, a message was posted on Trump's presidential Twitter account, stating "The violent attacks in Portland on Friday are unacceptable. The victims were standing up to hate and intolerance. Our prayers are w/ them." The Portland police contacted the Muslim community to discuss increased patrolling during

Ramadan , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...

. The bureau's spokesperson said, "Our thoughts are with the Muslim community. As something like this happens, this only instills fear in that community."

Organizations

The

Anti-Defamation League The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), formerly known as the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, is an international Jewish non-governmental organization based in the United States specializing in civil rights law. It was founded in late Septe ...

, in a statement by its CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, offered its condolences to the victims, praised the heroism of bystanders who intervened, and said: "The deadly attack in Portland is not a rare or isolated event. Rather, this is the latest in a long string of violent incidents connected to right-wing extremists in the United States... This consistent threat requires consistent resources and we call on our leaders to condemn this brutal act of terror and craft policy to counter all forms of violent extremism, including white supremacy." The Council on American–Islamic Relations asked President Trump to denounce "rising bigotry" and violence against Muslims. The organization's executive director said, "President Trump must speak out personally against the rising tide of Islamophobia and other forms of bigotry and racism in our nation that he has provoked through his numerous statements, policies and appointments that have negatively impacted minority communities." Imtiaz Khan, who serves as president of the Islamic Center of Portland, said: "We are very sad. Ramadan started just a couple of hours ago. We are very sorry for the two men who tried to do the right thing.... Of course people from the Muslim community are concerned. And, unfortunately, the easy targets are women because of the headscarf." Khan also praised the two men who were slain, saying they "really sacrificed everything. They really stood up for the values of the Constitution." Harris Zafar with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Portland said the actions of the men who stepped in to defend the Muslim women inspired him. The Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon expressed grief for the tragedy and hoped it would "draw Muslim communities together".

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Portland train attack, 2017 Train attack 2017 in rail transport 2017 murders in the United States African-American history in Portland, Oregon Anti-Muslim violence in the United States Crimes in Oregon Deaths by stabbing in Oregon Islamophobia in the United States May 2017 crimes in the United States Mass stabbings in the United States MAX Light Rail Racially motivated violence in the United States Stabbing attacks in 2017 Violence against men in North America White nationalism in Oregon Neo-fascist terrorist incidents in the United States