June 7, 2017
The
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INSIDE
Week in Review
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O PINION
J OYCE W ASHINGTON C LASSIC
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Photo by Z aChary s enn /t he P ortland o bserver
Police line Southwest Madison Street to separate a smaller alt-right rally in Terry Schrunk Plaza on the
left from a larger counter-demonstration across the street in Chapman Square. The opposing demon-
stration included members of labor unions, immigrant rights organizations and anti-fascist groups.
Dueling Protests
Activists
counter white
nationalism rally
Z aChary s enn
t he P ortland o bserver
by
M ETRO
Demonstrators representing the
white supremacist alt-right move-
ment squared off against a diverse
coalition of Portland community
groups and justice advocates on
Sunday. The opposing rallies took
place just 10 days after a racially
motivated stabbing attack left two
people dead on a MAX light rail
train.
The initial demonstration,
which was billed as a “Trump
Free-Speech Rally,” by its orga-
nizers, took place on the federal-
C ontinued on P age 4
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The family of Ricky Best attends his burial service with military honors Monday at Willamette National
Cemetery in Portland. Best was one of two men killed May 26 during an attack on a Portland light-rail
train. (AP photo)
Mourned as Martyr and Hero
Arts &
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C LASSIFIEDS
C ALENDAR
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(AP) -- Mourners remem-
bered one of the men who was
fatally stabbed trying to stop an
anti-Muslim tirade against two
teenage girls on a Portland light-
rail train as a modern-day martyr
and a hero who never stayed on
the sidelines when others were in
need.
At the funeral Monday of
Ricky Best, 53, one of his teen-
age sons, Erik Best, said his fa-
ther understood deeds were more
important than words, calling his
father a “child of God.”
Best, an Army veteran who
worked for the city of Portland,
also leaves behind a wife, two
other teen sons and a 12-year-old
daughter.
Prosecutors say Jeremy Joseph
Christian killed Best, another
man and wounded a third when
they tried to stop Christian from
verbally assaulting the girls, one
of whom wore a Muslim head
covering.
Christian, 35, faces aggravated
murder and other charges in the
case. He has not yet entered a
plea and has a court hearing later
this week.
At Best’s funeral, the Rev. Rick
Paperini used the word “martyr”
to describe Best’s actions.
“It is a privilege to love,” Pa-
perini said. “I think Ricky under-
stood love this way. He saw it as
an opportunity and a privilege,
and that’s why he responded the
way he did on the 26th of May,
2017.”