PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Hundreds of people gathered in downtown Portland Sunday afternoon for a rally to support Israel in the ongoing war in the Mideast.
The rally, originally planned for Sunday at Pioneer Courthouse Square, was moved to the Salmon Street Springs, organizers said in a Facebook post.
The 2-hour rally organized by Oregon For Israel began at 3 p.m. On Saturday, organizers told KOIN 6 News they canceled the event at Pioneer Courthouse Square due to unspecified threats.
“We come in peace. We mean peace. Our heart goes out to all the victims around this conflict wherever they are. We’re hoping to beat the demons that make these horrific acts of violence,” one of the organizers told KOIN 6 News.
“The safety of our Jewish community is our top priority. We’ve made the Portland Police aware of the relocation and are working closely with them to assure a safe event,” organizers said in a statement. They also said there was security personnel at the rally.
This is the latest in a series of ongoing rallies in Portland since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.
On Saturday, a pro-Palestinian rally brought hundreds of people to Northeast Portland for a rally and march that lasted about 2 hours.
KOIN 6 News will have more information as it develops.
