My home of Oregon has always been radical. This summer, though, media attention turned to Portland in a new way. We found ourselves in the national spotlight and unable to tell what was really going on in our own city. After getting in an argument over whether downtown was actually a “war zone,” I decided to go and see for myself, recounting that experience in a report for Breaking Ground. Since that piece was written, the protests have continued, and tensions have built between far-left and far-right groups. I started attending because I wanted to see what was happening in my city. I have continued to go and interview people, including Proud Boys and members of Antifa—people at the extremes of our political conversation—because doing so has helped me understand the causes of the extremism and political polarization that is gripping this country.
Finding the Roots of the Riots
