Restaurant Shuts Down After Protests Over Alleged White Supremacy

A high-end eatery in Portland, Oregon, had to close its doors after hosting a group that left-wing activists claimed were white supremacists.

Clarklewis faced vandalism on Sunday when these activists reportedly confronted the group. One of the restaurant’s windows was smashed, leaving employees feeling traumatized.

One of the owners, Joe Rogers, stated, “I completely support the protest… I support what they’re doing, but they totally misplaced their anger on this restaurant.” He emphasized that the restaurant does not endorse white supremacy and had no prior knowledge of the group they hosted, which had a nondescript title.

Rogers explained, “We were aware that people were coming for brunch and that they called themselves the Oregon Group. We also knew they had some Christian ties, which, of course, is fine; we welcome Christians in our establishment.”

In a further statement to KOIN, he added, “If they walk in and create a hostile environment for our staff or other patrons, we would certainly ask them to leave.”

The activists reportedly organized their protest due to flyers they encountered online. The encounter between the group (alleged to have racist ties) and the protestors led to one staff member quitting on the spot, while others left early, with some even retreating to hide upstairs, according to Rogers.

He mentioned that the group had paid roughly $2,000 to rent the venue, but he plans to donate this money to a charity as a gesture of goodwill towards the community.

Ironically, Clarklewis is LGBTQ+ owned and has proudly displayed a Pride flag for many years.

A spokesperson for the Portland Police Bureau indicated that police first responded to the restaurant around 2 p.m., but since there was no damage at that time, they left. When called back, they found the window had indeed been broken.

Rogers noted that one individual in the group had worn a shirt bearing a white nationalist slogan. However, he asserted, “Nobody was really paying attention to what the shirt said.” He speculated that the group may have begun distributing pamphlets before being asked to depart, which could explain their late actions.

The police made attempts to identify the vandal but reported no success, with no arrests being made.

Once again, Rogers reiterated, “I fully support the protest. I agree with their aims, but they incorrectly directed their focus on this restaurant.” It remains uncertain whether the restaurant has reopened.