Stopped by this event today. There were about 50 cars and 5 trucks. Not quite a convoy capable of bringing gridlock to Salem. Attendance was around 80 or 100 I’d say. 
This is Marc Thielman, GOP anti-mask candidate for Governor. I like how he segued from “Oregon is a great and diverse state” to “we are in a war between good and evil” in a matter of seconds.
He resigned his role as school superintendent to run for Governor "a week after three formal complaints were filed against him, alleging a hostile work environment, illegal firing practices and disregard for any viewpoint that is not his own." opb.org/article/2022/0…
The stage he spoke on flew an Ashli Babbitt flag and was guarded by about a dozen people in Proud Boy regalia.
You’ll also notice that the stage sports a sign for Dan Tooze, a Proud Boy who is running for local office.
Tooze made news (if you'll pardon the rhyme) last year when the Portland area GOP contracted with his Proud Boy affiliated security company to patrol the area around a party meeting. wweek.com/news/city/2021…
It was a pretty nice day for this time of year, 55 degrees and no rain. Not sure how to explain the relatively sparse turnout. It could be that with the state mask mandates being lifted last week, it took some of the urgency out of this anti-mandate event.
This was the line of cars that showed up for the convoy.
One of the more notable features of the recent Oregon GOP/conservative events I've observed over the past few months is the prominent role of Proud Boys, who seem to have become the de facto "security" force as well as a good chunk of the audience for these events.
There was a guy in Proud Boy regalia serving food at the event's refreshment stand about 50 feet away from the stage. Thielman was warmly greeted by some Proud Boys as he left the stage. There is absolutely no effort to even pretend to keep that group at arm's length.
This event had a similar feel to this event a few weeks ago in the same spot.
https://twitter.com/SethCotlar/status/1497079892755714055?s=20&t=FMG9UWDj25UYvONmoiKgYQ
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