7 - Vigilantism and Fascism in the Pacific Northwest

Summary

This chapter situates the present rise of far-right intimidation and attacks against social justice movements in Oregon within the state’s history of white supremacist violence. Utilizing archival research, it elucidates the presence of vigilante activity at the heart of Oregon’s early development, from the genocide of Indigenous peoples to the exclusion of Black people and the persecution of people of Chinese origin. The article then sheds light on a leading exponent of those efforts to create a “white utopia”: the Klan’s idea of securing a white supremacist “Realm” through a complex understanding of vigilantism that includes policing groups, bodies, and space. The chapter further discusses the subsequent development of the City of Portland’s large fascist movement during the 1930s. Lastly, the chapter shows how the growth of the post-war Patriot movement out of the failed interwar fascist movement developed along the same porous boundaries between policing and vigilantism, on the one hand, and Conservative and fascist, on the other, enabling paradoxical partnerships engaged in an increasingly conflictive relation to the state.