The Salem Police Department released an advisory Tuesday ahead of a planned protest in front of the Planned Parenthood in northeast Salem that turned violent last month.
The Church at Planned Parenthood has held regular Tuesday evening services outside the health clinic for months protesting abortion, according to its Facebook page. The church, whose website describes the group’s services outside clinics as “a worship service outside the gates of Hell,” has an event planned for 7 p.m. Tuesday. The clinic is located at 3825 Wolverine St N.E.
Counterdemonstrators have an event planned for 6 p.m. to “support accessible reproductive healthcare and counter reactionary extremism,” according to a post on Facebook.
“The protest will occur in the vicinity of a business complex and a residential district, and as such, we recognize community concerns for the potential impacts to those areas. As with every rally, protest or demonstration, our expectation is that participants assemble peacefully and that our community is not negatively impacted,” the Salem Police Department said in its release.
Last month’s protest turned violent with Proud Boys acting as “security” and assaulting a counterdemonstrator.
Proud Boys are a far-right group that’s been involved in street brawls in Salem and around the U.S. and were this year labeled a terrorist organization in Canada.
An Aloha man was later indicted on charges of using physical force to steal a handgun from a counterdemonstrator during the July event.
-Saphara Harrell
