PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Supporters of President Donald Trump gathered in Oregon for a rally to protest what they perceived as flawed or fraudulent results of the Nov. 3 election.
The event in Salem Saturday was billed by organizers as a “Defeat the Steal” rally and coincided with similar demonstrations across the U.S., KOIN-TV reported.
A crowd of 100 to 200 people gathered at the state Capitol, where many demonstrators said they do not believe the election results naming Joe Biden as the nation’s president-elect.
Attendees said they came to express their love for Trump and to exercise their First Amendment guarantee of free speech. Many said they want a legal fight over the results.
One protester arrived with a metal-cast statue that was previously erected in Portland to support the Black Lives Matter Movement. The statue known as “Nightmare Elk” replaced a city-owned statue that was removed over fears of damage by protesters. The elk statue was stolen Oct. 10.
Biden defeated Trump by topping the 270 electoral vote threshold needed to clinch the presidency. As of Sunday, Biden had 77.5 million votes, the most ever by a winning candidate, to Trump’s 72.3 million votes.
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