Clarklewis, the LGBTQ+-owned restaurant in Portland's Central Eastside, shut down for the night and canceled a private wedding after a confrontation tied to a brunch group that protesters believed had ties to white nationalists turned into a melee that left at least one window broken and staff hiding upstairs.
According to KOIN 6 News, the restaurant's owner said a group had booked a private Sunday brunch under a generic-sounding name, and a local group of protesters heard about the gathering and believed the diners had ties to white nationalists. Co-owner Joe Rogers told the station he had no idea what the political affiliation of the group was when the booking was made, and that Clarklewis would not have hosted the brunch had staff known the nature of the group.
Per The Oregonian/OregonLive, Rogers helped set up the Sunday brunch and said the restaurant knew the diners were coming as the Oregon Group and understood them to have some Christian affiliation, though the outlet reported that the diners' broader identities and political affiliation remain unclear. The Oregon Group diners reportedly distributed pamphlets during the gathering, but what those pamphlets said is also unclear, and the diners could not be reached for comment, per the same account.
Police Called Back After Window Shattered
Police first responded to Clarklewis around 2 p.m. and found a small protest outside, with no damage or injuries reported at that point, and officers cleared the scene, the station's report states. About 20 minutes later, a couple dozen demonstrators returned and broke at least one window at the restaurant before fleeing, according to KOIN 6 News.
Police, including air support, searched for those responsible but were unable to locate them, the outlet reported. Dailymail.com reported that police were called to Clarklewis twice during the incident, and that the restaurant closed for Sunday night's dining service as a result.
Staff Hid Upstairs as Chaos Unfolded
A Clarklewis bartender reported that the restaurant was under attack as the confrontation escalated, and staff hid in an upstairs room during the melee, per the same account from OregonLive. Clarklewis employs many people of color on its staff, the outlet noted, and Rogers said the restaurant would not have invited the diners or scheduled anyone to work that shift had staff known who the group was.
Rogers also said the restaurant had been accused of knowing who the diners were and trying to protect them, a characterization he pushed back on. He told OregonLive the protesters had misplaced their protest at the restaurant, even as he said he supports the underlying demonstration.
Wedding Canceled, One Employee Quits
A private wedding event for a former Clarklewis employee, slated for Sunday evening, was also canceled, according to KOIN 6 News. The outlet reported that the destruction was traumatic enough for at least one employee to quit; Dailymail.com similarly reported that one female employee quit on the spot after the confrontation. That staff member later changed their mind about quitting, per OregonLive's reporting, and Clarklewis staff overall were described as traumatized by the incident.
Accounts differ on the dollar figure tied to the brunch. OregonLive reported that Rogers planned to donate roughly $1,700 of sales from the group's brunch, while KOIN 6 News reported that the group had paid the restaurant $2,000 for the brunch, with Rogers planning to donate those funds back to the community. Clarklewis, founded in 2003, helped pioneer farm-to-table fine dining in Portland and was named Restaurant of the Year by The Oregonian just months after it opened.
