Suspect in Portland slayings to appear in court

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The man police say fatally stabbed two other men who tried to shield young women from an anti-Muslim tirade on a train makes his initial court appearance today.

Meanwhile, the city’s mayor says he hopes the slayings will inspire “changes in the political dialogue in this country.”

Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, faces two counts of felony aggravated murder and other charges.

The attack happened Friday, the first day of Ramadan, the holiest time of the year for Muslims. Authorities say Christian started verbally abusing two young women, including one wearing a hijab. Three other men on the train intervened before police say Christian attacked them, killing two and wounding one.

President Donald Trump condemned the stabbings, writing Monday on Twitter: “The violent attacks in Portland on Friday are unacceptable. The victims were standing up to hate and intolerance. Our prayers are w/ them.”

Mayor Ted Wheeler said he appreciated Trump’s words but stressed the need for action. Wheeler urged organizers to cancel a “Trump Free Speech Rally” at a downtown park in Portland next weekend, saying they are inappropriate and could be dangerous because he fears they will attract right-wing protesters.

Portland requires permits for rallies when they will be held on public property and could affect traffic and Wheeler said the city would not issue a permit for the event planned for Sunday.

“I hope we rise to the memory of these two gentlemen who lost their lives,” the mayor told reporters. “Let’s do them honor by standing with them and carrying on their legacy of standing up to hate and bigotry and violence.”

Mat Dos Santos, the legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, said on Twitter that “our hearts are broken” over the stabbings but that it was wrong and unconstitutional for Wheeler to try to stop the demonstrations based on the viewpoint of the organizers.

A Facebook page for the event says there would be speakers and live music. It says it will feature Kyle Chapman, who describes himself as an American nationalist and ardent supporter of Trump.

Chapman was arrested at a March 4 protest in Berkeley, California. Wheeler’s call for the rally to be cancelled comes amid a wider debate in the U.S. about the First Amendment, often in liberal cities like Portland and Berkeley and on college campuses, where violent protests between far-right and far-left protesters have derailed appearances by contentious figures.

During Friday’s attacks Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, 23, and Ricky John Best, 53, were killed as they tried to stop the harassment.

Christian’s social media postings indicate an affinity for Nazis and political violence. He is accused of aggravated murder, intimidation — the state equivalent of a hate crime — and being a felon in possession of a weapon.