Hate Watch Groups Voice Alarm About Sean Feucht Security Volunteers in Portland

The groups have highlighted the presence of Tusitala “Tiny” Toese, of the Proud Boys, who, according to journalist Sergio Olmos, led far-right extremist groups in closing an intersection to allow attendees of Feucht’s worship event to exit the waterfront. They’ve pointed to Andrey Ivanov as leading security for Feucht and who Emerald Valley ARA referred to as a “christo-fascist.”

They also zeroed in on Grace’s involvement in Portland.

Federal documents note that Grace was carrying a firearm in Portland, and cite his YouTube channel, where in separate videos he talked about providing security over the weekend. In one video, Grace is wearing a black and white “Let Us Worship” T-shirt.

“God’s got this. He’s using us and he’s aligning us,” said Grace, who in a video Monday wore a shirt emblazoned with the image of the Capitol and the words “Our House.”

“It was all for God,” he said. “Portland, God’s coming. America, God’s coming. D.C., God’s coming.”

Grace referred to antifa as “ugly” and “evil” and said “they weren’t effective in stopping the Christian gathering.” He said he’s “looking forward to the next event I’m able to embrace.”

Pawlowski, who is known for his anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and who earlier this year held a lit tiki torch protest of COVID-19 restrictions in Alberta, Canada, attracted about 50 attendees Saturday, with a group of people holding bats and paintball guns serving as volunteer security, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. Willamette Week reported that left-wing counterprotesters disrupted the event with smoke canisters and destroyed sound equipment.

Portland has become an epicenter of protests since the 2020 police killing of George Floyd, with federal agents regularly deploying tear gas to disperse crowds, and frequent clashes between anti-fascist protesters and far-right militias and groups such as the Proud Boys.

Feucht returned to Portland Sunday on the anniversary of his 2020 visit on his national “Let Us Worship” tour that protested COVID-19 restrictions. While some disagreements were deescalated during Sunday’s worship event, right-wing guards shot fireworks from their pickup trucks as night fell and black-clad anti-fascists threw metal spikes on the road as a countermeasure, according to Willamette Week.

Feucht, in an Instagram video Monday, said that he called churches to help with security after seeing the confrontations the day before. He denied being associated with the Proud Boys, saying he wasn’t familiar with the group.

Chris Overstreet — an outreach pastor of Bethel Church and the School of Supernatural Ministry in Redding, California — said he helped assemble a security team for Feucht, according to a Facebook video he shared Monday.

“Antifa is trying to put fear in the church across the North West. It’s time for the church to be able to say, ‘We are not backing down. We’re not hiding in fear … We’re not going to play it safe. We’re going to be bold with our faith,’” Overstreet said.