Facebook took down pages operated by the right-wing Portland group Patriot Prayer and its founder Joey Gibson on Friday. A Facebook spokesperson said in a statement, “They were removed as part of our ongoing efforts to remove Violent Social Militias from our platforms.” A supporter of the group was killed last weekend during a confrontation with anti-fascist activists, and authorities later killed the man suspected of the shooting as they moved to arrest him. Gibson told local station KOIN, “Antifa groups murdered my friend while he is walking home, and instead of the multibillion dollar company banning Portland antifa pages they ban Patriot Prayer and myself.” The group has staged rallies in support of President Donald Trump in downtown Portland since 2016 and often appears in opposition to liberal demonstrations. It’s been involved in a number of violent incidents since then, and Gibson is facing felony rioting charges.
