Antifa is prepared to fight Patriot Prayer protesters with “Militant Resistance,” according to a Facebook post
Portland police advised demonstrators to leave weapons at home
Only those with Oregon handgun licenses will be permitted to have guns, though they may not be loaded in public parks
Antifa groups declared they were prepared to fight Patriot Prayer protesters in Portland, Oregon, with “militant resistance,” even though local police advised demonstrators to leave weapons at home in what is expected to be a violent showdown between the groups on Saturday.

“History has shown that militant resistance is a necessary and important tool in the fight against fascism,” the Resist Patriot Prayer: Violent Alt-Right Bigots Off Our Streets Facebook event page said. “We make no apologies for the use of force in keeping our communities safe from the scourge of right-wing violence.”

Patriot Prayer has held several marches in Portland in recent months, though they developed into fistfights and riots with opposing groups, according to The Associated Press.

The last march, which turned violent, was on June 30. (RELATED: Protest Showdown Between Antifa And Patriot Prayer Results In Arrests)

“It was a tough battle, but we stood our ground and risked or sustained arrest and injury to do what is right,” the event page said, referring to the June 30 rally. “We may not be muscle bound gym rats, we certainly aren’t the sort of sadistic bullies we are facing, but never the less we have to go out there and be the ones willing to physically protect people already under attack in our communities.”

Joey Gibson, a Patriot Prayer leader and Republican U.S. Senate candidate for Washington, said in a Facebook video Monday that the group has always carried guns because they refused to be victims of gun violence.

“We never had guns to the intent to use it because we don’t want anyone to die,” Gibson said. “We just always had guns because we felt like number one, we should always be prepared for someone else stepping in there with a gun, some crazy dude with a gun.”

Gibson also said Portland does not respect self-defense.