Protesters broke windows at Clarklewis, an LGBTQ+-owned restaurant on SE Water Avenue, on Sunday, Oct. 4, forcing the business to shut down for the night.

The damage came after a social media call to rally at the Southeast Portland restaurant. Organizers believed a group of white nationalists had booked a private brunch there, as first reported by KOIN 6 News. The owner told KOIN the restaurant had no idea about the group's political affiliation.

Portland Police Bureau (PPB) spokesperson Mike Benner said Central Precinct officers first responded around 2 p.m. to reports of a disturbance in the 1000 block of SE Water.

Officers found a handful of people protesting another group dining inside. No damage had occurred, and officers left.

About 20 minutes later, a couple dozen demonstrators returned and broke at least one window, then fled. Officers and the PPB Air Support Unit searched for those responsible but could not locate them. No arrests were made.

The owner said protesters accused the restaurant of supporting Nazis. The brunch group had booked under a group name, and the owner said the restaurant would not have accepted the reservation had staff suspected any ties to white nationalism.

"We don't know, we don't know who's walking through the door. And sure, if they walk in and they're awful, and they and they're obviously somebody that's not going to be kind to our staff or to other guests, we're going to ask them to leave," the owner told KOIN.

The fallout was immediate. At least one employee quit. Other workers left for the day. A private wedding reception for a former employee, scheduled for Sunday evening, was canceled.

The owner said the brunch group paid $2,000 for the event. The restaurant plans to donate that full amount back into the community.

The incident echoed a pattern from two weeks earlier. On Sept. 20, opposing groups clashed outside The Sports Bra, an LGBTQ+-friendly bar in Northeast Portland. That confrontation led to broken windows at a nearby Fred Meyer grocery store and pepper spray use, according to KGW. Portland police made no arrests in that case either.

Anyone with information about the property damage can contact Portland police at [email protected].