TYLER, Texas — Tensions remained high Monday following a Sunday afternoon protest that turned violent.
"I couldn't tell you why five men circled me and started punching me," Ryan Miller, campaign manager for Hank Gilbert, said. "I was just trying to set up a Facebook Live for the campaign event."
A 'Protest Portland' event for Hank Gilbert, a candidate for U.S. Congress in Texas First Congressional District, ended when a counter-protester allegedly attacked Gilbert's campaign manager and others in the crowd.
"Yesterday’s discussion was suppose to be an open discussion with the public to talk about the unconstitutional overstep on what’s going on with the unmarked troops in Portland," Miller said.
Miller says five men got violent with him and even stole his phone.
He says he believes the initial fighting began after someone called a woman in the crowd derogatory names. He says tensions were high and when he took his phone out to film a Facebook Live, a man grabbed his phone.
"As soon as I turned around and made eye contact with one of my friends and I told him I need help," he said. "At that point I got a punch right here and I got messed up right here. I got a scar right here."
The 'Protest Portland' event was approved to be held at the square with a filing of application for use of T.B. Butler Square.
The application was submitted July 22 and approved with the assumption of 100 plus attendees on July 23 by Smith County Judge Nathaniel Moran.
The following is a statement by the county on behalf of Judge Moran:
"On Thursday, July 23, the County Judge received and approved an application to reserve the square plaza by Ryan Miller, with Hank Gilbert’s campaign, for a “Protest Portland” event, scheduled for 2-5 p.m. on Sunday, July 26. This was the lone application received by the County for the July 26 date. No other applications were received or approved for that day. An approved application ensures that groups have access to electricity and provides notice of the event to the county administration and to others in the community who may be interested in gathering at the same time.
An approved application is not a “permit,” and does not result in exclusive use of the physical space of the square plaza. Because the square plaza is a public space, a reservation alone does not otherwise prohibit access by members of the public during any planned gathering.
Smith County encourages any groups planning an activity for the square plaza to check with the County’s Public Information Officer, Casey Murphy, regarding the availability of any date and time, and then to fill out an application in advance of the intended use. Applications can be found at https://www.smith-county.com/residents/reserve-county-facility. Additionally, groups intending to utilize the public square for gatherings are encouraged to review Governor Abbott’s various COVID-19 executive orders relating to public gatherings, including but not limited to GA-28 and GA-29, and to comply with the provisions of those orders.
Miller says he was disheartened by the lack of police presence in a protest that developed with two opposing sides, especially since he says he requested police presence."
"We didn't see any police presence standing out," Miller said. "I saw a group of maybe about 20 people coming around the corner with AR-15s and I started hearing threats telling Hank to go home [and] other things I don't want to repeat."
Tyler Police Chief Jimmy Toler says there is a protocol the department abides by when policing protests.
"We set all our guys up so we are able to go in there and respond," Toler said. "We don't put officers in the middle of a protest whether it's pro-police or anti-police or whether it has to do with other political statements or other things that are going on."
Toler stands by the fact that police presence was near the square at the time of the event.
"We put individual in close proximity so we can get there, but we also don't go rushing in there," Toler said. "We make a controlled response."
Miller believes the men who attended the protests with firearms in hand were armed with more than just weapons.
"Because of messaging put out by our congressman would imply that we're Marxist and communist and we're not," he said. "This whole deal was actually for local and state police and against federally unmarked troops and that's what I wanted to bring awareness to when we scheduled this event."