Portland officials are facing mounting questions from constituents over a planned Turning Point USA Faith gathering at the Portland Expo in May, and are defending the city’s decision — as of now — to allow the event to take place.
This past fall, Calvary Chapel Greater Portland booked the Expo for a May 15 “worship night,” and later notified the city that Turning Point USA’s evangelical wing had signed on as a co-sponsor.
As news of the event has spread in recent weeks, officials have seen public opposition snowball over the divisive political nature of the organization, as well as concerns over the contract and public safety.
Mayor Mark Dion and city councilors said they’ve been flooded with emails, and the city has since issued a response.
The statement said Portland is “bound by the First Amendment” when renting the Expo and other facilities for performances, speeches, or appearances of political candidates.
“As a result, we cannot discriminate against event organizers based on the viewpoint of the speakers or performers,” it states.
Critics have argued that the city was intentionally misled by Calvary, the Westbrook church that secured the venue under the guise of a local outreach event. It has since turned into a stop on Turning Point USA Faith’s “Make Heaven Crowded” tour.
According to its website, the tour is “a gospel centered gathering calling people to repentance, faith, and bold obedience to Jesus.”
Travis Carey, senior pastor at Calvary Chapel Greater Portland, said he began talking with city staff in August and that Turning Point USA approached them “much later after we had already signed the agreement” with the city.
He said the May event remains true to his plan to host the group’s first large “outreach” event in a more populated location than the organization’s 400-capacity building in Westbrook. The six-year-old church has never hosted an event of this size.
“We’re aiming for the unchurched,” Carey said.
He said three local pastors, including himself, will speak at the Expo. Turning Point USA Faith plans to send three speakers to the event as well, but Carey said he does not yet know who will appear.
Erika Kirk, who became CEO of Turning Point USA following the assassination of her husband Charlie Kirk in September, sometimes speaks at Turning Point USA Faith events. Recent speakers have also included actor Russell Brand, who has been charged in the United Kingdom with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault.
Carey said the event is not meant to be political, calling it a gospel-based event in line with Turning Point USA Faith’s mission, which he said seeks to “equip and engage pastors.” The organization also states “eliminating wokeism from the American pulpit” as its mission. The church has openly expressed anti-vaccine, anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ sentiments.
After Kirk’s death, Calvary Chapel hosted a “Friends of Charlie Kirk” event in October that was attended by Republican gubernatorial candidates Bobby Charles and David Jones.
In response to questions over the way in which the event has unfolded, city spokesperson Jessica Grondin said city attorneys have reviewed the event contract and have not found any issues. The city’s statement said it’s common for “a local entity to serve as a host/promoter” for a touring event, and that Calvary Chapel is financially responsible.
She said if the city were to breach the contract by canceling, it could open the door to a lawsuit, potentially costing taxpayer dollars.
The facility rental rate charged to Calvary Chapel was $2,720, which is based on the city’s “exhibit” rate provided to nonprofit organizations. The city said the much higher “assembly” rate of $6,900 was historically applied to ticketed events like concerts and has not been used for many years.
The Turning Point USA Faith event page says seating is first come, first served and encourages registration.
The contract gives the city the authority to terminate or cancel if it’s determined that the event puts public safety at risk, but officials said at this point they don’t believe it does.
Grondin said any additional security measures that local police feel may be necessary, including metal detectors, will be paid for by the event organizers.
Dion acknowledged the frustration voiced to him by several constituents, but said, “a fair and equitable government moves to protect the First Amendment rights of everyone, whether or not we agree with the content of that speech.”
He also said Portland police are aware of the event and believes the department has “a demonstrative history of managing the boundaries between those with conflicting opinions.”
“If they come, I think they’ll find that the people of Portland have no tolerance for people who preach hatred and fear of their neighbors,” said Councilor Wes Pelletier on Thursday.
Councilor Kate Sykes said she’s received a couple dozen emails so far on the topic.
In a statement Wednesday, Sykes said it’s possible that the organizers believed that, “as a progressive city, Portland would not treat them fairly if they were fully transparent about their political associations.”
“If that’s true, then this moment is also a test of us,” she said. “We can respond by confirming that fear, or we can respond by demonstrating that our commitment to fairness is real, even when we disagree.”