A woman at a Portland rally tried to grab an American flag and ended up crying on the grass after failing.
Video from the Portland Patriots Flag Wave, held on August 31st, 2026, captures the confrontation in full. A red-haired woman in a black shirt approached the flag holder, identified in a social media post as “Scuba Steve,” and grabbed his flagpole. What followed was a brief tug-of-war that carried both of them toward the grass as other attendees moved in.
The woman has not been publicly identified. No arrests, injuries, or criminal charges have been confirmed in connection with the incident.
As originally reported, the footage shows multiple men shouting as the struggle broke out. “Back up! Back up!” one man yelled, repeatedly demanding the woman let go of the flag. Another voice called out, “What is she attacking? What is happening?” The men then ordered her to leave the area.
One attendee turned his frustration toward others nearby, saying, “These are your people. Tell your people to leave us alone. Why do you guys do that every time, bro? We can’t go anywhere, bro.” Another man claimed the woman had been “hitting people” during the confrontation and added, “It’s all on tape, dude.”
After the struggle ended, the woman sat on the grass beside the sidewalk with her head down and her face in her hands. The men surrounding her were not sympathetic. One repeatedly chanted, “Cry, cry, cry!” Another told her sarcastically, “There is a safe space at Starbucks. Go get it.” He then pretended to dial 911, saying, “Hey, 911. Can we get a safe space? We need a safe space.”
One man mocked what he described as an attempt by the woman to claim victim status after the failed grab. “Oh no! I’m the victim. I came punching people and trying to steal,” he said sarcastically, pointing at her. “She’s a thief. Here’s a thief 101 right here.”
“Why would you ever hit? Why do you put hands on anybody?” he continued, as she remained seated on the ground. Other attendees told her repeatedly to leave, with one saying, “That’s what you get. Go home.”
The video’s audio primarily captured the flag-wavers’ perspective. The woman gave no clear verbal response, and her motive for approaching the group or attempting to take the flag was not established in the footage.
As of the source report published on September 1st, no police report connected to the confrontation had been identified. It also remained unclear whether Portland police responded to the scene or whether any of the people involved sought to file a formal complaint.
