Portland mayor calls for cancellation of rightwing 'Trump Free Speech Rally' in wake of murders

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler urged a cancellation of a Donald Trump rally following the murder of two men who were stabbed to death defending a pair of young women being victimized by an anti-Muslim tirade.

Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche and Ricky John Best were killed Friday as they attempted to stop Jeremy Joseph Christian from his alleged racist hate crimes.

"Our City is in mourning, our community’s anger is real, and the timing and subject of these events can only exacerbate an already difficult situation," Mayor Wheeler said in a widely shared Facebook post.

The mayor directly addressed the organizers of planned marches supporting the controversial president.

"I am appealing to the organizers of the alt-right demonstrations to CANCEL the events they have scheduled on June 4th and June 10th. I urge them to ask their supporters to stay away from Portland," Mayor Wheeler requested. "There is never a place for bigotry or hatred in our community, and especially not now."

The Oregonian added crucial context between the recent murders and recent rallies in support of Donald Trump, noting murder suspect Jeremy Christian reportedly yelled, "Die Muslims" at a similar rally only weeks before his alleged killings.