A hasty honk at a wayward driver escalated into a frenzied chase and frantic self-defense by Matt Griffin as he grabbed a sheathed camping hatchet outside his Southeast Portland home two years ago.

An attendee named Nancy, who declined to share her last name due to fears of retribution, waved a “Honk if u hate Elon” sign and told SFGATE she’d been to another protest at the showroom two ...