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Fletcher, a 21-year-old poet who won a 2013 poetry competition with a poem that condemned the mistreatment of Muslims, according to The Oregonian newspaper.

He was taking a light-rail train from Portland State University, where he is a student, to his job at a pizza shop at the time of the attack on Friday, the paper reported.

Fletcher was slashed in the throat but survived, the paper reported.

In the wake of the attack, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler is asking the federal government to cancel a permit for what he called an \"alt-right\" rally scheduled for Sunday, saying the event could make a difficult situation worse.

Wheeler also said he is trying to ensure that a permit is not issued for a June 10 event, which ABC Portland affiliate KATU reported is called March Against Sharia.

ABC News' Alyssa Pone, John Cappel and Bonnie McLean contributed to this report.

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