Antifa Goons Allowed to Go on Another Violent Rampage in Portland Debra Heine
Authorities in Portland, Oregon, appear to have given violent antifa militants free rein to assault journalists and innocent bystanders at will in the streets of the city.
Last June, independent journalist Andy Ngo was assaulted by a mob of masked agitators during a street rally in downtown Portland while police officers stood back and did nothing. He was initially treated at a hospital emergency room and later admitted into the hospital overnight to treat a serious head injury.
And over the weekend, local videographer Brandon Brown and several other independent journalists were attacked by a menacing mob of antifa militants while filming a demonstration in downtown Portland.
The antifa goons showed up to counter-protest a planned Ku Klux Klan/white supremacy rally at a downtown park, but that rally was apparently a hoax that was cancelled at the last minute. With nothing else to do, the militants targeted journalists who showed up to cover the event, the police, public property, and at least one person on their own side.
The violent agitators are seen in videos using metal-tipped umbrellas to jab at people and chase them down the street. Police say they also threw rocks, concrete, batons, cans and food at members of the public and at officers.
The police—AGAIN—stood down to allow the anarcho-terrorists to assault their targets unimpeded.
Brown’s first-person video shows him walking through the crowd and getting mobbed by the militants while police stand nearby on bicycles. The mob proceeded to harass and assault Brown, kicking him, poking him with umbrellas, and dousing him in the face with bear spray.
Brown explained what happened on his GoFundMe account, which he started in December after he was physically attacked by an antifa mob in Olympia, Washington. While he was filming that demonstration, they broke his glasses and injured his eye, requiring a trip to the hospital. They also broke or stole his expensive video equipment. Brown told American Greatness that only one person was arrested in that attack.
In an update, Brown wrote that he knew of at least six other videographers who were attacked on Saturday while police stood by. He also noted that were a number of regular folks who “were unlucky enough to be walking through the area” during the riot. Those people were put in danger because of the city’s refusal confront the violent mob.
On Saturday, February 8, I again set out to cover an ANTIFA protest, this time in Portland, Oregon. When I arrived, I went directly to the police, who were stationed at a corner near the ANTIFA group, and asked if there was an area where they would like journalists to set up. I was told there was no such designated area, so I walked down the block to where I could see that several photographers and videographers had already gathered.
As I approached, the atmosphere seemed tense, but fairly calm, until someone sounded an alarm and threw a tennis ball at me, to direct the crowd’s attention to my location. Immediately I was surrounded by an angry mob, poking at me with sharp umbrella tips, throwing projectiles and spraying bear mace. I had done nothing to provoke this attack. I was surrounded. One girl jabbed my back with a sharp licence plate, of all things! A man threw a wine bottle, hitting me in the back. I was repeatedly punched and kicked. I continued filming, while backing away, toward the police presence. I was temporarily blinded by the bear mace which was purposely sprayed in my eyes.
Regular people who were unlucky enough to be walking through the area were trying desperately just to get away. I was eventually led by a police officer to their staging area, where there was first aid available. My eyes were rinsed, and I was told I had better leave the area because the police were leaving.
I was not the only one singled out for this attack. Shane Kohfield, who had attended wearing a sweat shirt he’d custom made to try and bring people together, (“Make America Great Again for Everyone!”) was assaulted and doused with black paint. I know of at least six other photographers who were harassed, assaulted and chased from the scene, yet the police stationed at the corner did not intervene. I find this situation incomprehensible!
I believe that it is very important that the actions of this group calling themselves ANTIFA be truthfully documented, otherwise I would not be doing this. They are a danger to the public. They purport to be counter protesters against fascism, yet that is false advertising. All this violence and vandalism very often takes place where there is no fascist group demonstrating to begin with.
“I fail to understand the moral degradation present in an Antifa mob,” Brown told American Greatness.
Independent journalist Any Ngo posted video of another videographer being attacked by the antifa mob.
Videographer Nate Milsap of Stumptown Videos ran to the police for protection, but an officer told him that police were standing down.
“We’re not going to come out and save you,” a police officer can be heard on video telling the independent journalist. The officer told him to “come up with a different plan” because they wouldn’t be helping.
Milsap described what happened to him on the Stumptown Videos YouTube channel.
On Saturday February 8th 2020, Stumptown Matters went into Downtown Portland Oregon to film and document the protest of a KKK rally that was reported to take place that day. When I arrived at the scene, I learned that the KKK cancelled their event. I despise the KKK and racism in general. I was actually looking forward to siding with Antifa on this day.
For they had real and legit racists to confront had the KKK followed through with their initial plans. So ultimately I stood across the street from the Antifa Gathering and gazed upon them just to estimate the number of their turnout. which was probably 300 to 500 people. I was planning on leaving and I hadn’t even begun filming yet.
Then Luis Marquez called me out by name. I said hello and then I raised my camera to start filming the commotion. Then a masked group of 20 or more people began to spread out and cross the street from where Luis was standing and began to walk fast toward me. They had concealed objects or weapons in their hands. one of which was approaching me while shaking a can of pepper spray. I wanted no part of whatever intentions they had for me so I immediately abandoned my camera duties and sprinted to safety.
I didnt want to be hurt or pepper sprayed and I didn’t want to hurt any of them either. So running was the only sensible action to me at that moment. People can call me a pussy all day long until they are blue in the face. That’s perfectly fine with me. I simply did not want to play and I got away unharmed. My safe space happened to be the justice center where the riot police confronted me and told me that if I go back out where I was, then they wouldnt protect me. Implying once again that masked thugs run the streets of portland Oregon and if you are targeted by them, then you are the problem according to portland police.
In broad daylight, masked agitators also vandalized a war memorial near the Portland Police central precinct, spray painting it with anti-cop messages
Antifa agitators pushed a left-wing protester into the street because they thought she was a snitch, according to Ngo.
During the four-hour melee, a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle and transported to a hospital with a non-life-threatening injury, police said. The driver of the vehicle remained on scene and cooperated with officers.
Fox News reported:
At least two incendiary devices, believed to be flares, were thrown into nearby traffic, police said. The event spanned nearly four hours and required a “large police response” that limited the department’s ability to respond to calls for service citywide.
Messages reading “Punch Cops,” “Kill Cops,” and “All Cops are Bastards” could be seen on the memorial in photos released by police.
Portland Fire and Rescue medics had to treat three people for exposure to pepper spray wielded by civilians.
Only three people were arrested during the riot.
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said Willy Cannon, 25, was charged with a misdemeanor for abusing a memorial and a felony for criminal mischief. In addition to Cannon, the sheriff’s office said Brandon Farley, 31, was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and Heaven Davis, 19, was charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief.
“Law enforcement officers did not use force against anyone during this event,” the police bureau proudly stated. But they did ask the criminals to pretty please stop throwing projectiles at them.
Police Chief Jami Resch said antifa’s actions “negatively impacted public safety of the entire city because resources had to be diverted to this event.”
“I want to acknowledge the community members who came down to peacefully assemble and exercise their freedom of speech rights,” Resch said in a statement. “Unfortunately, a group of people chose to engage in dangerous, illegal behavior. I appreciate the thoughtful, measured response by our officers and law enforcement partners.”
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