My grassroots Twitter feed gives me an incredible array of topics to educate and encourage me. I find it important to review at times what we value, especially when national violence raises it’s ugly head.
Last summer there were many tweets shared on how antifa in Portland, OR attacked journalist Andy Ngo! Two other men across the street from Mr. Ngo were viciously attacked as well. Andy received various cuts, bruises and perhaps a ‘brain bleed’. Supposedly antifa threw ‘milkshakes’ which we’re told by police probably had quik dry cement in them. The outcry over how antifa is allowed to attack people, disrupt traffic, vandalize or destroy property in Portland just rose to another huge level.
I’ve been following Andy for some months mainly because he’s a serious writer and huge proponent of free speech as I am. I also came to love Portland, OR like a second home, since my son’s homicide there, and saw first hand how the city has changed due to the various resistance movements there in the last few years.
Not many are defending free speech in this era. Andy’s risking to uncover the ‘antifa’ story has been very important, I believe. Mainstream media has tried to dominate what we see or hear about them! I appreciate Andy sharing about the rise in hate talk, anti-Jewish, anit-gay sentiment around the world. He’s giving voice to many common people in Portland, on Twitter, who’re angry or upset about these very dangerous trends. I’ve been on threads where I’ve gotten hundreds of tweets in support of my blog & the need for Portland police, mayor to step up with a stronger presence re: antifa. Many are crying out for something more to be done.
I’ve visited PDX often since Marc’s homicide and stay downtown 1-2+ blocks from the heart of many of the protests. It’s restricting at times of course when the protests go on while I visit. Normally nights are peaceful but I’ve been woken at times by bull horns blaring and people shouting slogans.
Portland is a city of roughly 650,000. When Mayor Ted Wheeler came into office few years ago he inherited the BLM, Resist PDX and now antifa movements. What a heritage! I was glad he set up a more secure system for holding City Council Mtgs. He and former Mayor Hales had been confronted by menacing, rowdy & destructive people trying to disturb or run city politics during the Council Meetings. So, strides have been taken to bring peace to the running of the Council Mtgs.
But antifa has been a thorn in his side, partly for the way the city is built, in how the streets and bridges all converge on the downtown area …. the part of Portland that holds the most attraction for retail, city & legal offices, hotels and visitors. And partly due to the fact Wheeler is a progressive & is offended with many of Trumps ICE directives, etc. which brings out Leftist, antifa demonstrators.
Anyway, antifa is mostly youths from maybe 18 -20’s, who’re many times of mixed sexual preferences. They are not thoughtful, idealistic college kids with a positive plan, or a clear focus on what they’re angry about. From what I’ve read in the past, most aren’t registered voters so they don’t participate in the political process as peaceful adults.
Antifa’s moniker approves of violence. I watched Chuck Todd interview Mark Bray last year. Mr. Bray is the author of the “Antifa Handbook“, a definitive book on antifa. Mark chronicles the establishment of antifa and I heard him flatly state to Chuck, ‘violence is necessary‘. The funding for antifa branches has been speculated wildly.
Antifa likes to obstruct, cause mayhem at Joey Gibson’s Patriots Prayer group when they hold rallies in downtown PDX. I’m not in total agreement with what Gibson tries to do, his rallies are not affiliated with a church or ministry, but they don’t destroy property or threaten people, they’re open to the press. Antifa doesn’t like them on their ‘turf’. they don’t like the publicity, so they come and intimidate and fight the Prayer Group.
Some antifa have said they want to ‘teach cities a lesson’. There’s no political, social or religious platform of good towards humanity coming out of them or we’d try to understand them. That’s where I think Wheeler, other leaders, err in their hearts towards them! Many in antifa are anarchists, not just troubled youth, to many minds.
It’s important to note reporters like Andy are non-confrontational, never engage with antifa types, or carry weapons. Andy’s received death threats, been physically attacked at his gym, had his family stalked but continues to reveal the identities of antifa members from police bulletins. He’s one of a handful of independent journalists, writers who do this kind of reporting. Elijah Schaffer, Blaze TV reporter, is another who reports on antifa, street violence.
Portland is a beautiful city and I don’t want to feed into all the negative hype! But there needs to be a definitive answer to the vicious protesters! I wish Mr. Wheeler would recognize who his voting and peaceful constituents are, who he’s responsible to, what the future will be like if antifa violence is allowed to continue?
(He’s up for election this Fall against a Leftist candidate, I’m hoping the Left is defeated soundly, as there’s a strong conservative element in OR. Portland needs to keep their visitor, business and residential constituents safe and prospering.)
The driver who ran over people in Charlottesville was caught and sentenced …. antifa, who cause violence on people and property in Portland, should be caught and sentenced as well. Some have been caught, they are not all getting away with ‘murder’,
Orig : 7/19
Rev: 5/20