Media, Portland Mayor Mischaracterize Assault on Federal Courthouse as “Protests”

As we’ve covered here at LI, antifa violence in Portland, Oregon, and beyond long pre-dates the George Floyd protests that devolved into riots in cities across the country.  Yet the leftstream media would have us believe, despite all evidence to the contrary, that the antifa anarchists creating mayhem in Portland are peaceful protesters.

We are seeing the most stunningly blatant and deeply bizarre gaslighting by both Portland mayor Ted Wheeler and the media about what has been going on in Portland.

Apparently, they are convinced that no one can see the multitude of videos of the arson, vandalism, and violent attacks on law enforcement (and random journalists, et al.) because we are hearing that peaceful protesters are being assaulted by “Trump’s stormtroopers” when all they are doing is standing around peacefully protesting.

Um, no.  Here’s what’s going on in Portland:

Portland’s mayor, desperately hoping to toss responsibility onto President Trump for the violent criminal behavior that Wheeler has personally permitted, showed up at a Portland protest to slam the president for sending in federal agents to protect the federal building (which is on fire).

So engrossed is he in his delusion that he actually says that he saw no reason for federal intervention—reminder: the federal building is on FIRE; he’s literally standing in the glow from the fire (via Twitchy):

Also:

I’m one hundred percent certain that the actually peaceful Tea Party protesters never accidentally set one another on fire.

And remember the antifa moms? They are out there, too, not just standing between the arsonists and vandals and law enforcement, but some are reportedly actively engaged in lawless behavior themselves.

Tragically, at least three federal officers may have permanently lost their sight due to these terrorists shining lasers in their eyes and setting off fireworks.

Fox News reports:

At least three federal officers in Portland may not recover their vision after earlier this week demonstrators, who have shown up in crowds of over 1,000 for more than 50 consecutive nights, shined lasers in their eyes and threw fireworks at a federal courthouse, officials said.

During Monday night’s confrontation, one person also threatened to cut off the water supply to federal officers inside the building.

Federal Protective Service (FPS) Deputy Director of Operations Richard “Kriss” Cline said at a press conference on Tuesday that a crowd of more than 1,000 “rioters” surrounded the Hatfield Federal Courthouse and began removing plywood coverings before attempting to throw objects – some of them incendiary – through the windows at federal officers inside..  . . .  “When officers responded to put out these fires, glass bottles were thrown and lasers – which can cause permanent blindness – were shined in their eyes,” Cline said. “We have three officers who currently have eye injuries and they may not recover sight in those eyes from those laser attacks.”The FPS has purchased anti-laser glasses that federal officers are now wearing to prevent eye injuries.Federal officers responded by deploying pepper balls and tear gas. Cline said officers observed one individual taking pictures of a water intake system to the Edith Green Federal Building, which is also under FPS protection. Earlier in the evening Monday night, a Twitter user said “So we can shut off the water to the buildings the feds are staying in to make it a nightmare for them.”

Meanwhile, ignoring terror tactics like these and the permanent injuries to federal law enforcement officers, the leftstream media is telling us that peaceful protesters just standing around holding signs are being “assaulted” and “attacked” by Trump’s “kidnapping” “stormtroopers.”  It’s Trump who is causing this, we are told with a straight face.

But wait, check the timeline:

So what is going on here?  I think I found a clue over at NBC News. In their article entitled, “The Republican silence on what’s happening in Portland is jarring,” NBC News can’t figure out why the right hasn’t rushed to the defense of the poor put upon terrorists in Portland.  (Archive link here)

The Republican silence on what’s happening in Portland is jarring: If you’ve followed American politics over the last 10 years, you might be surprised that Republicans are more outraged at Liz Cheney than they are federal armed agents that just tear-gassed a city’s mayor.

What happened to “Don’t tread on me”?

What happened to states’ rights?

What happened to freedom of speech and assembly?

It’s easy to understand in our current politics why elected Republicans aren’t speaking out against the Department of Homeland Security forces in liberal, urban Portland. (Sen. Rand Paul is one exception.)

But if you lived through the Obama Era, this Republican silence is jarring.

In other words, they want law-abiding, Second Amendment-supporting conservatives to go in there and . . . what? Support antifa in their disgusting attacks on federal property and the maiming of federal officers?  Support Democrat leadership who allow this lawlessness to flourish?

Please.

These aren’t actually peaceful protestors marching down a street and being attacked by dogs and beaten by police on national television as was seen in the 1960s with Dr. King’s peaceful marches and that actually swayed public opinion.

The opposite is being falsely peddled, now, in 2020: violent rioters, criminals committing arson and assorted assaults and other criminal acts are being presented as “peaceful” or, my favorite, “mostly peaceful” protesters.  So, no, we won’t be rushing to their defense any more than we would rush to the defense of any other terrorist group committing and inciting violence.

Tom Knighton at Bearing Arms responds to this bizarreness brilliantly:

However, many on the left are now asking where the gun owners are. After all, they argue, we’ve said we want guns to combat oppression, so where are we?Well, we’re not coming to save you.You see, while I may take issue with the details of how the Trump administration is dealing with these criminals, these are criminals. They’re not political dissidents who merely angered the Commander-in-Chief. No, they’re people who took part in criminal acts against federal buildings and they’re being arrested over it.There’s absolutely nothing about that which is oppressive.. . . . I can’t speak for everyone, but when someone calls me racist, misogynist, bigoted, worthless, or any of the thousands of other insults I’ve gotten personally, I don’t feel obliged to risk my life to protect them from a government that was goaded into acting by your own lawless behavior. I’m sorry, but while I’ll defend people I disagree with, I’m not going to risk me or my family over your own poor decisions.

I guess that’s what happens when you are so regressive you are using a 60’s playbook in the internet age.  We can see what is happening in real time, with no media filters, and we don’t like what we see from antifa (and their moms).  Not one bit.

Tags: Antifa, Black Lives Matter, DHS, Oregon, Trump Derangement Syndrome

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