The Barbarity Of Unenforced Law

By: David S. Petolicchio

6/30/2019

“Journalist Andy Ngo, who covers Antifa activity, was attacked at a Portland rally Saturday and has reportedly been admitted to the hospital.”(1)

This is how the opening of a Daily Caller article opens, describing the assault on a journalist, Andy Ngo, at a Portland, Oregon Anti-Fascist protest. The assault in question began when Andy Ngo was in the midst of filming and interviewing the protesters and was suddenly assaulted by a number of the masked self-proclaimed “Anti-fascists” the masked assailants attacked Andy Ngo, stole his Go Pro camera, and beat him.

The Daily Caller briefly describes Andy Ngo with the following:

“Ngo is an editor for Quillette who describes himself as “hated by [A]ntifa” on his Twitter profile. He recorded the aftermath of the day’s events on social media. The video showed Ngo with scars on his face in addition to what appeared to be swelling.”(1)

Andy Ngo claims that he contacted the Portland Police Department about violence occurring in the Anti-fa protest but police only intervened after Ngo’s beating. Andy Ngo appear in a brief video immediately after the altercation, bleeding, covered in what is now said to have been milkshake, and a police officer off screen observes that Andy Ngo had suffered a head injury.

For a little bit of background to this chaotic scene, Anti-Fascists or Anti-Fa, as they are referred, are self-proclaimed enemies of fascism. Ironically, these unorganized, and loosely affiliated bands often behave in a manner not unlike their supposed fascist and Nazi enemies. They notoriously cause violent interactions with police and counter protests alike and have even been caught plotting violent and terroristic attacks on camera,

“Why did it take a late-night podcast host and his producer to do this kind of journalism?” Mr. Crowder asks in a YouTube video uploaded Thursday. “Cryptic messaging apps, private groups handing out illegal weapons and planning tactics — you mean to tell me that no one at ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN with billions of dollars in resources could have done this?”(2)

This group is notoriously violent and inflammatory but regularly gets a free pass from mainstream media. To make matters worse, mayor Ted wheeler of Portland, where Mr. Ngo was brutally attacked, has notoriously come under scrutiny in the past for his lax approach to violence at the hands of Antifa in his city. In 2018, the mayor was under fire for poorly handling the actions of these groups,

“I was appalled by what I saw in the video, but I support the Portland Police Bureau’s decision not to intervene,” he said at a press conference. “This whole incident will be investigated.”(3)

Figure 2 Reference 3

Unfortunately, we are witnessing the complete breakdown of law and order for the sake of bias in both government and law enforcement. First, the mayor is betraying his constituents by allowing violent masked assailants to terrorize the community with impunity. Secondly, the Portland Police Department is behaving in a shameful manner, shying away from their greatest of missions, to “Protect and Serve” the citizens. The mission of law enforcement is fundamental in nature and goes beyond the orders of bureaucrats. When you see citizens being preyed upon, and have numerous reports of it occurring, it is your duty to intervene.

Mayor Ted Wheeler is a shame to not only Portland, but to the entire country and is setting a terrible precedent for legitimate activism and dialogue.

References

1. Talcott, Shelby. “Journalist Andy Ngo Attacked At Portland Rally. He’s Reportedly Sustaining Injuries.” The Daily Caller, The Daily Caller, 30 June 2019, dailycaller.com/2019/06/30/andy-ngo-journalist-rally-injured/.

2. Ernst, Douglas. “Steven Crowder and Producer Infiltrate Antifa Prior to Ben Shapiro Event, Rip Media Silence.” The Washington Times, The Washington Times, 29 Sept. 2017, www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/sep/29/steven-crowder-and-producer-infiltrate-antifa-prio/.

3. Richardson, Valerie. “Portland Mayor Stands by Decision to Allow Antifa to Block Traffic, Hassle Motorists.” The Washington Times, The Washington Times, 14 Oct. 2018, www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/oct/14/ted-wheeler-portland-mayor-stands-decision-allow-a/.