There’s a whole mess of people either demonstrating outside of or trying to force their way into the federal courthouse in Portland. Of course, most of those media outlets that have sent correspondents have them on the ground during the day when protests are, indeed, mostly peaceful. However, credit to the Associated Press for embedding a reporter with the federal agents inside the courthouse overnight, where he saw mortars being fired off repeatedly, fireworks and flares shot into the lobby, frozen bottles and concrete being thrown over the fence, and more.
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, an Oregon native who recently invited Richard Grenell to Portland to show him that the whole “city in flames” narrative only applied to a couple of blocks downtown, has a column Wednesday entitled, “Help Me Find Trump’s ‘Anarchists’ in Portland.” Maybe if he’d read his own column …
So @NickKristof has a new opinion piece up at the NY Times titled "Help Me Find Trump’s ‘Anarchists’ in Portland.
13 paragraphs in he admits they are there. pic.twitter.com/Uihj8xrJo0
— John Sexton (@verumserum) July 29, 2020
The protesters are “a complicated weave” of peaceful and violent. Oh, and yeah, there are anarchists and Antifa activists there.
Here's @nytimes @NickKristof: "Help Me Find Trump’s ‘Anarchists’ in Portland"
OK, let's! From his piece:
"Sure there are anarchists and antifa activists in the Portland protests, just as there are radiologists and electricians, lawyers and mechanics."
Mission accomplished! pic.twitter.com/3lZliRCUs3
— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) July 29, 2020
And yes, some protesters are setting small trash fires and shooting fireworks into the building, but “they’re not trying to burn down the federal courthouse,” just like those Black Lives Matter protesters weren’t trying to pull down that Andrew Jackson statue.
Recommended
"No, they’re not trying to burn down the federal courthouse…" – @NickKristof
Photo caption: "Late-night protesters shooting off fireworks."
Also in @nytimes: "[Federal agents] also extinguished a large fire in the street outside the courthouse."https://t.co/Gl44zTCV2b pic.twitter.com/hrjrdtMBFl
— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) July 29, 2020
"Police in Portland, Oregon declared the gathering outside the federal courthouse a riot and cleared the scene.
Then people returned with more fireworks – and a fire started inside the building where the glass doors had been broken, police said."https://t.co/cdHQCGUpZz pic.twitter.com/J84IZvVuoN— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) July 29, 2020
So there are anarchists in Portland, and they haven’t yet succeeded in burning down the courthouse, but they sure are setting a lot of fires as close as they can get to it.
Not convinced there are actually radiologists, electricians or mechanics at the "protests", but there are radical lawyers aplenty.
— Kerfuffle Actual ??? (@shoshido) July 29, 2020
I'm willing to bet my house none of those Antifa soy boys have a job doing any of the 4 jobs he mentioned either.
— Lying Dogface Pony Soldier (@JasonDisalvo44) July 29, 2020
Kristof is not a serious person…ham-handed idiocy…
— J T Fulham ? Playoffs! Playoffs? (@jtf18james) July 29, 2020
And what’s this about them being “Trump’s” anarchists? Even Joe Biden put out a statement about prosecuting arsonists and anarchists, which has The Nation’s Jeet Heer in a lather.
Full @JoeBiden response calling for "arsonists and anarchists" to be prosecuted for the violence/destruction occurring at some protests. Says Trump is "stoking division and chaos" because "his campaign is failing and he is looking for a political lifeline." pic.twitter.com/D3ScPq1Y9x
— Bo Erickson CBS (@BoKnowsNews) July 28, 2020
"Anarchists should be prosecuted" is a profoundly illiberal sentiment and it's disheartening how few people are pushing back on this — including people who otherwise purport to be free speech champions. https://t.co/gKGxXPoT0q
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) July 29, 2020
We don’t know … it sounded to us like Biden has it in for anarchists, who are indeed taking part in the Portland riots. They even have a little anarchy symbol stencil you can pick out to decorate your shield.
Related:
New York Times columnist invites Richard Grenell to Portland to show the ‘city in flames’ narrative only covers a couple blocks downtown https://t.co/9aSIWZITpk
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) July 23, 2020
Join the conversation as a VIP Member