Yesterday, independent journalist — and Antifa victim — Andy Ngo tweeted about a Portland Climate Strike activist who was arrested with multiple potential weapons:
Update: Law enforcement has identified the antifa suspect arrested w/a cache of weapons at the Portland climate strike as Jacob Jepson. He has a large antifa tattoo on his neck & expresses violent far-left views on social media, often including references to being armed w/a gun. pic.twitter.com/kBiKGSlwYS
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) September 22, 2019
Apparently, Ngo is just engaged in an anti-Antifa propaganda campaign. That’s what journalist Mariah Blake is going with, anyway:
Let’s be clear. @MrAndyNgo & his ilk are engaged in a twisted propaganda campaign designed to make people believe Nazis, facists & violent white nationalists are not the real problem, that radical resistance to them is. This is an good example of their methods. 1/ https://t.co/zrQSMHbSXQ
— Mariah Blake (@MariahCBlake) September 22, 2019
Ngo’s tweet, with its reference to “weapons,” makes Jepson sound like a violent criminal, but the booking sheet Ngo attached lists two alleged infractions: resisting arrest and criminal mischief III (meaning tampering with another person’s property). Neither involves violence. 2/
— Mariah Blake (@MariahCBlake) September 22, 2019
The “weapons” Ngo refers to include spray paint, Guerrilla Glue, safety glasses, rubber gloves, a hammer, and what appears to be an X-Acto knife. Sure, some of them *could* be used to violent ends, but more likely these are the tools of a vandal. 3/
— Mariah Blake (@MariahCBlake) September 22, 2019
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I’m happy to hear and debate other points of view, but if you try to attack or troll me, I’ll block you. Life is too short to engage with BS.
— Mariah Blake (@MariahCBlake) September 23, 2019
Spoiler alert: Mariah isn’t interested in looking at anyone’s point of view if that point of view isn’t hers.
Update: It’s official. According to the Portland Police Department, Jepson was arrested for vandalism. Specifically, he was caught spraying graffiti on the Hawthorn Bridge. He also tried to resist arrest and was pepper sprayed by police. Details here: https://t.co/X1HUrufol0 4:
— Mariah Blake (@MariahCBlake) September 23, 2019
Vandelism and resisting arrest are legitimate crimes and I don’t condone them. But @MrAndyNgo’s insinuation that Jepson is a dangerously violent criminal are simply not grounded in fact, unless there are facts I’m not privy to—which is possible. 5/
— Mariah Blake (@MariahCBlake) September 23, 2019
Also, @MrAndyNgo claims Jepson expresses “violent far-left views on social media.” Here’s a Facebook page that appears to belong to Jepson. It don’t see anything of the sort. https://t.co/VcAXU9SfTG@MrAndyNgo please tell us where you saw those posts. 6/
— Mariah Blake (@MariahCBlake) September 23, 2019
So let’s review. @MrAndyNgo claims that an “ANTIFA suspect” with a history of expressing violent far-left views was arrested with a “cache of weapons,” implying that he was dangerous. He fails to mention that the man was arrested for graffiti not plotting a violent attack. 7/
— Mariah Blake (@MariahCBlake) September 23, 2019
There is no apparent basis for the claims that the suspect espouses violent far-left views. Some of the weapons turn out to be things like spray paint and gorilla glue. 8/
— Mariah Blake (@MariahCBlake) September 23, 2019
As commenters have stressed, the suspect also had mace; some gnarly brass knuckles on his keychain; & two knifes—a polymer knife and what looks to me like an X-Acto( others maintain it’s a switchblade). It’s not unusual for people to carry the first two items for self defense. 9/
— Mariah Blake (@MariahCBlake) September 23, 2019
Antifa doesn’t do self-defense. Because Antifa is always on the offensive.
In any event, there’s no indication from police reports that he intended to use these things to harm people. While resisting arrest is a serious matter, the charges against him are both misdemeanors.
This is all I have to say on the subject for now & I hope forever /END
— Mariah Blake (@MariahCBlake) September 23, 2019
Whatever you need to tell yourself, sweetie.
I want to be clear: the so-called journalists cheering #Antifa don't live in #Portland, don't have to deal with having their car windows smashed in, don't have their police time and budgets wasted on them, etc. It's all just a big spectator sport for this writer at @TheAtlantic. https://t.co/DL8SPch1yL
— Kerfuffle Actual? (@shoshido) September 23, 2019
And speaking of journalists who don’t know what they’re talking about, check out this take from British journalist and filmmaker Jake Hanrahan:
Lol. You are such a weasel @mrandyngo. pic.twitter.com/THNtRLwzqk
— Jake Hanrahan (@Jake_Hanrahan) September 23, 2019
Who’s the weasel, Jake? Andy Ngo, who, unlike you, has experienced Antifa’s violence firsthand? Or you, the smug Real Journalist™ who callously dismisses violence because it aligns with your worldview?
Another Twitter-verified journalist who downplays antifa's violence. I observed this happening as the norm for a couple years before deciding to focus heavily on exposing the lies we've been told about how antifa merely "defends" communities against the far-right. https://t.co/Kck2vbe9Kx
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) September 23, 2019
These so-called “journalists” could learn a lot from Andy Ngo. But fat chance they’ll climb down from their ivory towers to do so.
You’re a “journalist”?
— EducatëdHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) September 23, 2019
A pretty lousy one, evidently.
— Bob Malak (@bob_malak) September 23, 2019
So the knife and pointed knuckles aren’t weapons?
— BobbyDean (@BobbyDean2019) September 23, 2019
Jake, I don’t think you understand the full weight of the situation. In Portland, Oregon Antifa is notably violent. It’s a remarkable issue that doesn’t get the coverage it deserves. People are getting hurt. Private citizens who just happen to be in the area of these protests.
— Greg (@GregoryEck) September 23, 2019
Yeah, what would Andy Ngo know about any of that?
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