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The nation’s capital was hard to recognize on inauguration day this year. In response to the siege of Capitol Hill on January 6, thousands of police and National Guard troops were dispatched to the streets of Washington, DC, where they manned checkpoints and erected barriers.
The right-wing violence predicted by Trump supporters never materialized. Joe Biden’s inauguration went off without a hitch. But in the Pacific Northwest, Antifa had other plans.
In Portland, Black Lives Matter-Antifa pulled off their pre-announced “J20” riot (January 20). About 150 black-clad Antifas stopped traffic as they walked unimpeded towards the Oregon Democratic Party headquarters. They were holding a large banner showing a Kalashnikov and the text “WE DON’T WANT TO GIVE – WE WANT VENGEANCE!”
They destroyed the offices by smashing the windows one by one with hammers and metal batons. They dragged dumpsters across the street and started a fire. Their comrades shielded them from the cameras with large black umbrellas.
When Portland Police responded, they confiscated knives, batons, a crowbar, pepper spray and homemade firebombs from Antifa. However, most of them quickly dispersed around the neighborhood in small groups. Police made only eight arrests. Four of them were arrested during the Antifa riots in 2020.
Later that night, Antifa regrouped in southwest Portland where they chanted “F– Joe Biden” as they walked towards immigration and customs control facilities. Dressed in riot gear, they brandished shields, batons and stones. Federal officers used flashes and tear gas to disperse the rioters. Portland police arrested seven, three of whom were also charged with rioting last year.
For example, Justin Bowen, charged with reckless endangerment, attempted assault on police and other riot related crimes, was arrested for the fourth time overnight. All of his charges were dropped in the morning.
It wasn’t just Portland that experienced the inauguration day riots. In Seattle, hundreds of Antifa stopped traffic in the downtown core as they destroyed roads and started street fires. They destroyed many businesses and the William Kenzo Nakamura courthouse. They assaulted a citizen in the street. Like their black-clad brothers in Portland, they used umbrellas to protect each other. At around 7 p.m., they drove to Seattle’s iconic Pike Place Market, where they vandalized and looted the original Starbucks, a popular tourist attraction. Police only managed to arrest three suspects.
The planned political violence in Seattle and Portland on Wednesday should have made headlines. The state seat of a ruling political party was severely vandalized in broad daylight – the second attack on a Democratic Party building in Portland since November. But because the attackers espoused the right politics of the left, they are conveniently ignored by mainstream media and politicians.
Some believe Antifa would disappear after Biden’s election victory. They are wrong. With the convenient excuse of resisting the “fascist Donald Trump regime” no longer applicable, Antifa is just getting started.
Andy Ngo is the author of the upcoming book “Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy”. Twitter: @MrAndyNgo
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