A few years ago, Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon, made the news because they refused to sell copies of Andy Ngo's book, Unmasked: Inside Antifa's Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy.
This is the bookstore that banned my 2021 Antifa book and bestseller because of threats from Antifa. Their employees demanded the book be removed from shelves. https://t.co/LJ1Wt8GFtB
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) October 31, 2025
Ngo has done tremendous work chronicling Antifa's activities and reporting on members, including publishing their names and criminal records. Antifa, unsurprisingly, didn't like Ngo's book and staged a protest at the store.
"STOP SELLING ANDY NGO'S BOOK"
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) January 11, 2021
"HELL NO, WE WON'T NGO"
A crowd of #antifa have gathered outside @Powells bookstore in downtown Portland to demand they pull my book from their website. The store has already announced it won't stock the book on shelves. pic.twitter.com/bsX5HMGDSW
Who are the fascists again?
Powell's tried, and failed, to walk a fine line between carrying the book and not ticking off Antifa. In a thread on X, they explained how the book came to their inventory and plans not to sell or promote it:
At Powell’s, a lot of our inventory is hand-picked and hand-promoted. And a lot of our inventory is not hand-picked. Unmasked by Andy Ngo came to us through an automatic data feed via one of our long-term partners, Hachette Book Group. (1 of 3)
— Powell's Books (@Powells) January 11, 2021
This book will not be placed on our shelves. We will not promote it. That said, it will remain in our online catalog. We carry a lot of books we find abhorrent, as well as those that we treasure. (2 of 3)
— Powell's Books (@Powells) January 11, 2021
We believe it is the work of bookselling to do so. Please see our full commitment to free speech here: https://t.co/pqnaVE6D2W (3 of 3)
— Powell's Books (@Powells) January 11, 2021
Unfortunately, the link to their "full commitment to free speech" is no longer active. We wonder why.
Now that the same bookstore is going through another round of layoffs, our sympathies are limited.
Powell's Books has laid off even more employees after the company conducted previous rounds of layoffs earlier this year. https://t.co/ETVVl4iJ8m
— KOIN News (@KOINNews) October 29, 2025
Powell’s Books has laid off even more employees after the company conducted previous rounds of layoffs earlier this year.
A spokesperson for Powell’s confirmed with KOIN 6 News that in October, the company laid off a total of 13 employees across its organization.
“These changes were not limited to our stores, the majority affected management and business services positions across departments,” said Jeremy Solly, a Powell’s spokesperson.
This month’s layoffs represent the company’s fourth round this year, with similar layoffs occurring in July, August and September, which impacted a total of 18 positions. This new round of layoffs brings the total number this year to 31 positions cut.
Imagine that. Living in a blue city with unfriendly business practices that is dominated by a terrorist group doesn't do well for business. We're not surprised the Antifa crowd isn't big on buying books, and catering to the mobs didn't generate new business for Powell's.
Powell's Books -- which used to be a monthly pilgrimage for me -- will eventually fold because of Portland's stridently anti-business policies; because Antifa now rules their streets, unchallenged; and because Powell's employees have steadfastly voted for more of both, yearly.
— Ward Bond: "I Have a Note from My Mother." (@RamonesKafir) November 2, 2025
You get the government you vote for.
This is the “free speech” bookstore that banned my 2021 Antifa book and bestseller because of threats from Antifa. Their employees demanded the book be banned. https://t.co/C7Un5lqxdo
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) October 31, 2025
How did that work out for them?
It's likely that Ngo's book wouldn't have saved the business, but being open to selling all books to all customers wouldn't have hurt Powell's.
https://t.co/MFYf2ZI0po pic.twitter.com/Z0zk65TB4E
— Reagan Knopp (@reaganknopp) October 31, 2025
Where unions go, jobs usually don't.
But all those local pols assured me downtown Portland was vibrant and thriving! https://t.co/TQAcRz9JQh
— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) October 30, 2025
A little over a month ago, journalist Nick Kristof took offense at President Trump calling Portland "hell" and Kristof's retort was the city has great Pinot Noir. That'll help fix things at Powell's.
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