Ah, yes. Come for CNN's anti-Trump (natch), Antifa-sympathetic framing, stay for a Democratic Congresswomen literally calling the group "peaceful" and claiming that they're merely attempting to "safeguard" the city of Portland against far-right interlopers. This is well and truly beyond parody:
Last evening (Saturday) @CNNnewsroom host, @AnaCabrera found it controversial that President @realDonaldTrump would want to brand Antifa as the terrorists they are. She teed up Dem. Rep. Haaland to defend the group as "peaceful protesters working to safeguard their city". pic.twitter.com/wsnEia2DtR
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) August 18, 2019
Just look at all this peaceful safeguarding (content warning):
No police in sight as antifa mob descends on men. A fight involving weapons breaks out. Video courtesy of @TPostMillennial. #PortlandProtests pic.twitter.com/ddbHB7gwCx
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) August 17, 2019
Some of the biggest racists are far left wing white people. https://t.co/Zb2oEgvPEF
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) August 18, 2019
Meanwhile, over at Buzzfeed, the media's broader effort to downplay and excuse Antifa's thuggery continues apace:
Ahead of today’s rallies in Portland, read my feature about the manufacturing of Antifa as a threat https://t.co/s8R1kxbVC5
— Joe Bernstein (@Bernstein) August 17, 2019
"Manufacturing." In response to this tweet, I linked to a handful of stories describing Antifa's brutality, none of which had anything to do with Andy Ngo, the journalist and LGBT person of color that Antifa sent to the hospital with a swollen brain. The stories included Antifa assaulting other journalists, attempting a bombing of a federal facility, beating off-duty Marines in a racial attack, and menacing motorists in the middle of the street, with impunity. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Antifa's program of harassment, doxxing, and violence has been an ongoing and growing threat for years now. "Manufactured," they tell us. Meanwhile, this what life in Portland has been reduced to, far too often:
From a follower who lives in far-left Portland, where political violence is becoming a way of life. pic.twitter.com/0nPDMuic1f
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) August 17, 2019
But according to one of America's dimmest bulbs and most shameless bigots, if one opposes any of this, one must be a fascist. Maybe it's time to demote Captain Obvious:
I am not trying to be Captain Obvious here but.....
— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) August 17, 2019
Antifa = anti-fascist
Opposite of anti-fascist is fascist or pro-fascist.
You are either anti-fascist or not. Simple as that. #justsaying #justincase
The media, alas, is complicit in this imbecilic narrative. I'll leave you with this. How will the Civility Police treat this charming episode on the Climate of Hate/"incitement" scale?
A political fundraiser for @SenatorSandoval simulates an assassination attempt against a mock @realDonaldTrump decked out in Mexican garb. Looks like a man pointed a fake assault weapon at the fake President to pose for a picture. pic.twitter.com/MlT9zjB1mn
— Mark Maxwell (@MarkMaxwellTV) August 17, 2019
UPDATE - I addressed the Portland mess on Fox earlier today:
WATCH: @JonScottFNC spoke with @guypbenson after Portland's Mayor praises police in the wake of "largely peaceful" protests #nine2noon pic.twitter.com/MSmxdywxu2
— America's Newsroom (@AmericaNewsroom) August 19, 2019