By Daniel Nardini
If this had happened at an alt-right rally and demonstration the U.S. mainstream news media would have been all over this. This happened however at a left wing ANTIFA (abbreviation for “anti-fascist”) rally and demonstration in Portland, Oregon. On June 29th, a lone reporter named Andy Ngo was covering an ANTIFA counter-demonstration against an alt-right group called the Proud Boys. Ngo had covered such events before, and his routine was to quietly cover what happened and not interfere in any way. He had been threatened before, especially by ANTIFA demonstrators, but he kept on doing his job. He never once interfered with any ANTIFA march, and certainly was never threatening. His articles were definitely critical of the violence ANTIFA and alt-right groups had carried out, but this was observation more than anything.
Unfortunately, Andy Ngo became the news when he was viciously attacked by ANTIFA demonstrators. Ngo was hit with objects thrown at him, and he was punched and kicked. He had to go to the emergency room of the nearest hospital The hospital treated him for cuts, bruises, contusions and a brain bleed. The only good news was that he was not maimed or killed. The police had arrested three demonstrators for the attack. Whether they will be tried is another story. The mayor of Portland did not seem distressed enough about the vicious attack on a journalist. Some local politicians even said on Twitter that the attack was “justified.” It does not matter to me if the attackers were left wing and the journalist was a somewhat conservative gay Asian American. If the attack had been against a liberal or progressive journalist by alt-right fanatics, that is less tolerable? An attack on anyone of the press is WRONG no matter by who. Yes, the attack against Andy Ngo did receive some publicity by CNN, the Wall Street Journal, and certainly by Fox News. Still a whole lot of other news media outlets did not seem to pick up the story. That is troubling, given that an attack on any journalist is an attack on all journalists. Freedom of expression and of covering public events should not be hindered by intentional violence or intimidation. If supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump had done anything like this, there is no question such attacks against journalists would have gone viral. When such violence is committed by the extreme left it should receive in my opinion the same coverage. There should be no double standard on one act of violence and intolerance being condemned but violence and intolerance being committed by another side is “OK.”
ANTIFA Seriously Attacks and Injures a Journalist
By Daniel Nardini
Unfortunately, Andy Ngo became the news when he was viciously attacked by ANTIFA demonstrators. Ngo was hit with objects thrown at him, and he was punched and kicked. He had to go to the emergency room of the nearest hospital The hospital treated him for cuts, bruises, contusions and a brain bleed. The only good news was that he was not maimed or killed. The police had arrested three demonstrators for the attack. Whether they will be tried is another story. The mayor of Portland did not seem distressed enough about the vicious attack on a journalist. Some local politicians even said on Twitter that the attack was “justified.” It does not matter to me if the attackers were left wing and the journalist was a somewhat conservative gay Asian American. If the attack had been against a liberal or progressive journalist by alt-right fanatics, that is less tolerable? An attack on anyone of the press is WRONG no matter by who. Yes, the attack against Andy Ngo did receive some publicity by CNN, the Wall Street Journal, and certainly by Fox News. Still a whole lot of other news media outlets did not seem to pick up the story. That is troubling, given that an attack on any journalist is an attack on all journalists. Freedom of expression and of covering public events should not be hindered by intentional violence or intimidation. If supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump had done anything like this, there is no question such attacks against journalists would have gone viral. When such violence is committed by the extreme left it should receive in my opinion the same coverage. There should be no double standard on one act of violence and intolerance being condemned but violence and intolerance being committed by another side is “OK.”