Antifa sympathizers in the media whitewashed the left-wing group’s violence yet again this past weekend, gifting them with a glossy photo essay in The Washington Post. Reporter Marissa J. Lang tried to soften the radical activists’ image by featuring a family of four, a veteran and “moms” flaunting their ridiculous riot gear along with self-righteous quotes they gave to the paper.
It’s hard not to gag when Lang lovingly described how Portland's left-wing "protests" are what "Portland does best" and are “as natural as the salmon swimming in the Willamette River." Sounding like Antifa's publicist, she touted the demonstrations have “yielded real results” (such as defunding the police and forcing out federal agents.)
The Post reporter of course downplayed the violent methods as just “vandalism” of course, before cheering on their “stamina and creativity:”
For weeks, demonstrators directed their anger at the federal courthouse, where they broke windows and tagged the building with bright paint. The vandalism drew the attention of Trump, who sent in federal agents.
But he didn’t account for the stamina and creativity of Portland protesters. By the time federal agents packed into the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in early July, the crowds were ready with helmets, respirators and goggles to mitigate the worst effects of crowd-control munitions. Many donned the all-black uniform known as “black bloc” meant to anonymize its wearers. An elaborate network of aid stations and volunteers provided free food, water, gear and medical help.
The paper featured large photos of Antifa protesters who just happen to be a working class couple, moms, a veteran and a family of four; you know average Americans just like you and me. Just decked out in gas masks and black bloc, like you know, average Americans wear to “protests. Lang really tried to hammer home how "normal" it was be an Antifa anarchist:
In Portland, it’s not just the usual suspects who take to the streets. Moms in yellow shirts and bike helmets folded sunflowers into the iron fence around the federal courthouse. Teachers made signs likening Trump to tyrants and dictators of the past. Military veterans waved flags hung upside down to signal distress and strapped on gas masks and respirators to stare down the front line of federal troops.
..
On a recent night, a middle school teacher wearing a Mighty Mouse T-shirt, rainbow-striped leggings and a cloth face mask adorned with cherries nodded brightly as she declared, “Oh yes, I’m an anarchist.”
...City officials and soccer moms alike readily admit to being “antifa” — an abbreviation for anti-fascist that many conservatives and far-right groups have decried as violent, left-wing extremists prone to looting and fire-setting.
Since she’s just an Antifa propagandist, Lang even cast doubt on these mostly peaceful protesters assaulting law enforcement:
Federal agents and police officers say they have been attacked with rocks, bottles, ball bearings and balloons filled with paint and feces. Small groups set fires at Portland police stations, police union offices and the Justice Center, which houses the Multnomah County jail.
Lang also conveniently ignored the attempt to murder federal officers and blind over 100 officers. Meanwhile, it's the "protesters" who face the real danger:
Teenagers and college students hardened into seasoned protesters with each passing night. They wrote phone numbers on their arms in black marker and prepared to be detained, shot or beaten.
In fact, Lang’s only real criticism she gave in the piece for the violent movement was that they were too white.
It's clear the Post doesn't care about federal buildings and businesses getting destroyed or law enforcement being assaulted by left-wing protesters across the country. "Riot" wasn't mentioned even once in the piece. They also don't seem to care about the virus spreading. There was not one word about coronavirus or Antifa flouting social distancing guidelines to participate in their violent riots, at all.
At the same time as the Post was glorifying Antifa, the NYT actually did real journalism for once and talked with business owners who were not happy with left-wing protesters who took over Seattle in June.
