More Antifa violence erupted in Portland, Oregon on Saturday, when “demonstrators” physically assaulted gay conservative journalist Andy Ngo, an elderly man, and at least six others, among them police officers. In response, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz called on federal law enforcement to take action to look into exactly how Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler allowed the situation to get so out of hand. Wheeler has since issued a statement about the city’s response.
As The Daily Wire reported, one of the incidents that went viral from the Antifa “protest”/riot on Saturday involved Quillette editor and Antifa critic Andy Ngo, who was punched, kicked, “milkshaked” and robbed by a pack of thugs — an attack caught on video by Oregon-based journalist Jim Ryan. Ngo ended up requiring medical attention due to a brain hemorrhage after being punched in the face.
Conservative commentator Michelle Malkin also highlighted the attacks on two other men, John Blum and Adam Kelly, who were reportedly attacked by crow bar-weilding Antifa thugs:
In response to the reports of violence perpetrated by the radical “protesters,” Cruz called for action from the Department of Justice, specifically to investigate Mayor Wheeler’s handling of the situation.
“To federal law enforcement: investigate & bring legal action against a Mayor who has, for political reasons, ordered his police officers to let citizens be attacked by domestic terrorists,” Cruz tweeted Sunday, as reported by HotAir.
As The Daily Wire noted, Cruz is not the first political figure to call for a federal investigation into Portland’s handling of the violence. U.S. ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell has also demanded that the situation be investigated.
“This was a pre-meditated attack on someone because intolerant radicals don’t like that Andy happens to be gay, Asian and conservative. They targeted him publicly before their protest. Mayor @tedwheeler knew this was coming. The people of Oregon must speak up today,” Grenell wrote Sunday in one of several posts related to the attack. “I have asked @TheJusticeDept to investigate this incident in Portland. I can’t just sit by and watch my friend be brutally attacked.”
Amid the mounting blowback over the alarming display of violence in his city, Mayor Wheeler issued a vague statement Monday criticizing those who “used their opportunity to exercise their 1st amendment rights, as an opportunity to incite violence.”
“Portland has always been a beacon of free speech. We are proud of that history,” he wrote in the first of the tweet thread. “But in the last couple of years, some have increasingly used their opportunity to exercise their 1st amendment rights, as an opportunity to incite violence. Over the weekend some chose to engage in violence in Portland, which is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. We stand against all forms of violence — regardless of someone’s political leanings.”
He then attempted to address why the violence was allowed to erupt with what appeared to be minimal police response.
“Portland police officers have the unenviable task of keeping the peace,” wrote Wheeler. “It’s a difficult job and hard decisions are made in real-time. While we continue to learn more about what transpired over the weekend, we will keep you informed.”
Wheeler concluded by assuring the public that the city would hold the violent criminals accountable. “We will do everything we can to make sure that those who have committed violence are held accountable,” he wrote.
As documented by Twitchy, many of the responses online expressed skepticism about the mayor’s ability or willingness to provide citizens who don’t embrace the radical left agenda proper police protection.