Anarchists on April 30 flooded the office of a Portland lawyer who represents the union for agents of U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE).
Since last year, Portland has been the setting of many so-called “Abolish ICE” protests. The local ICE building was shut down in June amid a days-long protest. Even being affiliated with ICE may bring the vandals.
Anonymous, self-avowed anarchists flooded a Portland law office to intimidate a local lawyer who represents the union for @ICEgov officers. They put a garden hose through the mail slot and turned on the water. A lawyer found it almost two days later. https://t.co/zKZIpX4fgp
— Katie Shepherd (@katemshepherd) April 30, 2019
A garden hose was pushed by the vandals through the mail slot of Sean Riddell’s law office, according to Willamette Week. The main floor and the basement were soaked.
“We decided to congratulate him on his new building by unraveling his garden hose, pushing it through his mail slot, and turning on the water,” read an anonymous letter sent to Willamette Week by the self-identified anarchists. “Our goal was to cause the maximum economic damage, that should serve as a warning to all individuals and businesses that profit off the human misery perpetrated by ICE.”
The anarchists stated that they vandalized Riddell’s new law office because “he bought it with funds earned by representing the ICE union,” reported Willamette Week. Riddell moved into the office in November.
Riddell said that although thousands of dollars in water damage was done, it may be covered by his insurance. Nonetheless, he criticized the vandals actions as cowardly.
“When I make a political statement, or when I make a political statement on behalf of a client, I sign my name,” Riddler told Willamette Week.
Pictures of the water damage were uploaded by the newspaper showing maligned wood floor and a ruined basement ceiling.
Anonymous vandals leak garden hose into office of Portland lawyer who represents ICE employees https://t.co/W6DR3fRdYq pic.twitter.com/NDPZLc0SJh
— The Oregonian (@Oregonian) April 30, 2019
But Riddel said he is not a victim. He is only doing his job.
May Day Brawl After Antifa Protest in Portland
Freelance journalist Andy Ngo documented a protest on May 1 outside the local ICE building. There, he said a man holding a skateboard, “punched me unprovoked in the abdomen.”
This is the unknown masked individual who punched me unprovoked in the abdomen. I immediately spoke to the @PortlandPolice liaison several yards away who told me that it would be an “escalation” for police to approach the individual so he wouldn’t do it. #MayDayPDX #antifa pic.twitter.com/LUWofc4ZES
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) May 2, 2019
After the protest, a fight took place outside a bar between protesters of the far-left extremist group Antifa and demonstrators affiliated with the right-wing Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer groups.
In one video posted by freelance journalist Andy Ngo, Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson is seen talking to someone as a masked black-clad person runs up and shoots him with pepper spray before turning the stream towards Ngo and his camera.
“I was sprayed in the face point blank with pepper spray outside the @CiderRiot, where Antifa had amassed,” Ngo wrote. “They cheered as I was blinded. Before that, they threatened me & brought up my mother’s name.”
I was sprayed in the face point blank with pepper spray outside the @CiderRiot, where Antifa had amassed. They cheered as I was blinded. Before that, they threatened me & brought up my mother’s name. A woman helped me across the street. Please help me identify person: pic.twitter.com/BUxlk94fz4
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) May 2, 2019
There was a riot outside the Cider Riot,” Ngo wrote in another post on Twitter. “I was attacked point blank with pepper spray. A student journalist from Oregon State had his camera smashed & destroyed.”
Please help me identify this masked antifa woman who assaulted me outside the @CiderRiot on 807 NE Couch St on 1 May, 2019 at approximately 7:40 p.m. pic.twitter.com/yRcGDw8tRM
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) May 2, 2019
Ngo said he believed the venue had been used a base of operations for the far-left activist group.
Seemed bizarre to me that it didn’t look like Cider Riot was just place #antifa had amassed to have drinks. It looked like they were using business as base to prep attack. Turns out CR had hosted the May Day party WITH Antifa. From their business FB page: https://t.co/Lg1uIOW8O5 pic.twitter.com/plB7dpvt9A
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) May 2, 2019
Freelance journalist Mike Bivins posted several videos on social media that show pitched street battles.
In one of his videos, opposing groups are seen hurling bottles and other projectiles at one other outside the Cider Riot bar, with the confrontation punctuated by streams of pepper spray.
Police Response
In an apparent reference to the unconscious woman shown in one of the clips, police announced in a statement they had received reports “that a subject was unconscious in the area, but officers did not locate that person.”
When police arrived, the two groups had already separated.
“Officers are aware there may be video of the event and are interested in that video footage,” Portland police said.
“This is an open investigation and follow-up is planned to identify if crimes were committed and if arrests are appropriate. The Portland Police Bureau will review video and images of today’s event in an attempt to identify people who were involved in criminal activity.”
Police had initially sounded a hopeful note in praising the day’s events as “peaceful.”
“We asked participants to peacefully and safely demonstrate and they did,” Police Chief Danielle Outlaw said in the first statement. “Those involved demonstrated the ability to exercise their rights in a peaceful manner, which we appreciate. Thanks to all those involved in the planning and collaboration on the law enforcement and partner side to make this a successful day.”
Portland has become a hotbed of violent confrontations in recent years between the left and right.
Tom Ozimek contributed to this article.
