Aug 16, 2020 2 min read

Protests far from peaceful

The Aug. 9 op-ed by Ben Bright, chairman of the Washington County Democratic Committee, was very entertaining. Perhaps Mr. Bright should pursue a career in writing fiction. His assertions that the Portland protests are “peaceful,” “organized by local activists,” and that the cause of the riots “can be traced back to the response of the local police departments” could not be further from the truth.

On the second day of the protests in late May, hundreds marched toward downtown Portland breaking windows, looting local businesses, and setting vehicles and buildings on fire. Losses were in the tens of millions of dollars. The mayor of Portland declared a state of emergency. Doesn’t sound very “peaceful” to me. The local police struggled that night and struggle to this day (some 70-plus days later) to contain these riots. That the riots were caused by the “response” of the police wildly stretches the imagination.

Even the liberal New York Times{/em} reported that the far-left anarchist organization antifa is playing a major role in Portland. The Oregonian{/em} reports that the Facebook and Twitter accounts of the militant “Pacific Northwest Youth Liberation Front” served as information hubs for the protests. Neither of these groups can be considered “local activists.”

There are many reports and video accounts showing the rioters destroying public and private property, attacking innocent citizens and generally creating havoc for its own sake. In short, you can either believe Ben Bright or believe your own eyes.

Jim Bennett

Burgettstown{&end}