in BLM Riots

I covered ANTIFA as a TV reporter, here’s what news often leaves out

39 Comments

#Antifa #PortlandRiots #PortlandShootingSuspect The man who called himself “100% Antifa” on social media, sought for the murder of a Trump supporter in Portland, has been killed by law enforcement. As a journalist who covered Antifa in Seattle, I want to share my experience of what it’s like and how to better understand both their purpose and tactics. Many who are reporting on the group right now have very little if any direct experience with them. My old news station, KING TV, covered Antifa at least once a year on May Day, during which we prepared for protests to turn into riots with vandalism and violence by hiring security guards, wearing non-official gear, and bringing along first aid items. Though it was hard to distinguish between protestors wearing Antifa-like gear and “official Antifa” supporters, this video shares my experience of those events. A couple items to note in mainstream media coverage of Antifa is that outlets often fail to qualify Antifa as anticapitalist. In my experience, Antifa marches in areas known for retail like downtown Seattle. They also don’t need a racist or fascist organization to “confront” in order for them to take to the streets. Many of the protests or riots I covered where Antifa was present were filled with likeminded people. It can also be difficult to differentiate between Antifa, anarchists and black bloc protestors. Finally, what Antifa “stands for” depends on the person who considers themselves Antifa. It’s not, in my experience, a group like the Society of Professional Journalists that requires membership fees and has a thorough roster of members.

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Written by Alison Morrow

Comments

  6. Thank for your honesty!! In my opinion that is exactly what is missing from the “NEWS” nowadays.

    I don’t know what your political affiliation is and that is how it should be!!

  10. I like the clear cut just the facts it is what it is, here what I saw,draw your own conclusions, then topped off with a humane common sense outlook and opinion afterwards.. This is partly butterfly effect we see now. Absence of upbringing or too much of it. Not spanking your kids when they act up, or teach them about consequences and responsibilities.. To me the scariest part of all these isn't the mobs,it's how they are indoctrinated in the universities and colleges, and now even in starting in the elementary schools.. What type of society is the goal here..why the big shift from individualism to collectivism? I heard say 20yrs ago already we are changing from a me society to a we society, that was right around the time of internet becoming accessable to all.. email was kicking off dial up internet etc. This is part of the social curve of that..what was the first things big on the internet..porn and gambling…email..games..then came websites for all types of business.. socially was dating sites.. then Myspace.. Now social media.. the sad thing is people can't live without social media now..All these tools meant to bring us closer together are actually dehumanizing society and dividing and segregating society.. It's the new religion dare I say..some are moderate believer whole others are fanatics..hence the birth of identity politics and social justice.. the only real injustice is the lack of identity humanity has as humanity..people are people,live and let live what happened to that?

  20. I feel so bad for the law abiding citizens of Seattle ,Portland and Chicago that their Mayors and Governor’s have let them down by not allowing the Police to do their job. The the local and state government are truly responsible for the continued violence. If the violence was dealt with swiftly it would not be as it is today. IMHO, they state and local government should be charged for aiding the violence to continue.

  26. Actions speak louder than words:
    Antifa is NOT Anti Fascist, Antifa is IRONIC (opposite of what is claimed) Black Shirts (Italy), Brown Shirts (Germany), Mussolini and Hitler were FASCIST
    BLM Black Lives Matters are not apposed to racism, they are advocating Black Racism
    BLM Blue Lives Matter are not advocating upholding the Law (Constitution), they are advocating Superiority (Fascism) "This rule applies to thee, not me" = Fascism
    Capitalism is for Capitalists (Bankers). Bankers are also Fascist. The Red, White, and Blue communicates EQUALITY – "Equal Justice Under Law" = Republic
    Alison, your ignorance is profound, I've been studying the corruption for 28 years. To give you an idea search the word fasci and select IMAGES. Now ask yourself:
    If WW2 was a war of European Fascism vs. American Fascism; who won WW2? (Answer; The Fascist Bankers won WW2 because they funded BOTH sides!)

  35. Antifa is leftist terrorist organization? Really? Damn, we in EU are under impression they are right wing terrorist organization.
    So much about quality in american journalism.

  37. I no longer protest with antifa, as I don't think they still stand for anti-fascism, but I know back when I still did (here in Europe, US has always been a bit different), EVERY fight we (almost) got into, was when undercover police, known to us, or just ordinary police, mobilised explicitely extreme right protesters to attack us. I had to de-escalate situations MANY times, where cops came at us, dressed all black, unprovoked, literally kicking and screaming, while calling for back up, blocking the road behind us with police cars. They actually even used a picture where I pushed back a cop that was hitting an old peacefully protesting woman with a helmet, sitting next to me in a sitting protest against weapon lobby's, to show how "aggressive" we were (that wasn't even an antifa protest by the way, but "we" were there nonetheless, for obvious reasons. It's been a few years since that incident, and I had a few almost-fights before that as well, and we, as anarchists, have often seen how people we didn't know, or KNEW to be cops, started a small riot by smashing windows, dressed as "one of us".

    Then again, times have changed, and antifa in US has been very fascist in their approach of "anti-fascism", much like how governments keep claiming their international terrorism tools are "anti-terrorism". So I can no longer support antifa as a whole, and have withdrawn from protests, now living in a forest with rescue dogs, and just "fighting" my own battles, getting governments off my back through dialogue and not bending to their law. I even have made some "allies" that have grown to appreciate my way of living, and actually support t where they can within their systems.

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