Representative Deb Haaland (D-N.M.) defended the violence of the far-left Antifa in an interview on CNN.
Over the weekend, Antifa rioted yet again in Portland, Oregon, as the right-wing group Proud Boys was planning another demonstration in the city. Multiple videos emerged showing numerous clear acts of violence from Antifa, including the left-wing mob chasing a little girl through the city streets, and throwing hammers at members of the Proud Boys.
After President Trump criticized the violent actions of Antifa and hinted at potentially labeling them as an “organization of terror,” Haaland claimed that Antifa members were “peaceful protesters working to safe guard their city from domestic terrorism,” according to The Daily Caller. By criticizing Antifa, Haaland claimed, the president was “[siding] with the white supremacists” and “the white nationalists,” who she says are “domestic terrorists in our country.”
Antifa has been responsible for numerous high-profile acts of violence in recent months, in liberal cities such as Portland and Berkeley, and have attacked bystanders as well as members of the press, with the most recent example being the assault on journalist Andy Ngo by an Antifa mob in Portland in June. Antifa rioters were also the catalyst for the violence in Charlottesville in August of 2017.
Despite the violence over the weekend, the Proud Boys have declared victory over Antifa, and have vowed to hold one demonstration per month in the city of Portland, where Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) has been accused of being complicit in Antifa violence and deliberately hindering law enforcement from cracking down on such chaos.