Far-left Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley lent a helping hand to violent antifa agitators over the weekend after a number of them were arrested on assault and battery charges.
The two “Squad” members urged their followers on Twitter to contribute to the bail fund for the “counter-protesters” who tangled with law enforcement while protesting the Straight Pride Parade in Boston on Saturday. A masked Antifa protester told reporters that the violence was necessary in order to shut up Straight Pride marchers.
The FundRazr page said that the monies raised would go toward “any legal fees, as well as supplies for jail support.”
The purpose of the parade was to “take a stand for free speech and demonstrate that the ‘oppressed majority’ of straight Americans have just as much right to celebrate their sexuality as does the LGBTQ community,” organizer John Hugo told the Boston Herald. Organizers insisted that the parade was open to “all races, genders and sexual orientations.”
AOC urged her followers to contribute to the crowdfunding campaign to “support the local LGBTQ community impacted by Boston’s white supremacist parade.” Pressley thanked the “allies & accomplices who stood in the gap & laid their bodies on the line …”
One way to support the local LGBTQ community impacted by Boston’s white supremacist parade?
Contribute to the Bail Fund for the activists who put themselves on the line protecting the Boston community:https://t.co/z2NRSqHMve
(Any $ left over goes to @MassBailFund+@Boston_GLASS) https://t.co/G9xhIda6sF
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 1, 2019
The FundRazr page said that “fascists and white supremacists, under the front organization Super Happy Fun America, are descending on Boston,” vowing that “Boston will repel them with beautiful and bold direct action!”
However, the straight advocacy group Super Happy Fun America does not seem to be a “white supremacist organization,” as its parade featured several black speakers, according to the website.
Moreover, the “Grand Marshall” of the allegedly “homophobic” Straight Pride Parade was none other than the openly gay right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos.
The few hundred marchers in the parade were far outnumbered by the counter-protesters, according to local reports.
https://t.co/24ag6p8GYM
It's amazing how many of our fellow LGBTQ members came together to fight this. We can't stop bigotry or start change unless we stand together. #Pride2019— Jessie (@Jessica70303064) September 2, 2019
In the days leading up to the parade, Boston’s left-wing Mayor Martin Walsh urged Bostonians to “turn our backs on hatred.”
Following the parade, Walsh responded to complaints that the police used excessive force against the protesters: “Let me be clear that I take any accusation of police misconduct seriously,” he said in a statement. “I also want to be clear that sowing division between people is exactly the goal of Straight Pride organizers, and I will not stand for it.”
Boston police commissioner William Gross defended his officers, saying that “under difficult conditions, officers strove to ensure the safety of all at the parade,” according to the Herald.
Police said they used pepper spray after counter-protesters threw “milkshakes” at them, which sometimes include dangerous chemicals.
Video from the event showed marchers waving American and Israeli flags alongside a “Trump 2020” float as counter-protesters lined the sidewalks.
Here it is — Boston’s Straight Pride Parade. It’s kicked off with a Trump float with Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” playing. pic.twitter.com/idBbMVI7Kv
— Joey Garrison (@joeygarrison) August 31, 2019
Thirty-six people were arrested in total, including nine who were charged with assault and battery on a police officer. The other arrestees were charged with various crimes, including resisting arrest; disorderly conduct; assault; carrying a dangerous weapon, and assault by means of a dangerous weapon, according to a police log.
Boston PD has released log of arrested individuals from Saturday’s antifa counter-protest against the Straight Pride. They face an array of charges including battery of officers & assault using a dangerous weapon. Congresswomen AOC & A. Pressley expressed support for protesters. pic.twitter.com/OXAiIk2aWK
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) September 2, 2019
The Boston Herald reported that about 200 people were involved in the melee which was comprised mostly of counterprotesters comprised of far left groups and antifa.
Four officers sustained non-life-threatening injuries as they attempted to prevent the antifa-fueled counter-protesters from attacking the parade participants.
Black-clad agitators seemed to be causing the most trouble during the event by attempting to block a road and scuffling with police officers, according to reports. The agitators were armed with various weapons including razor blades.
Elijah Schaffer, a reporter for the Blaze, said Boston Antifa threw liquid on him while he was trying to engage in “civil dialogue.”
🚨ALERT🚨 Boston Antifa threatened me w/ assault, threw liquid on me, called me a N*zi, & refused to engage in civil dialogue.
They tried to form a mob around my crew, but we don’t play childish games. It’s hard to convince people you’re against fascism when u use their tactics pic.twitter.com/RDR8Tf9lEn
— E (@ElijahSchaffer) September 1, 2019
🚨 BREAKING 🚨 Protestors of the straight pride parade are blocking police as they attempt to break up the protest after permits ran out at 4pm EST. Protestors are being arrested right now by Boston police as they yell “cops and the klan go hand in hand” pic.twitter.com/YDfUsL1YS8
— E (@ElijahSchaffer) August 31, 2019
“The Herald witnessed counter-protesters getting into altercations with police officers and one self-identified member of the left-wing group Antifa told the paper that violence is the only option against the Straight Pride organizers.” https://t.co/bzZKoV8AvF
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) September 2, 2019
The head of the Boston Police Patrolman’s Union called for the full prosecution of the three dozen people arrested.
https://twitter.com/AdamMilstein/status/1168948148909350912?s=20
“They should all be prosecuted,” said Michael Leary, whose union represents Boston’s rank-and-file police officers. “We all just do our jobs and hope the courts do their jobs.”
Leary told the Herald, “We’re made up of laws, and people have to follow them. If you can do anything with impunity, that’s when things start to slide downhill and we end up in a bad place.”
Thanks to AOC and Pressley’s supportive tweets, the crowdfunding campaign for the antifa counter-protesters−some of whom attacked the police−surpassed its $15,000 goal, raising a total of $24,652 for their legal fees.