https://archive.ph/G9nPK https:// www. wsj. com/amp/articles/almost-half-of-federal-cases-against-portland-rioters-have-been-dismissed-11618501979

Almost Half of Federal Cases Against Portland Rioters Have Been Dismissed

Many charged in connection with violence surrounding last year’s racial-justice protests have completed community service and won’t be tried

By Aruna Viswanatha and Sadie Gurman Updated April 15, 2021 12:41 pm ET

Of 96 cases the U.S. attorney’s office in Portland filed last year charging protesters with federal crimes, including assaulting federal officers, civil disorder, and failing to obey, prosecutors have dropped 47 of them, government documents show. Ten people have pleaded guilty to related charges and two were ordered detained pending trial. None have gone to trial.

The penalties levied so far against any federal defendants, most of whom were arrested in clashes around federal buildings in Portland including the courthouse, have largely consisted of community service, such as working in a food bank or encouraging people to vote.

More than half of the around 30 so-called deferred resolution deals, in which prosecutors ask the court to drop cases once defendants complete volunteer work, were initiated last fall under the Trump administration, interviews and a review of cases shows. Prosecutors have continued to pursue such deals under President Biden.

Senior Trump Justice Department officials had pushed prosecutors to be aggressive in bringing a full slate of federal charges, including possibly sedition and racketeering, The Wall Street Journal previously reported, but no such charges were filed.

Federal prosecutors in Washington are pursuing more than 400 alleged members of the pro-Trump mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. While many Democrats say the government should make a priority of confronting violent right-wing extremism, some Republicans have cited last year’s events in Portland as evidence that violence by leftists or unaffiliated demonstrators poses a threat as well.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said at his confirmation hearing that while he was concerned about the Portland violence, he viewed the Capitol riot as a domestic extremist attack, seeing it as directed at interfering with government functions while the Portland violence targeted unoccupied buildings at night.

“Both are criminal,” he said, “but one is a core attack on our democratic institutions.”

Portland has again this week faced nighttime violence following peaceful protests over the Sunday killing of a 20-year-old Black man, Daunte Wright, by police in Minnesota. Police declared a riot on Monday night as a crowd of 200 gathered around a Portland government building and threw rocks and shot fireworks at officers, shattering windows and spraying graffiti, video shows.

No federal charges have been filed in connection with this week’s unrest, said Kevin Sonoff, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office. Portland Police cited only one arrest.

Federal law-enforcement officials said they tried to use criminal charges last year to deter the nightly violence. “All of our cases are handled on their own merits and our prosecutors have broad discretion on how each is resolved,” Mr. Sonoff said.

https://archive.ph/ZhE04 https://www.breitbart.com/law-and-order/2021/04/11/watch-antifa-sets-portland-ice-building-on-fire-with-officers-trapped-inside/

WATCH: Antifa Sets Portland ICE Building on Fire with Officers Trapped Inside

Twitter Video Screenshot/Andy Ngo

by BOB PRICE 11 Apr 20213,152

Antifa continued its months-long siege of the ICE facility in Portland on Saturday night. Videos posted on Twitter show the violence perpetrated by the Antifa rioters as they smashed windows and eventually set a fire on the front of the building while ICE officers remained trapped behind blocked doors.

“They then set it on fire while federal officers were inside,” independent journalist Andy Ngo tweeted. “Antifa also obscured the security cameras before launching the arson attack.”

“Burn the precinct to the ground,” Antifa protesters shouted as the fire raged.

Another video taken from above shows the scale of the fire as ICE officers respond from a rear exit of the facility.

https://archive.ph/5Gvj6 https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-portland-mayor-done-with-anarchist-mob-begs-public-to-help-unmask-rioters

Democrat Portland Mayor ‘Done’ With ‘Anarchist Mob,’ Begs Public To Help ‘Unmask’ Rioters

By  Emily Zanotti Apr 25, 2021   DailyWire.com

“The city is beginning to recover, but self-described anarchists who engage in regular criminal destruction don’t want things to open up, to recover,” Wheeler told Portland residents. “They want to prevent us from doing the work of making a better Portland for everyone. They want to burn, they want to bash.”

Wheeler who, back in June, pledged to divert millions from Portland law enforcement amid calls to “defund the police” (a position he reversed in March) said on Friday that he supports Portland police using all  “legal strategies” to handle the riots, including the controversial “kettling” maneuver, which has police routing protesters into a small area, allowing them out one by one after being processed and searched.

Wheeler said that Black Lives Matter has already stepped forward to denounce the destruction, and he is now asking Portland residents to turn in friends and neighbors they believe might be part of the “self-described anarchist mob” to authorities.

“Our job is to unmask them, arrest them and prosecute them,” he said, ”asking the public to contact the police and provide them with information about the rioters, write down their license plate numbers or film them when they commit acts of vandalism,” per The Washington Post.

“Together we can make a stand,” Wheeler added. “We’re doing what we can today. I’m also asking for your help to make a stand and take our city back.”

“Our community needs to resume their lives, people need to go back to work, employers need to be able to reopen,” he said.

Why do anything? It's not like mostly peaceful protestors of the correct political alignment ever lands in jail. Even when they tried to peacefully burn cops alive.

On the other hand, the DOJ considers poking your head through a broken door, conduct worthy of using lethal force, so they closed the investigation.

Seems fine.

https://archive.ph/B5jPf https:// www. justice. gov/usao-dc/pr/department-justice-closes-investigation-death-ashli-babbitt

Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Columbia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Department of Justice Closes Investigation into the Death of Ashli Babbitt

The investigation revealed no evidence to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer willfully committed a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 242.  Specifically, the investigation revealed no evidence to establish that, at the time the officer fired a single shot at Ms. Babbitt, the officer did not reasonably believe that it was necessary to do so in self-defense or in defense of the Members of Congress and others evacuating the House Chamber.  Acknowledging the tragic loss of life and offering condolences to Ms. Babbitt’s family, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and U.S. Department of Justice have therefore closed the investigation into this matter.

https://archive.ph/1pIjv

Erick Erickson‏Verified account @EWErickson· 13h13 hours ago 14 Apr 2021

Since people are doing the revisionist game tonight regarding Ashli Babbit, let's review what actually happened.

Undeterred, two men lifted Babbitt up through the smashed window in the door. She stuck her head through the door. A police officer shot her. She fell back and later died. It was all filmed.