WDBD FOX 40 Jackson MS Local News, Weather and Sports

WDBD Television for Jackson, MS

    fox-news/us/crime/antifa

    Defiant GOP mayor whose rally was attacked by Antifa plans to take back Portland: ‘It’s not funny anymore’

    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    The Oregon gubernatorial candidate whose campaign event in Portland was disrupted last weekend by members of Antifa laid out to Fox News Digital his plan to help his state and restore order to its largest city, which has seen soaring rates of crime amid an exodus of police in recent years.

    Stan Pulliam, 40, is serving his second term as mayor of Sandy, Oregon, his hometown of approximately 10,000 people about 27 miles east of Portland. In the crowded field of 19 people vying to become Oregon’s first Republican governor in 35 years, he remains one of the leading candidates ahead of the May 17 primary.

    ‘It’s not funny anymore’

    On April 30, the resource-strapped Portland Police Bureau (PPB) reportedly took more than 20 minutes to respond to an emergency call after masked, black-clad members of Antifa allegedly assaulted Pulliam’s campaign event just blocks from police headquarters in downtown Portland.

    By the time officers had “sufficient resources” to establish a crime scene near Southwest 3rd and Main Street, the demonstrators had already dispersed after hurling smoke grenades, paint-filled balloons and fireworks, according to police. Two were injured by “mortars,” police said.

    Antifa demonstrators protest near a rally for GOP gubernatorial candidate Stan Pulliam in Portland, Oregon, on April 30, 2022. (Photo courtesy Stan Pulliam campaign)

    Pulliam noted how Oregon’s largest city has gone from being somewhere he once enjoyed visiting for baseball games and Saturday markets to a place where he is afraid to take his two young daughters.

    “Portland always had this slogan: ‘Keep Portland Weird,’” Pulliam said. “And that was kind of funny, and people thought it was kind of fun. But it’s not funny anymore. It’s now dangerous.”

    ANTIFA ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTS PORTLAND GOP RALLYGOERS, UNDERSTAFFED POLICE STRUGGLE TO RESPOND

    Portland started to see a mass homelessness problem and an uptick in crime even before COVID-19, Pulliam explained, but the problems have surged in the wake of the shutdowns over the past two years.

    “The homeless crisis has only grown, and of course we had the 100 nights of riots after the murder of George Floyd,” he said. “And it’s just really been chaos and mayhem ever since.”

    A Black Lives Matter protester burns an American flag outside the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse on July 20, 2020, in Portland, Oregon. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

    Pulliam sees Portland’s problems as symptomatic of larger cultural issues afflicting the entire country because of widespread initiatives to defund the police and go soft on criminals. He noted how he recently drove by a local mall and saw a young kid crossing the street carrying a bunch of clothes with the tags still on them.

    “He didn’t have a fear in the world on his face, because he knew if I called 911, it would be at least 20 minutes until I got an operator. It would be several hours until the police arrived, and even if they did, they would write him a citation at best.”

    He placed particular blame at the feet of Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, who dropped charges against hundreds of people arrested during the 2020 protests in Portland for offenses that included interfering with cops, disorderly conduct, criminal trespass and rioting. Schmidt also made it more difficult to prosecute assaults on police officers.

    Mike Schmidt, Multnomah County district attorney, speaks to the media at City Hall on Aug. 30, 2020, in Portland, Oregon. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

    Under Schmidt’s catch and release policies, Pulliam said Oregon finds itself “entwined in the culture of no real ramifications, from crime to street living to riots.” A spokesperson said the district attorney’s office has no comment in response to Pulliam’s assertions, though Schmidt recently said the violence and property destruction in Portland over the past year is “unacceptable” as the county hemorrhages prosecutors and its homicide rate skyrockets.

    ‘We fought back’

    Pulliam traced his decision to jump in the race to a meeting he had with Sandy business owners a year and a half ago, when they were struggling under a second statewide COVID-19 lockdown.

    “I’m mayor of my hometown of Sandy, and business owners asked me to come and meet with them,” he said. “And when I looked those folks in the eyes, those were people that I’d grown up with. Those were my classmates. Those are people whose kids go to school with mine.”

    “So we made a decision that day, and we fought back,” he added.

    Republican Oregon gubernatorial candidate Stan Pulliam shakes hands with a supporter during a campaign stop in Troutdale, Oregon. (Photo courtesy Stan Pulliam campaign)

    In response to the extended emergency orders of Democratic Gov. Kate Brown, who is set to leave office with the highest gubernatorial disapproval ratings in the country, Pulliam sued her in federal court on behalf of Heart of Main Street, the Oregon Moms Union, as well as other people and businesses. He also took to the national stage to promote the “Open Oregon” movement in support of Oregon businesses defying the mandates.

    His wife, MacKensey, started the Oregon Moms Union to advocate for getting kids back to school full-time without masks or forced COVID-19 vaccinations. Now that students have returned, their focus has shifted to keeping critical race theory and age-inappropriate sex and gender identity curriculum out of the classroom.

    Republican gubernatorial candidate Stan Pulliam delivers a speech during a campaign stop. (Photo courtesy Stan Pulliam campaign)

    “So that led to this decision to really stand up for our community and our kids and run for governor,” Pulliam said, adding that addressing Portland’s “culture of criminality” has become another pillar of his platform. “And then we tried to have a little campaign event in Portland about that over the weekend, and of course, all this happens.”

    ‘People are tired of it’

    If elected as governor, Pulliam hopes to quell the rampant lawlessness by refunding the police, tripling the size of state law enforcement and putting armed National Guard on the front lines of any unrest, which he noted Brown refused to do when Portland descended into chaos in 2020.

    UNDERSTAFFED PORTLAND POLICE FORCED TO SHUTTER COLD CASE UNIT, DEAL ‘DEVASTATING’ BLOW FOR FAMILIES

    He also plans to deputize a small portion of Oregon State Police as U.S. marshals, which will empower them to send some criminals to federal court instead of what he described as Schmidt’s extreme, left-wing jurisdiction. He would also look to appoint a special prosecutor for state crimes as another way to circumvent Schmidt.

    “What I hope you hear I’m saying is that we’re going to do whatever is at our disposal to address the culture of criminality in the City of Portland and throughout the state,” he said.

    Republican Oregon gubernatorial candidate Stan Pulliam addresses a crowd during a campaign stop. (Photo courtesy Stan Pulliam campaign)

    In speaking to Oregonians all over the state, which is replete with deep-red pockets of rural voters, Pulliam said the overwhelming message he receives is that “they’re sick and tired of what’s going on.” He cited studies that show more than two thirds of small businesses are looking to leave Portland. He said residents are fleeing the city in droves and young families no longer feel comfortable visiting a place that was once on the cusp of becoming a world-class destination.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    “You would turn on the Food Channel or Travel Network, and you would see our chefs battling against some of the greatest chefs in the world,” Pulliam said. “We have the craft breweries and some of the greatest wines on the planet out here. This was really starting to become a place where people wanted to retire or visit to have fun in their 20s and 30s. And unfortunately, now this is a completely different place.”

    “People are tired of it, and they’re ready for a new direction and leadership,” he added.

    Expect Antifa terror to ramp up as abortion rallies hit the streets

    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    Violent Antifa activists are active again in Portland and Seattle, inspired by a leaked draft of a Supreme Court decision this week reversing Roe v. Wade. Neither city is ready for a repeat of Black Lives Matter-inspired left-wing riots and vandalism. But Antifa is now more dangerous than ever.

    Antifa operates most effectively during left-wing movements where they rely on partisan media outlets and like-minded politicians to either justify or ignore their violence. It’s one reason why they pose an enormous threat as pro-abortion activists take to the streets to protest a Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. 

    In 2020, after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Antifa extremists exploited the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. They viciously attacked cops and their political opponents (even murdering one), destroyed property, and took communities hostage with self-governing autonomous zones. They faced little resistance from BLM activists and politicians who benefited politically from the violence.

    ANTIFA ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTS PORTLAND GOP RALLYGOERS, UNDERSTAFFED POLICE STRUGGLE TO RESPOND

    The goal was to intimidate progressive politicians and silence opposition in order to defund, and eventually abolish, the police. They were largely successful, pushing progressive cities into sweeping changes to policing, while simultaneously cutting police budgets. 

    Police departments in the Pacific Northwest never recovered and now there’s the resurgence of Antifa. We may be in store for more “mostly peaceful” riots this spring and summer

    After the draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade leaked, a mob of activists formed at the Supreme Court. By the next day, the mob had grown, inspiring rallies and marches across the country, some turning in violent. In the Pacific Northwest, progressive activists never sit out a political fight.

    Hundreds of activists gathered at Lownsdale Square in downtown Portland to protest the Court’s decision. Holding signs claiming that “Women will die” and “We will not go backward,” activists promised to “abort the Supreme Court.” 

    Apparent antifa demonstrators protest near a GOP rally for gubernatorial candidate Stan Pulliam in Portland, Oregon. (Photo courtesy Stan Pulliam campaign)

    Later that evening, Antifa terrorists smashed windows of local businesses, vandalized property, and started fires. Police say the criminals threw incendiary devices at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse. There was one arrest

    ANTIFA MOB WREAKS HAVOC ON GOP CANDIDATE’S PORTLAND RALLY: ‘FROM ROSES TO RIOTS’

    Similarly, dozens of Antifa took part in a Seattle-based pro-abortion march. They appeared to have little interest in the actual issue, instead taking the opportunity to march to the East Police Precinct, the site of 2020’s Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, to chant, “I smell Nazis” while waving lit flares in the air. They held a sign reading, “Burn our rights, we burn ur state” with an anarchist symbol. While on the march, they allegedly destroyed a local TV station’s video equipment.

    The writing is on the wall: Antifa terrorists are poised to use the pro-abortion movement to continue the violent streak they temporarily ceased when the BLM movement fizzled. 

    In both Portland and Seattle, activists vow nightly protests. They’re egged on by Seattle’s far-left Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who demands her supporters “take to the streets,” a tone and message identical to what inspired BLM rioters. And they’re doing it at a time when police departments aren’t staffed to handle marches and Antifa violence.

    FILE – Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., speaks with reporters outside the U.S. Capitol Building on Nov. 18, 2021 in Washington.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

    The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) has only 772 sworn members, with just 329 patrol officers between three precincts as the city is on pace to exceed last year’s record-high homicide rate. The police chief believes they should be staffed at 1,100 members. They’re so short that the PPB had to cut its cold case department to move detectives and a supervisor to homicide.

    In Seattle, the staffing crisis is even more dire. With roughly 880 officers, the department is short over 500 from the city’s new goal of 1,400 total deployable officers. The Seattle Police Department is forced to augment patrols to meet daily minimum safe staffing levels in every precinct across every watch, borrowing detectives from non-patrol units to respond to 911 calls. Still, as violent crime surges, police are not able to respond to emergencies within a reasonable amount of time. 

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER

    This provides Antifa with ample opportunity to organize and execute whatever new savage plans they’ve concocted over the last several months. And we’re already seeing their old strategies at work.

    Members of the far-right group Proud Boys and anti-fascist protesters spray bear mace at each other during clashes between the politically opposed groups on Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Alex Milan Tracy) (AP Photo/Alex Milan Tracy)

    They openly organize “direct action” online, not hiding their plans to “gear up” and cause problems. Antifa thugs plan to break the law, so they wear uniforms in the form of black-bloc to conceal their identities from law enforcement. 

    Online, Antifa and their enablers monitor police scanners, tweeting out intel to their comrades marching on the streets. And when they discover media members the movement deems unfriendly are covering their movement, they send coded (and not so coded) messages online for thugs on the ground to harass or threaten their targets. I’ve experienced this Antifa threat several times while covering their movement in the Pacific Northwest. 

    Though they often take baby steps before bold chaos, Antifa’s tactics are consistent, so you’d think they’d be easier to control. But with diminished police forces they pose a much greater danger now than they did during the BLM riots.

    Antifa is most active in the Pacific Northwest and this time, they may be organizing their terror as police departments are starved of resources and staff. Police were barely able to handle sustained Antifa violence before they were defunded and experienced a mass exodus of staff. What do you think happens when departments that are down hundreds of cops are faced with armed criminals causing chaos? 

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    Portland and Seattle residents may rue the day they let their Democratic political leaders dismantle their respective police departments. 

    Antifa, however, may celebrate the ease by which they are able to wreak havoc once again. 

    CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM JASON RANTZ

    Expect Antifa terror to ramp up as abortion rallies hit the streets

    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    Violent Antifa activists are active again in Portland and Seattle, inspired by a leaked draft of a Supreme Court decision this week reversing Roe v. Wade. Neither city is ready for a repeat of Black Lives Matter-inspired left-wing riots and vandalism. But Antifa is now more dangerous than ever.

    Antifa operates most effectively during left-wing movements where they rely on partisan media outlets and like-minded politicians to either justify or ignore their violence. It’s one reason why they pose an enormous threat as pro-abortion activists take to the streets to protest a Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. 

    In 2020, after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Antifa extremists exploited the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. They viciously attacked cops and their political opponents (even murdering one), destroyed property, and took communities hostage with self-governing autonomous zones. They faced little resistance from BLM activists and politicians who benefited politically from the violence.

    ANTIFA ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTS PORTLAND GOP RALLYGOERS, UNDERSTAFFED POLICE STRUGGLE TO RESPOND

    The goal was to intimidate progressive politicians and silence opposition in order to defund, and eventually abolish, the police. They were largely successful, pushing progressive cities into sweeping changes to policing, while simultaneously cutting police budgets. 

    Police departments in the Pacific Northwest never recovered and now there’s the resurgence of Antifa. We may be in store for more “mostly peaceful” riots this spring and summer

    After the draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade leaked, a mob of activists formed at the Supreme Court. By the next day, the mob had grown, inspiring rallies and marches across the country, some turning in violent. In the Pacific Northwest, progressive activists never sit out a political fight.

    Hundreds of activists gathered at Lownsdale Square in downtown Portland to protest the Court’s decision. Holding signs claiming that “Women will die” and “We will not go backward,” activists promised to “abort the Supreme Court.” 

    Apparent antifa demonstrators protest near a GOP rally for gubernatorial candidate Stan Pulliam in Portland, Oregon. (Photo courtesy Stan Pulliam campaign)

    Later that evening, Antifa terrorists smashed windows of local businesses, vandalized property, and started fires. Police say the criminals threw incendiary devices at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse. There was one arrest

    ANTIFA MOB WREAKS HAVOC ON GOP CANDIDATE’S PORTLAND RALLY: ‘FROM ROSES TO RIOTS’

    Similarly, dozens of Antifa took part in a Seattle-based pro-abortion march. They appeared to have little interest in the actual issue, instead taking the opportunity to march to the East Police Precinct, the site of 2020’s Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, to chant, “I smell Nazis” while waving lit flares in the air. They held a sign reading, “Burn our rights, we burn ur state” with an anarchist symbol. While on the march, they allegedly destroyed a local TV station’s video equipment.

    The writing is on the wall: Antifa terrorists are poised to use the pro-abortion movement to continue the violent streak they temporarily ceased when the BLM movement fizzled. 

    In both Portland and Seattle, activists vow nightly protests. They’re egged on by Seattle’s far-left Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who demands her supporters “take to the streets,” a tone and message identical to what inspired BLM rioters. And they’re doing it at a time when police departments aren’t staffed to handle marches and Antifa violence.

    FILE – Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., speaks with reporters outside the U.S. Capitol Building on Nov. 18, 2021 in Washington.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

    The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) has only 772 sworn members, with just 329 patrol officers between three precincts as the city is on pace to exceed last year’s record-high homicide rate. The police chief believes they should be staffed at 1,100 members. They’re so short that the PPB had to cut its cold case department to move detectives and a supervisor to homicide.

    In Seattle, the staffing crisis is even more dire. With roughly 880 officers, the department is short over 500 from the city’s new goal of 1,400 total deployable officers. The Seattle Police Department is forced to augment patrols to meet daily minimum safe staffing levels in every precinct across every watch, borrowing detectives from non-patrol units to respond to 911 calls. Still, as violent crime surges, police are not able to respond to emergencies within a reasonable amount of time. 

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE OPINION NEWSLETTER

    This provides Antifa with ample opportunity to organize and execute whatever new savage plans they’ve concocted over the last several months. And we’re already seeing their old strategies at work.

    Members of the far-right group Proud Boys and anti-fascist protesters spray bear mace at each other during clashes between the politically opposed groups on Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Alex Milan Tracy) (AP Photo/Alex Milan Tracy)

    They openly organize “direct action” online, not hiding their plans to “gear up” and cause problems. Antifa thugs plan to break the law, so they wear uniforms in the form of black-bloc to conceal their identities from law enforcement. 

    Online, Antifa and their enablers monitor police scanners, tweeting out intel to their comrades marching on the streets. And when they discover media members the movement deems unfriendly are covering their movement, they send coded (and not so coded) messages online for thugs on the ground to harass or threaten their targets. I’ve experienced this Antifa threat several times while covering their movement in the Pacific Northwest. 

    Though they often take baby steps before bold chaos, Antifa’s tactics are consistent, so you’d think they’d be easier to control. But with diminished police forces they pose a much greater danger now than they did during the BLM riots.

    Antifa is most active in the Pacific Northwest and this time, they may be organizing their terror as police departments are starved of resources and staff. Police were barely able to handle sustained Antifa violence before they were defunded and experienced a mass exodus of staff. What do you think happens when departments that are down hundreds of cops are faced with armed criminals causing chaos? 

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    Portland and Seattle residents may rue the day they let their Democratic political leaders dismantle their respective police departments. 

    Antifa, however, may celebrate the ease by which they are able to wreak havoc once again. 

    CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM JASON RANTZ

    Antifa mob wreaks havoc on GOP candidate’s Portland rally: ‘From roses to riots’

    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    Sandy, Oregon mayor and Republican gubernatorial candidate Stan Pulliam is devastated after an alleged Antifa group disrupted his “Fund the Police” rally in Portland on Saturday.

    Prepared to throw firecrackers at attendees and deface campaign materials, the group brought a reminder of its “anti-fascist” message that often finds itself on the opposing end of free speech supporters.

    UNDERSTAFFED PORTLAND POLICE FORCED TO SHUTTER COLD CASE UNIT, DEAL ‘DEVASTATING’ BLOW FOR FAMILIES

    Apparent antifa demonstrators protest near a GOP rally for gubernatorial candidate Stan Pulliam in Portland, Oregon. (Photo courtesy Stan Pulliam campaign)

    During a Monday interview with “Fox & Friends First” guest host Joey Jones, Pulliam described the developments as “unbelievable.”

    “The city of Portland – from roses to riots. As a statewide candidate for governor, we should be able to go to the largest metropolitan community of our state and have a peaceful campaign rally,” he said.

    “Of course, less than 15 minutes in, we’re greeted by Antifa, showing up with firecrackers that they’re throwing at us, paint, feces all over our campaign [signs], our campaign bus completely destroyed…”

    One of the projectiles hurled at GOP rallygoers in downtown Portland on April 30, 2022. (Photo courtesy Stan Pulliam campaign)

    Pulliam used the instance to illustrate the state of Portland and to remind viewers that he would act as a fighter for the people of his state.

    He also weighed in on claims that Antifa is fictitious, saying that certain naysayers denied that the development took place.

    WHAT IS ANTIFA, THE FAR-LEFT GROUP TIED TO VIOLENT PROTESTS?

    “It’s unbelievable. We have video footage evidence that’s all over Twitter, all over social media, the local news has picked it up, and just like you say, they’re claiming it didn’t even happen,” he said.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    Pulliam pointed to the wave of violent crime, including riots and homicides, and to a shortage of law enforcement which prompted a 20-minute wait for a 911 operator after attendees attempted to call the police.

    Pulliam added these examples in stressing the need for change.

    “That’s why we’re running for governor,” he said. “Republicans are looking for a fighter, and we’re going to take this fight all the way to the governor’s office.”

    Florida man with Antifa gear allegedly targets January 6 rally, police find explosives at home

    A Florida man was arrested after running away from a protest in support of a Jan. 6 rioter, and was found with a pipe explosive device in his backpack, police said.

    Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said in a Friday press conference that Garrett Smith, 22, was seen running away from a crowd of 85 protesters who were gathering in support of Jeremy Brown on Thursday, claiming that he is a “political prisoner.”

    Smith was arrested by police shortly after 7:30 p.m., and police searched his backpack and found a pipe explosive device, along with a “Direct Action Checklist,” which lists what clothing he wore, along with “gear,” including a “gas mask and filters, pepper spray, smoke rockets and flammable rags,” according to Gualtieri.

    ANTIFA FINALLY FACING CONSEQUENCES, BUT READY FOR A NEW FIGHT

    Smith’s alleged backpack, helmet, and pipe-type explosive that were found at the scene. (Credit: Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office)

    The helmet that Smith was allegedly wearing contains the “iron front” logo, which has been used by Antifa groups.

    The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad determined that the explosive device was active, and cleared the area of the protest.

    After obtaining a search warrant for Smith’s residence, law enforcement officers found another pipe-type explosive device and “hand grenade type explosives.” 

    • Alleged explosives that law enforcement authorities found at Smith’s residence. (Credit: Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office) ((Credit: Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office))

    • Explosives that law enforcement authorities found allegedly belonging to Smith. (Credit: Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office) ((Credit: Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office))

    According to Gualtieri, Smith refused to talk with law enforcement officials and police were unable to determine any motive or possible political leanings.

    “Smith refused to give any information, he refused to talk to deputies, so we really have no idea as to what his political leanings are and whether he supported or opposed the protesters at the jail. We also don’t know exactly what his plan was or why Smith was running away from the protest area when he was apprehended by deputies and before he had an opportunity to detonate the explosive device,” Gualtieri said.

    ANTIFA ACTIVIST RECEIVED PROBATION AFTER ATTACKING GOP SENATOR’S OFFICE WITH AN AXE

    • Smith’s alleged “Direct Action Checklist.” (Credit: Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office) ((Credit: Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office))

    • Smith’s alleged “Direct Action Checklist.” (Credit: Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office) ((Credit: Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office))

    Smith has also recently traveled to Portland, Oregon, according to the official.

    Gualtieri said that people such as Smith are among the “most concerning individuals” because of the lack of criminal history.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    “Smith has no criminal history, no social media accounts that we can find, and there’s no prior intelligence information about Smith. Smith is what we call a sleeper, and these are the most concerning individuals because there’s no opportunity to intervene and thwart their criminal activity until they actually act,” Gualtieri said.

    Smith is being held on a $300,250 bond and was charged with three counts of possession or discharge of a destructive device as well as one count of loitering and prowling.

    “We’re fortunate in this situation that something caused Smith to flee before he ignited the explosive device and the deputies were able to apprehend him,” Gualtieri said.

    Left-wing activist charged in Capitol riot after saying he was just there to ‘document’

    A left-wing activist who told Fox News last week that he’d followed a pro-Trump mob into the Capitol in order to “document” the siege is now the subject of a criminal complaint in connection with his alleged participation, according to the Justice Department.

    John Sullivan can allegedly be heard egging on protesters in video he provided to the FBI, according to a federal criminal complaint. He has also shared the video to his YouTube and Twitter accounts under the pseudonym Jayden X.

    BLM ACTIVIST INSIDE CAPITOL CLAIMS HE WAS ‘DOCUMENTING’ RIOTS, ONCE SAID ‘BURN IT ALL DOWN’

    Inside the building, he told rioters that “We gotta get this s— burned,” and “it’s our house m————,” according to an affidavit signed by FBI Special Agent Matthew Foulger.

    He faces federal charges of civil disorder, entering a restricted building and violent entry or disorderly conduct.

    Sullivan also allegedly told Foulger that he had been in the Capitol during the riot, entering through a broken window while wearing a ballistic vest.

    As protesters climbed over a wall near the Capitol entrance, he allegedly exclaimed in the video, “You guys are f—— savage. Let’s go!”

    “There are so many people,” Sullivan’s voice can be heard saying as the camera shows a large group of people making its way toward the building. “Let’s go. This s— is ours! F– yeah. I can’t believe this is reality.”

    John Early Sullivan — A Utah activist who faces criminal charges in connection with a Provo protest he organized in June said he attended a pro-Trump rally that turned into a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol in order to see “the truth” about the protests for himself and the organization he represents.
    (Utah County Sheriff’s Office)

    “We accomplished this s—,” he said at another point “We did this together. F— yeah! We are all a part of this history.”

    In an interview with Rolling Stone published Wednesday, Sullivan said he was putting on an act to build rapport with the protesters.

    “I had to relate to these people, and build trust in the short amount of time I had there to get where I need to go,” he told the magazine. “To the front of the crowd to see the dynamic between the police and the protesters, because nobody wants to see the backs of people’s heads from a far-off distance.”

    He apparently made it there. During the unrest, he tweeted up-close video of the moment a Capitol Police officer fatally shot Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt during the riot. It had been taken just a few feet away, at the height of the chaos outside the Speaker’s Lobby.

    Investigators used this detail and other aspects of the video to confirm Sullivan’s alleged whereabouts within the Capitol, they said.

    Sullivan, the founder of a Utah-based group called Insurgence USA, told Fox News last Thursday that he’d entered the besieged Capitol to “document” what was going on and to dispute “this narrative going around” that Antifa instigators had played a role in the riot.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    While he has denied ties to Antifa in recent interviews, his group Insurgence USA had advertised an event called “Kick These Fascists out of DC” on Wednesday around the same time as a pro-Trump rally near the National Mall that preceded the Capitol chaos.

    Antifa is short for “anti-fascist.”

    After the Trump rally, a mob of demonstrators breached the Capitol, ransacked congressional offices, and stormed the Senate floor, prompting a chorus of condemnations from members of both major parties. The breach interrupted a joint session of Congress aimed at validating Joe Biden as president-elect. Congress reconvened later in the evening and finished the process.

    Sullivan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Fox News’ Sam Dorman contributed to this report.

    Left-wing activist charged in Capitol riot after saying he was just there to ‘document’

    A left-wing activist who told Fox News last week that he’d followed a pro-Trump mob into the Capitol in order to “document” the siege is now the subject of a criminal complaint in connection with his alleged participation, according to the Justice Department.

    John Sullivan can allegedly be heard egging on protesters in video he provided to the FBI, according to a federal criminal complaint. He has also shared the video to his YouTube and Twitter accounts under the pseudonym Jayden X.

    He was charged Thursday in federal court in Washington, D.C. after being arrested by the FBI. He remains in custody in Toeele County, in his home state of Utah, on a U.S. Marshals Service hold request.

    (Toeele County Sheriff’s Office)

    BLM ACTIVIST INSIDE CAPITOL CLAIMS HE WAS ‘DOCUMENTING’ RIOTS, ONCE SAID ‘BURN IT ALL DOWN’

    Inside the building, he told rioters that “We gotta get this s— burned,” and “it’s our house m————,” according to an affidavit signed by FBI Special Agent Matthew Foulger.

    He faces federal charges of civil disorder, entering a restricted building and violent entry or disorderly conduct.

    Sullivan also allegedly told Foulger that he had been in the Capitol during the riot, entering through a broken window while wearing a ballistic vest.

    As protesters climbed over a wall near the Capitol entrance, he allegedly exclaimed in the video, “You guys are f—— savage. Let’s go!”

    “There are so many people,” Sullivan’s voice can be heard saying as the camera shows a large group of people making its way toward the building. “Let’s go. This s— is ours! F– yeah. I can’t believe this is reality.”

    “We accomplished this s—,” he said at another point “We did this together. F— yeah! We are all a part of this history.”

    an affidavit signed by FBI Special Agent Matthew Foulger.” src=”https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2021/01/640/320/Capitol-Hill-Siege-FBI-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1″>

    Inside the building, Sullivan told rioters that “We gotta get this s— burned,” and “it’s our house m————,” according to an affidavit signed by FBI Special Agent Matthew Foulger.
    (FBI)

    In an interview with Rolling Stone published Wednesday, Sullivan said he was putting on an act to build rapport with the protesters.

    “I had to relate to these people, and build trust in the short amount of time I had there to get where I need to go,” he told the magazine. “To the front of the crowd to see the dynamic between the police and the protesters, because nobody wants to see the backs of people’s heads from a far-off distance.”

    He apparently made it there. During the unrest, he tweeted up-close video of the moment a Capitol Police officer fatally shot Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt during the riot. It had been taken just a few feet away, at the height of the chaos outside the Speaker’s Lobby.

    A screengrab from Sullivan’s video outside the Capitol
    (FBI)

    Investigators used this detail and other aspects of the video to confirm Sullivan’s alleged whereabouts within the Capitol, they said.

    Sullivan, the founder of a Utah-based group called Insurgence USA, told Fox News last Thursday that he’d entered the besieged Capitol to “document” what was going on and to dispute “this narrative going around” that Antifa instigators had played a role in the riot.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    While he has denied ties to Antifa in recent interviews, his group Insurgence USA had advertised an event called “Kick These Fascists out of DC” on Wednesday around the same time as a pro-Trump rally near the National Mall that preceded the Capitol chaos.

    Another screengrab showing protective equipment
    (FBI)

    Antifa is short for “anti-fascist.”

    After the Trump rally, a mob of demonstrators breached the Capitol, ransacked congressional offices, and stormed the Senate floor, prompting a chorus of condemnations from members of both major parties. The breach interrupted a joint session of Congress aimed at validating Joe Biden as president-elect. Congress reconvened later in the evening and finished the process.

    Sullivan, who was still in custody Thursday, could not be reached for comment.

    Fox News’ Sam Dorman contributed to this report.

    Barr: Without feds, ‘no doubt’ Antifa violence would metastasize to other communities outside Portland

    Attorney General William Barr told Congress on Tuesday that he had “no doubt” violence would spread to other communities if rioters in Portland, Ore., succeeded in destroying the federal courthouse in the city.

    He was responding to Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who had asked about constituent concerns that violent demonstrations could metastasize to other areas of the country.

    “If you did what my Democrat colleagues were asking — if you merely abandoned that federal property, allowed it to be overrun, allowed the people inside to be harmed, is it your view then that Antifa and other violent people engaged in these acts would simply stop, would merely accept that as their sole victory?” Gaetz asked during Tuesday’s House Judiciary Committee hearing.

    “Or is it your expert opinion … that they wouldn’t stop, that they would go to the next town, to the next community and potentially inspire more violence?”

    CBP CHIEF BLASTS ’10-YEAR-OLD’ PORTLAND MAYOR, SAYS LACK OF COOPERATION COULD BE ‘DEADLY’

    Barr responded: “There’s no doubt in my mind that it would spread.” His comments came as Democratic politicians accused the administration of provoking violence by maintaining a presence in Portland.

    Earlier in the hearing, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., said Trump was trying to “divert attention” from the coronavirus by creating “the impression that there is violence — that he must send in federal troops, and that the American people should be afraid of other Americans and trust the president because he’s going to send in troops to American cities — and that’s how he hopes to win the election.”

    “You know, it’s one thing to fight crime with joint task forces. That involves the cooperation of state and local officials — but the governor of Oregon and the mayor of Portland has asked that the federal troops leave, because the reaction has actually been in reverse proportion. People are showing up because the troops are there. And I’d like to say that so many of them, I would say most of them are nonviolent.”

    House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler similarly pressed Barr on whether he sought to use law enforcement as a “prop” for Trump’s re-election efforts.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan, whose agents are in Portland, has labeled as “outrageous” the idea that the federal presence was exacerbating unrest in the city. Morgan previously told Fox News that “the minute” his federal agents leave, the country will see the courthouse go up in flames.

    In the wake of George Floyd’s death, protests — including from Antifa — popped up around the country and sometimes turned violent or destructive. That included destruction of public property and attacks on law enforcement. As Barr and Morgan have noted, several CBP agents were injured in the Portland unrest.

    For example, three federal agents may suffer permanent blindness after allegedly encountering laser attacks from the crowd.

    Rep. Doug Collins: Why do Dems support anarchist activity over law and order?

    Democrats hellbent on attacking Attorney General William Barr and President Trump need to examine why they support anarchist activity over law and order, Georgia Republican Rep. Doug Collins said Tuesday.

    In an interview on “Fox & Friends,” Collins said that he has lately questioned House Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and his ability to perform his duties chairing the committee.

    On Sunday, Nadler was heard on camera saying that Antifa in Portland, Ore., which has experienced more than 60 consecutive nights of protests and violence, is “a myth that is being spread only in Washington, D.C.”

    ANTIFA IS ‘VERY REAL’ AND ‘VERY DANGEROUS,’ REP. JORDAN SAYS, REACTING TO REP. NADLER’S CLAIM THE MOVEMENT SPARKING VIOLENCE IS ‘A MYTH’

    “[He is] so willing to turn a blind eye because of his personal animus toward the President of the United States, which is being sort of oddly transferred to Bill Barr,” Collins remarked.

    The congressman told host Trace Gallagher that attacking the president, his appointees, and the administration has become “an obsession” for Nadler and Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for the last 19 months.

    Demonstrators light a fire during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse Monday, July 27, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

    “[And,] they ignore the obvious of the thugs and the Antifa and the groups that are going after our federal facilities in Portland. We’ve seen it in Seattle. We’ve unfortunately seen it in Atlanta with the ICE facility this weekend. This has got to stop,” he said. “Lawlessness has to stop”

    And, if it doesn’t, Collins warned Barr would “lay that out very clearly” during his Tuesday testimony at the U.S. Capitol.

    “The Democrats are going to have to figure out why they support this anarchist activity over law and order for these cities,” he added.

    Antifa has no defined organizational hierarchy or membership process. The collection of autonomous Antifa groups in mostly left-wing cities sees itself as a descendant of the European anti-Nazi movements, and generally agrees that the best way to combat ideas they find odious is not through speech or debate, but by direct action and physical confrontation.

    In May, President Trump announced that the U.S. government would designate Antifa as a terrorist organization.

    Gallagher asked Collins if he thought Democrats would “go after” Barr following the deployment of federal agents to cities like Portland.

    Collins confirmed he believed they would.

    “They have tried so many times to throw everything on the wall to get at Bill Barr, to get at the president. We’re going to see more of it today,” he replied.

    CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP 

    Collins said Democrats would do “anything they can” to “score political points.”

    “Because unfortunately, it seems like Jerry Nadler is more concerned about being a political arm in the Judiciary Committee for the DNC than he is actually being a chairman of the committee,” he concluded.

    White House downplays Minnesota claims of far-right role in riots, in dispute over who’s fueling violence

    White House National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien downplayed on Sunday reports that far-right and white supremacist groups were involved in stoking the violence at protests nationwide this weekend following the death of an unarmed black man in Minneapolis last Monday.

    While O’Brien did not specifically rule out far-right involvement in the protests over the killing of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police officers, he said he has not seen reports of their connection to the protests and instead blamed the violence and looting on radical leftist groups like Antifa.

    “I haven’t seen reports of far-right groups,” O’Brien said in an interview Sunday morning on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “This is being driven by Antifa.”

    O’Brien added that he supports the right to protest, but that the demonstrations can’t be coopted by far-left groups hoping to sow chaos and unrest against law enforcement.

    “We want peaceful protesters who have real concerns about brutality and racism. They need to be able to go to the city hall. They need to be able to petition their government and let their voices be heard,” he said. “They can’t be hijacked by these left wing Antifa militants who are burning down primarily communities in the African-American sections and the Hispanic sections of our city where immigrants and hardworking folks are trying to get a leg up and they’re having their businesses burned by these radicals.”

    MINNESOTA GOVERNOR, MAYOR SLAMMED BY LOCAL PRESS, POLITICIANS FOR RESPONSE TO DEATH, RIOTING

    As cities from New York to Los Angeles grapple with protests over the killing of Floyd – and the rioting and looting that have accompanied them in many areas – state and federal officials seem to be at odds over who to blame for the violence that has accompanied the demonstrations.

    President Trump has continually blamed Antifa – short for anti-fascist – and the “radical left” for carrying out and encouraging the violence, which has included destruction of police cars, buildings set ablaze and widespread looting.

    “We can have our military there very quickly,” he said. “They’ve got to be tough, they’ve got to be strong, they’ve got to be respected, because these people, these Antifa — it’s a lot of radical left, bad people — and they’ve got to be taught that you can’t do this.”

    Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other officials have suggested that organized outsiders, including but not limited to anarchists, white supremacists and gangs from other states, were behind the destruction and chaos in Minneapolis.

    “We are now confronting white supremacists, members of organized crime, out of state instigators, and possibly even foreign actors to destroy and destabilize our city and our region,” Frey tweeted Saturday.

    On Sunday, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison also said that people from outside his state have been the cause of the violence and claimed to have evidence to back up his assertion.

    FOX NEWS CREW HARASSED, CHASED BY ANGRY MOB WHILE REPORTING ON PROTESTS OUTSIDE WHITE HOUSE 

    “We have evidence that outsiders have been present and, in some cases, have played a very negative role. But I’ve been talking with protesters and trying to get a sense of who some of these folks are and I’ve heard mixed things,” Ellison said on “Fox News Sunday.’ “Some of the negative stuff has come from people in Minnesota and some of it has come from people on the outside. What I’d say is we’ve got enough to handle on our own and that what we really need to do is refocus on justice for Mr. Floyd. And the negative behavior, looting, arson, does not help us achieve that goal.”

    Ellison’s comments – and those of other Minnesota elected officials – about outside agitators contributing to the unrest, however, was countered on Saturday by a report showed that “about 86 percent” of arrests so far are mostly of in-state residents.

    A report by KARE 11 showed “about 86 percent” of the 36 arrests listed their address in Minnesota, and that they live in Minneapolis or the metro area, according to data the outlet analyzed from the Hennepin County Jail’s roster. Five out-of-state cases came from Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Michigan and Missouri, according to KARE 11.

    CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

    A source within the Department of Justice told Fox News that the information it is receiving on outside provocateurs is coming from the local officials. The source did not specify who the agitators were.

    The protests have been sparked by video that showed a police officer kneeling on the unarmed Floyd’s neck for several minutes before he died, seen by protesters as the latest incident of police brutality against black men.

    The police officer, 44-year-old Derek Chauvin, has been fired from the Minneapolis force and charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. He also was accused of ignoring another officer who expressed concerns about Floyd as he lay handcuffed on the ground, pleading that he could not breathe while Chauvin pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes.

    Chauvin faces more than 12 years in prison if convicted.

    Fox News’ Brooke Singman, Ronn Blitzer and Adam Shaw contributed to this report.