“If these rioters don’t have the intestinal fortitude to show their faces, why are they in the street? You know who else masks their identities? You got it—terrorists.”
Crowds gathered across the United States to observe International Workers’ Day on May 1. Many used the opportunity to protest President Donald Trump’s policies on immigration. In what has become routine for the protesting crowd, mobs of masked protestors took to the streets in Portland for their latest temper tantrum.
The situation got so out of hand that rioters began throwing bottles at police and vandalizing businesses. Looking at pictures and videos of the incident reminds me of some type of war zone. These actions resulted in the protest permit being revoked for the serious safety risks being posed to those who were participating lawfully.
Elsewhere in the Northwest, similar incidents occurred. In Olympia, protestors turned violent and began firing rocks at officers using slingshots. Police ordered the protesters to disperse.
These groups of people causing so much destruction have effectively created dangerous conditions not only for those who assemble peaceably, but for the police officers charged with keeping the peace. It’s nearly impossible to see a protest or demonstration end without rioting. While 25 arrests were made following the Portland riot, that isn’t always the case.
Destroying businesses and throwing rocks through the windows of city hall are tactics reserved for terrorists. It’s disturbing to watch the footage of the riots and see all of these people in some kind of frenzy. What exactly is their malfunction? I don’t even know at this point the nature of their cause, because it’s been buried under the mountain of crimes they have committed.
I’m a huge supporter of the First Amendment. I support freedom of speech and the freedom to gather peaceably. However, I’m also a fan of showing my face when I have something to say. Why wear a mask? If these rioters don’t have the intestinal fortitude to show their faces, why are they in the street? You know who else masks their identities? You got it—terrorists.
Of course, many of these individuals hope to provoke the police to use force. That presents them with the perfect opportunity to assemble the social justice warriors and spread more hatred against police officers. These riots present a very real danger to the American people and national security as a whole.
With the outbreak of isolated terrorist attacks that have plagued Europe, these types of riots and protests present the perfect environment for radicalism to thrive. Regardless of political affiliation, this behavior must be condemned.
Things have gotten dangerous in the United States. The ironic thing is that these groups protesting President Trump’s policies as being unsafe and oppressive are the ones in the street setting random fires for no reason. They’re also attacking police officers and disgracing the United States.
Tagging police vehicles with spray paint and starting large bonfires only illustrates where the real danger lies. While college campuses across the country ban conservative words, thugs like this threaten the peace with actual physical acts of violence and crime.
