VIDEOS show Antifa attacking bus, cornering right-wing protesters as Portland rally turns violent

Footage has emerged of several violent attacks by Antifa on right-wing demonstrators in Portland, Oregon. The clashes come as President Donald Trump threatened to designate the left-wing movement as an “organization of terror.”

Scuffles broke out in Portland after left-wing counter-protesters gathered in large numbers on Saturday for a rally of the right-wing Proud Boys, which Antifa consider neo-fascists.

Videos showed masked protesters attacking two buses that were carrying right-wing demonstrators. One skirmish saw “anti-fascists” smashing a door and throwing a hammer into one of the buses, before chasing the vehicle and hurling rocks. A hooded man could also be seen using pepper spray inside the bus.

Conflicting reports and additional video of the altercation suggest that the hammer may have been taken from a right-wing demonstrator during the skirmish.

Footage shows the door of the bus opening, with a right-wing protester swinging a hammer at Antifa members who had swarmed around the entrance of the vehicle.

Another disturbing attack shows a young girl and a man sporting a Spartan helmet and white T-shirt emblazoned with the words “I hate the left and racism” being cornered by a crowd of left-wing demonstrators after getting separated from the right-wing rally. A video shows the pair being surrounded, doused with water, and chased while a crowd chanted “Walk away.”

Another set of videos showed a middle-aged man lying motionless on the ground with a woman kneeling beside him. The woman appears to be shielding the man while trading insults with left-wing activists, who call her a “crazy b**ch.” She is then seen helping the dazed and apparently injured man walk through the parking lot as riot police watch on without intervening. The female angrily rejects an offer of help from another man. Reports on social media claim the man was beaten and maced by Antifa. The footage has been shared by conservative blogger and journalist Andy Ngo, who himself was beaten and splashed with milkshakes at a Proud Boys rally in June.

In another unsettling episode, a man in black was filmed wresting a US flag from an elderly protester, whose face and clothes were smeared with what appears to be a milkshake. The masked man then throws the flag away to cheers and applause from the crowd.

As tensions flared, Portland police declared a civil disturbance as the crowds were ignoring orders urging them against blocking the streets near Pioneer Courthouse Square. At least 13 people have been arrested so far, police spokeswoman Lt. Tina Jones said.

Five persons have been evaluated by medics, including one who had to be taken to hospital for further checks. All the injuries are believed to be minor, Jones said. An estimated 1,200 people showed up at the rally’s peak, according to police numbers.

Tensions were running high ahead of the rally, with police saying they confiscated metal poles, bear spray, shields and other weapons. In attempt to prevent the rival groups from squaring off with each other, police erected concert barriers and cordoned off streets and bridges.

As Portland was bracing itself for the showdown between the rival groups, Donald Trump added fuel to the fire, throwing his weight behind the idea of officially labeling Antifa an “organization of terror.” While the idea is not new, having previously been pushed by Republican lawmakers, US law lacks a mechanism that would allow it to recognize a domestic entity as a terrorist organization. Currently, only foreign groups can be designated as such.

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