Portland police and liberal officials target pro-Trump activists — Several arrested, warrants for others before Saturday’s rally

The Commissars of Portland and Multnomah County are sending  the police out to round up conservatives before a weekend rally.  Several pro-Trump activists were arrested over the last week, with warrants out for others, as the state officially files criminal charges stemming from the brawl that took place at antifa clubhouse Cider Riot. Furthermore, apparently district attorney Rod Underhill is attempting to file these charges without a proper indictment from a grand jury. None of the antifa people involved in the melee face any charges, despite them throwing beer bottles at the Trump crew, pepper -spraying media, assaulting a student filmmaker and vandalizing his camera, and even wacking one guy with a baton as he was retreating.

(Article by Brock Simmons republished from TheGatewayPundit.com)

So far Ian Kramer is in custody on multiple felony charges, Matthew “Deme” Cooper (of Airliner World and More on YouTube) originally faced misdemeanors of Harassment and Disorderly Conduct but now faces felony Riot, Mackenzie Lewis was arrested by the US Marshals on a charge of Riot, and now Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson is now being charged with Riot. Another person, Russell Schultz, was also picked up by US Marshals in Washington. Witnesses say Schultz was just standing around and didn’t do anything. Others who were there but not taking part, such as independent media, are now concerned that they could be indicted as part of the brawl, despite their passive behavior.

The purge has begun.

Meanwhile, not a single person involved in the attack on writer Andy Ngo has been identified or charged with anything. Far left activists have the permission and blessing from the politicians, police, and courts to do whatever they want.

The Oregonian reports:

“I think it’s a shame,” Gibson said on the radio program. “This is a complete attack on the First Amendment. I literally stood on a sidewalk and got attacked.”

The charge comes as police continue to arrest right-wing demonstrators accused of clashing with left-wing adversaries May 1 outside Cider Riot. It also comes to light two days before the dueling demonstrations, which have attracted national attention and are expected to draw hundreds to downtown.

The city’s mayor and police chief have promised a larger turnout by police on Saturday and vowed to use the full force of the law against those who commit acts of violence and vandalism.

The charge against Gibson stems from a May Day clash that ensued when about 20 right-wing protesters, including Gibson, arrived at Cider Riot, which was hosting a celebration that drew people who participated in demonstrations earlier in the day.

Video shows people using chemical spray and several people fighting.

Gibson’s lawyer, James Buchal, said none of the multiple videos from the Cider Riot altercation shows Gibson being violent.

“If Mr. Gibson’s conduct on May 1st constitutes ‘riot,’ so does the conduct of thousands of peaceful demonstrators who have appeared on the streets of Portland standing near violent Antifa members,” Buchal said in a statement. “The District Attorney’s decision to destroy constitutional protections against free speech by charging a peaceful protester with a crime of violence makes this a dark day for the rule of law in Oregon.”

What’s NOT being reported by mainstream is how Gibson found out about this. Apparently there was a “malfunction” on the Multnomah County district attorney’s website that accidentally revealed the data before it was intended to be made public. Gibson’s lawyer, James Buchal, made this post:

Today an alleged website malfunction at the office of the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office has revealed that the District Attorney (without waiting for his grand jury to indict), has rushed to file criminal charges against Mr. Joseph Gibson. The District Attorney claims that Mr. Gibson committed the crime of “riot” (ORS 166.015), which requires proof of “tumultuous and violent conduct” by Mr. Gibson. There are multiple videos of the events at Cider Riot, and not one of them shows Mr. Gibson engaging in violent conduct.

Mr. Gibson was repeatedly pepper-sprayed and spat upon by violent members of Antifa, none of whom have been arrested or charged for their conduct on May 1st. It is not as though the government is ignorant of the identity of the Antifa combatants; even now, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission refuses to release an investigative report about Cider Riot that Mr. Gibson requested long ago, which should identify other combatants.

These charges represent a total failure of the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office to distinguish between violent conduct and the exercise of First Amendment rights. Worse still, by arresting only one side of the alleged “riot,” the District Attorney of Multnomah County is by all appearances acting as a special prosecutor for Antifa.

These criminal proceedings are part and parcel of the dishonest campaign by Portland leaders to blame out-of-town demonstrators for violence that began and persists because Antifa wants to shut down any right-wing demonstrations in Portland. Antifa publicly asserts its insistence on shutting down these demonstrations by any means necessary, and to date, nearly all the perpetrators of Antifa violence have escaped justice.

If Mr. Gibson’s conduct on May 1st constitutes “riot,” so does the conduct of thousands of peaceful demonstrators who have appeared on the streets of Portland standing near violent Antifa members. The District Attorney’s decision to destroy constitutional protections against free speech by charging a peaceful protester with a crime of violence makes this a dark day for the rule of law in Oregon.

Read more at: TheGatewayPundit.com