Violence and vandalism in Portland, Seattle, and elsewhere continued to fester this past week, but left-wing activists also attempted to disrupt political and legal processes in the name of social justice. Here are some of the most egregious instances of politically motivated violence and intimidation from this week.
The stepson of a former Democratic state representative in Washington was charged Friday with assaulting a police officer, attempted arson, and reckless burning. Seattle police said the 19-year-old plotted assaults and fire bombings with "a high degree of sophistication" and touted his work "with pride." His stepmother, former representative Laura Ruderman, has advocated releasing him into her custody, saying he's "basically a good kid, straight ‘A' student."
In an attempt to re-create the chaos that accompanied the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation battle, protesters forced Capitol Police to arrest them after they blocked the door to a Senate office building in opposition to Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.
Kansas City activists claiming "all evictions are an act of violence" tried to chain shut the doors to Jackson County Courthouse Thursday. The 16th Judicial Circuit stated that it would not shut down legal proceedings based on this attempted intimidation from activists, saying "every citizen has a right to access the Courts."
Portland protesters smashed windows and doors and attempted to start a fire at the museum of the Oregon Historical Society, which states on its website it is "committed to the equitable treatment of all people and the elimination of discrimination in all forms." A commemorative quilt sewn by African-American women to honor pivotal moments in black history was also damaged, and Mayor Ted Wheeler (D.) called the acts "obscene."
A protest in Portland called the "Indigenous Peoples Day of Rage" defaced and toppled statues of Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. Protesters screamed, "F— all you colonizers" as they tore Roosevelt's statue down, and the base of the Lincoln statue had graffiti reading "stolen land."
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