One Hundred Percent Antifa Has Recorded One Death So Far
Antifa has clashed with far-right protesters before resulting in scuffles and beatdowns, but this clash resulted in a life being taken by a man who claimed to be “100% Antifa”
The man suspected in a deadly shooting in Portland, Oregon has been identified as Michael Forest Reinoehl, 48, who is now at the center of an investigation stemming from the death of Aaron Danielson a/k/a Jay Bishop, a “supporter” of the right-wing Patriot Prayer.
Inevitably, supporters of President Donald Trump — including his son, Donald Trump Jr. — would go on to use this incident as evidence of growing left-wing extremism and violence which they are using as a scare-tactic and propaganda to scare their voters into thinking democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden will embrace and normalize this left-wing extremism.
If you account for a study — prior to Danielson’s death which accounted for the last 25-years — that brings the total of deaths attributed to Antifa to just one.
1.
It’s anticlimactic, but the hashtag #100%Antifa (taken from the suspects social media) would have one to believe it’s much higher than that.
For comparison, over 300 murders were linked to far-right groups and persons who hold far-right ideologies or similar views.
What it means to be Antifa can have varying ideas with some condoning violence while others abstain from it. They do have a shared principle which is fighting fascism and stopping it whenever it rears its ugly head into the public.
With no leaders or at least none that we are aware of — the problem with trying to designate them as a terrorist group is because they’re people with shared ideologies that usually target far-right groups online or are reactionary groups to far-right groups such of Patriot Prayer (who are more organized as we saw with the “Unite The Right Rally” in Charlottesville Virginia back in 2017).
This means they are more likely to show up whenever fascism is in the air.
Those are important distinctions to make.
That’s not to say Danielson’s murder should be ignored of course; but it’s necessary to point out the hypocrisy coming out of Trump’s administration especially when it’s being used as propaganda.
Ironically, Trump Jr. wants Biden to condemn Reinoehl, but Trump declined to condemn the actions of Kyle Rittenhouse.
The suspect
Reinoehl’s 36-year-old sister informed the Oregonian her brother has not been close with his immediate family for years.
She said, “On the one hand, this whole thing surprises the daylights out of us, because we always thought he is a lot of bark, not a lot of bite,” she continued, “But he’s also been very impulsive and irrational.”
He’s also had a few past charges including unlawful possession of a gun after he was found with a loaded [Glock] pistol.
The victim
Danielson was a Patriot Prayer and Blue Lives matter supporter. He was described by the founder of Patriot Prayer, Joey Gibson, said he was a “good friend” and Blue Lives Matter supporter.
It’s unclear as to why Reinoehl shot Danielson. The video shows no apparent provocation from Danielson. However, there are photos circulating of Danielson being held back police (it’s unclear if it was from the very same night as the fatal shooting.)
What Reinoehl did was absolutely wrong and unjustifiable.
But these sort of acts will keep happening across the country if [Christian] conservatives keep stoking the fire and actively reward shooters such as Kyle Rittenhouse.
Trump’s America is what he believes Biden’s will look like.
Perhaps there’s commentary to make about two-sides of the same coin believing in their cause and their cause alone to be righteous.
But then again, if we learned anything from history — it’s clear Republicans are certainly going to end up on the wrong side of it for all of the wrong reasons.
And that lies within their bid to keep pushing out false narratives in an effort to keep Trump in office; a man who has no problem with lying and sabotaging his political opponents.
Monday, August 31 2020, 8:11 p.m. — Trump issued a statement in defense of Kyle Rittenhouse saying “they (protesters) attacked him.”
