Mob Rule? Credit: Alex Zielinski
Mob Rule?
Mob Rule? Alex Zielinski

In today’s Wall Street Journal, Portlander Andy Ngo (the WSJ‘s go-to author for right-leaning reports on Portland anarchy) wrote an opinion piece subtly titled “A Leftist Mob ‘Polices’ Portland.” His op-ed centers on last Saturday’s protest of the Portland Police shooting of Patrick Kimmons, and the subsequent march in which a driver plowed into a protester instead of… you know… just stopping. Ngo’s description of the incident isn’t exactly an accurate depiction of what happened:

As the crowd made their way to a nearby courthouse, they marched in the middle of the street, bringing traffic to a stop though they didn’t have a permit. Kent Houser, 74, made the mistake of attempting to pass them in his sedan. His car slowly pushed against a masked marcher. The crowd surrounded the car and started kicking it.

Here’s video of how Houser’s Lexus “slowly pushed against a masked marcher.”

This just in: CARS DON’T PUSH PEOPLE. Drivers do. In addition, Ngo doesn’t mention that in order for the driver “to pass the marchers” (who had filled the street) he would’ve literally had to drive up on the sidewalk. Most importantly, he neglects to label the driver’s crime for what it is: hit and run.

Speaking of breaking the law (and it’s ridiculous that I need to remind people about this, but…), here’s what the law says about what drivers are supposed to do when they encounter pedestrians (yup, protesters are pedestrians too) who are in the road:

2017 ORS 811.028: Failure to stop and remain stopped for pedestrian

1) The driver of a vehicle commits the offense of failure to stop and remain stopped for a pedestrian if the driver does not stop and remain stopped for a pedestrian when the pedestrian is:

(a) Proceeding in accordance with a traffic control device as provided under ORS 814.010 (Appropriate responses to traffic control devices) or crossing the roadway in a crosswalk; and

(b) In any of the following locations:

(A) In the lane in which the driver’s vehicle is traveling;

(B) In a lane adjacent to the lane in which the driver’s vehicle is traveling;

Hopefully Ngo already knows this and isn’t siding with another (and nationally infamous) hit-and-run driver. It’s much more likely that Ngo’s opinion piece is another example of the right’s newest method of trying to gain an advantage in the midterms: Portraying dissent as “mob rule,” and attempting to paint themselves as victims.

Here’s yet another recent example of Republican crybabies trying to stop Americans from practicing their First Amendment rights from today’s National Review:

Legally protected protest is safe. It’s consistent with the best traditions of American dissent. It’s truly what “democracy looks like.” Mob action, by contrast, is dangerous. It creates imminent risk of personal harm. It’s designed to frighten and intimidate. There is no place for the mob in a constitutional republic.

And here’s another example. And another. And another. (I’ll stop there.)

Republicans have broken the system. And they expect the left—who they’ve depended on in the past to exhibit meekness and guilt—to stay on the sidelines while they run roughshod over the country. Those days are over. While we may have had considered their concerns in the past, Republicans have abused America to the point where many of us no longer have a shred of empathy for what they want. And they know this. This is why panicky editorials written by Ngo and other members of the right are sprouting up like weeds. They’ve become the snowflakes, and it’s because they know the truth: Their anti-democratic system of cruelty is going to be dismantled.

Bang bang, choo-choo train, let me see you shake that thang. Wm. Steven Humphrey is the editor-in-chief of the Portland Mercury and has held the job since 2000. (So don’t get any funny ideas.)

11 replies on “Panic! Portland Overrun by “Mob Rule” (According to <i>WSJ</i> Opinion Writer)”

  1. The WSJ piece is just the latest in the right’s newfound focus on Portland.

    They’ve become so emboldened that they’re willing to goose step right behind their fat-ass fuhrer into areas where resistance is strongest. Trump trash talks sanctuary cities and next thing you know their national lie machine has us in their sights.

    No on 105. No on 106. Send these fuckers back where they came from.

  2. You idiots are either blind, out of touch with reality, or willfully propagandizing, and I’m sure I know which. The left is a vicious cancer.

  3. I hate to be that guy, but the traffic ordinance you cite only highlights 1 of the 2 parts that make that ordinance a whole. The author bypasses this clause that precedes his highlighted justification:

    (a) Proceeding in accordance with a traffic control device as provided under ORS 814.010 (Appropriate responses to traffic control devices) or crossing the roadway in a crosswalk; AND

    The protestors are clearly walking through traffic in parallel with the driver not perpendicular, to say the law on your side is a bit misleading. I won’t argue that this is indeed a hit and run. Though I will say as a middle aged liberal i’ve never understood how protests like these, whose sole purpose is to disrupt, gets anyone from across the aisle to agree with you. Yea they are forced to see your message but what logical argument are you presenting that helps them see the light? All we are doing is pissing them off and galvanizing their contempt for our values.

    The author needs to be better at not ignoring these things cause the right is going to do just what I did to justify their behavior. To try to place the blame solely on the driver when its clear both sides are at fault here is exactly the thing the right complains about. Editors shouldn’t have let this slide either especially since its half the freaking piece.

  4. Your narrative might have held water if there wasn’t video out of them beating on this guy’s car before he pushed through them. I’m sure you expect this guy to just sit there and wait while they destroy his car or worse. This guy probably had visions of Reginald Denny playing in his head while these violent leftists were beating on his car and screaming at him.

    Maybe the protesters shouldn’t have been in the street blocking traffic and destroying people’s property.

    They’re lucky the guy was 74 and scared.

    They’re lucky the guy wasn’t young and fit and ready to beat some soy boy ass for damaging his car that he paid for with his hard earned money. Something these no job having protesters know nothing about. How about this, get in your car and be surrounded by a bunch of actual Nazis, they’ll start beating on it and threatening you. Let’s see how long you last before you step on the gas and try to get the hell out of there. Sound fair?

  7. In today’s society of rule by the rich the person in the car did nothing wrong. Protesters were illegally blocking the streets. They surrounded him for no good reason as he was trying to leave. He contacted or was intentionally blocked by a pedestrian that was not in a crosswalk (so that ORS you cited doesn’t apply). They couldn’t stay at the scene due to the mob that was mad at him for nothing his did other than trying to get out of their way.

    In today’s society of returning power to people the person in the car did everything wrong. Freedom of speech doesn’t need a permit. It’s a constitution right. Driving is not a right. You have no right to drive in the street. People have the constitution to protect their right to free speech and the right to move as they please. You can’t just continue to try and run somebody over. Yes, the car makes you feel powerful. You’re not. Don’t be a bully. Let the protest move around you. They just want to be heard. Smile and wave.

    Now, with those 2 views out of the way: I see a peaceful mob that turns nasty on this driver for no reason as he’s trying to get out of their way. There’s a street right there that all the other cars are turning onto to get out of the way but they suddenly descend on this one because the crowd marches right in front of him (in the street before the crosswalk) as he’s trying to turn.

    So while I don’t see a problem with protests taking over the streets I do have a problem with protesters picking on bystanders and drivers continuing through crowds.

    Protesters: Stay in the middle of the street and let cars exit if they’re close to a street. Your goal is coverage not carnage.

    Drivers: If you’re surrounded by a mob then just stop, put on your flashers, smile, and wave. Pretend it’s a bridge lift.

  8. The WSJ is publishing a guy that got fired a year ago from the freaking PSU student paper at 30 years old? Seriously? Has this guy actually accomplished anything more than Twitter trolling?

  11. Holy Shit talk about bias and I’m a lefty myself, I felt embarrassed for you when reading that article I was trying to work out whether it was an attempt at a work of fiction or just bad journalism.

    Firstly the 1st ammendement does not grant an exception from a controlled and regulated march nor does it give you the right or permission to impose your will on others. If you would refer to the ACLU page on the matter regarding protests this is clearly outlined and people are told not to interfere with others.

    Maybe you would like to tell me what exatcly this group were doing if not intefering with others and their rights as expressed in the constitution such as “life ,liberty and the pursuit of happiness” oh thats right they are all secondary to these people whom have decided to breach numerous laws by jaywalking at best becoming a public nuisance and danger to themselves.

    Hit & Run – GET THE FUCK OUTTTA HERE !!! LOL(excuse the Eddie Murphy quote)

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