The Associated Press quietly scrubbed the headline of its article defending violent Antifa militants, claiming that leftist radicals are “regular Americans.”
The Associated Press quietly scrubbed the headline of its article defending violent Antifa militants, claiming that leftist radicals are "regular Americans."
Much like AP’s portrayal of Antifa, I’m sure most members of ISIS weren’t die-hards either. Just regular civilians “caught up in the moment.” Heated gaming moments.
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray)
AP's headline was edited from "Protest arrests show regular Americans, not urban antifa" to "AP finds most arrested in protests aren't leftist radicals."
The article itself argues that "[v]ery few of those charged appear to be affiliated with highly organized extremist groups..."
"But many have had no previous run-ins with the law and no apparent ties to antifa, the umbrella term for leftist militant groups that Trump has said he wants to declare a terrorist organization," AP alleged, then criticizing the president's pivot to the radical left during the NBC town hall last Thursday.
"But tucked into the protest-related cases are accusations of far-right extremism and racism as well," AP pointed a finger to the left-wing's white supremacy hoax that shines a spotlight away from the widespread destruction caused by Antifa.
This despite the fact that numerous detained activists are serial riot arrestees who are released back into society by Democratic leaders. The Multnomah County District Attorney's Office has dropped most charges since George Floyd’s death and rejected a majority of cases in the "interest of justice."
In thousands of pages of court documents, AP cited "only apparent mention" of Antifa in a Boston case in which authorities noted that the FBI's Gang Task Force was investigating "suspected ANTIFA activity associated with the protests" when a man fired at the agent and other federal officers. "Authorities have not claimed that the man accused of firing the shots is a member of antifa," AP concluded its anecdotal research.
Although, AP did admit that individuals "have social media leftist ties," alluding to 36-year-old Kyle Robert Tornow, a Seattle man who espoused support for Antifa causes and was federally charged for threatening through a citizen communication portal to blow up a Portland police station with a bomb. According to the criminal complaint, Tornow allegedly shared a graphic of the anarchist flag popular with Antifa in a since-deleted Facebook post.
"They've been portrayed by the president as violent left-wing radicals and used to scare suburban voters. But an @AP review found most of those arrested in U.S. protests look like regular citizens caught up in the moment—many are young suburban adults," AP tweeted to the account's nearly 14.5 million followers.
They've been portrayed by the president as violent left-wing radicals and used to scare suburban voters. But an @AP review found most of those arrested in U.S. protests look like regular citizens caught up in the moment — many are young suburban adults. https://t.co/TP3LyuFLme
— The Associated Press (@AP)
"According to the liberal media, if your business has been looted or burned in riots across our country this year, don't worry," commented Republican Sen. Tom Cotton. "The perpetrators just got 'caught up in the moment.'"
According to the liberal media, if your business has been looted or burned in riots across our country this year, don't worry. The perpetrators just got "caught up in the moment." https://t.co/hg3CFwhl5L
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR)
Conservative reporter Greg Price wrote: "I too occasionally get so caught up in the moment that I flip over a car over and set it on fire."
I too occasionally get so caught up in the moment that I flip over a car over and set it on fire https://t.co/iLBM0hfzsD
— Greg Price (@greg_price11)
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