Oregon journalism student charged over Antifa arson attack

Alma Yesenia Raven-Guido, 19, of Beaverton, Ore., has been charged by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office with two counts of felony rioting, second-degree felony arson and first-degree felony criminal mischief. A serial riot arrestee, she was arrested again Tuesday night at a Black Lives Matter-Antifa riot in north Portland where the police union hall was set on fire.

“Some members of the group communicated by radio, used shields, threw projectiles at police and wore black clothing to obscure their identities,” said the district attorney’s office in a press release announcing the charges. “Some affiliated with the group launched multiple large fireworks towards aircrafts that were flying overhead.”

According to the criminal complaint, Raven-Guido was identified as one of the arsonists by an informant. The Portland Police Association building was severely damaged in the fire. It has been the target of dozens of attacks, including arson, since last year.

The informant told law enforcement that Raven-Guido poured a flammable liquid on the premises using three bottles. The informant said one of the bottles caught fire and melted.

Upon arrest, Raven-Guido was found to be carrying multiple lighters and three plastic bottles, including one that was melted, in her backpack. She was also in possession of a crowbar and spray paint.

In addition to facing felony charges related to the riot earlier this week, she has also been charged for her alleged criminal involvement in a separate Antifa riot last year. She’s accused of being part of an Antifa mob who came armed with riot gear to attack Portland City Hall on Aug. 25, 2020. At that riot, Antifa breached city hall, smashed windows and tried to set the building on fire. Raven-Guido was arrested and charged with multiple misdemeanors at the time but her case was later dropped. However, new charges were filed in the reinstated case this week.

The Daily Emerald, the student paper at UO, confirmed that Raven-Guido is a journalism student via a public records request with the university.

Beyond her involvement in militant Antifa activities in the Portland-area, she has also been prominently featured in government diversity programs. In 2019, she was part of the Beaverton Organizing and Leadership Development program, which exists to train emerging leaders of color in Beaverton’s city government. She listed “racial justice” as one of her areas of interest in the program’s survey.

Raven-Guido is not the only journalist to be accused of criminal activities at BLM-Antifa riots in recent months. Throughout 2020, a handful of self-identified journalists were arrested at riots in Portland. Portland Police have stated in multiple press releases that protesters wearing “press” markings engaged in assault and criminal behavior. In December 2020, a journalist was arrested in Little Rock, Ark. following a months-long ATF investigation. Renea Baek Goddard is accused of firebombing police cruisers at BLM riots last summer and has been federally indicted.

Portland Police say they are still investigating the large arson attack on the union hall on April 13. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Meredith Hopper at Meredith.Hopper@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-3408.

Raven-Guido was released without bail on supervised pretrial release on Wednesday. Her indictment is scheduled for June 10.