Journalist and author Andy Ngo, who has spent years documenting the activities of the anarcho-communist group Antifa, on June 12 recounted the moment he was chased and assaulted by members in Portland last month.
Ngo, an independent investigative journalist and author of “Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy,” was attacked on May 28 while covering a rally on the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s death.
In an interview with NTD’s “The Nation Speaks,” Ngo said that as much of his reporting requires firsthand field observations, he decided to go undercover to observe how Antifa’s tactics and strategies have changed since last year.
“The riots are still ongoing in Portland—not as intense and frequent, but they’re still happening, and the consequences are still being felt,” said Ngo. “So I was out on the ground in disguise, marching along with them. For whatever reason, they became suspicious.”
The journalist said he believes Antifa members grew suspicious as he refused to engage in criminal activities “unlike some of the other comrades.”
“They interrogated me and pulled off my mask and goggles, saw my face and shouted, ‘That’s him that’s him, get him,’” he said.
Ngo said Antifa members pursued him through downtown Portland, while bystanders looked on.
“I was running in the middle of the road … sprinting for my life,” he recalled, adding that a member eventually tackled him to the ground at Pioneer Place Mall, and allegedly punched him in his head and face.
It was at that point that Ngo feared for his life.
“And in those moments, when I was pinned down, I could hear the rest of them all pursuing and I knew if they got me, they would kill me. They had already been promising that for two years at this point.”
