U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

Portland journalist attacked, equipment stolen at protest

Incident Details

Date of Incident
June 29, 2019
Location
Portland, Oregon
Case number
20CV19618
Case Status
Dismissed
Type of case
Civil

Assault

Was the journalist targeted?
Yes

Equipment Damage

Equipment Broken
Screenshot/Wall Street Journal

In a video opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal, Andy Ngo shows images and describes being beaten at a protest rally in Portland that involved both right-wing and antifa groups.

— Screenshot/Wall Street Journal
August 21, 2023 - Update

Writer awarded $300,000 in lawsuit alleging assault, intimidation campaign

Writer and journalist Andy Ngo was awarded $300,000 in a lawsuit against purported anti-fascist demonstrators who allegedly assaulted him in the summers of 2019 and 2021.

The Oregonian reported that Ngo’s lawsuit was significantly amended after it was first filed in 2020, ultimately focusing almost exclusively on a beating he suffered on May 28, 2021.

Ngo wrote on July 16, 2023, that he had reached a settlement with one of the defendants. A jury cleared two other defendants of civil liability for the May 2021 assault during a trial that ended on Aug. 8. Three defendants who failed to appear in court were found liable by default on Aug. 21, and each was ordered to pay Ngo $100,000.

A 2019 Vox explainer article outlines the history between Ngo, The Proud Boys and antifa, and how Ngo is considered by some to be more of a provocateur than journalist. Ngo has faced significant criticism from activists over the past year, who say that his coverage — particularly his posting of the arrestees’ mugshots to Twitter — spurs death threats and harassment.

For the purposes of the Tracker, Ngo identifies as a journalist, has a track record of publication and said he was in the process of documenting a public event when he was attacked. For more about how the Tracker counts incidents, see our frequently asked questions page.

June 4, 2020 - Update

Conservative writer sues for damages claiming targeted assault, intimidation campaign

Conservative writer Andy Ngo filed a lawsuit on June 4, 2020, against purported members of the left-wing group antifa following assaults carried out against him in the summer of 2019.

The suit names five individuals as well as the loosely organized Rose City Antifa, alleging that in addition to the assaults at protests on May 1 and June 29, demonstrators have targeted his family home, his mother’s business and him during daily life. Following the June attack, Ngo was also diagnosed with a brain injury and held overnight, the lawsuit claims.

The Associated Press reported that Ngo is seeking $900,000 in damages on charges of assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

June 29, 2019

Andy Ngo, an independent photojournalist and editor for Quillette, was attacked and had his equipment stolen while documenting an antifa counterprotest in Portland, Oregon, on June 29, 2019.

Ngo is an out-spoken critic of antifa and has covered antifa demonstrations and protests since 2016, primarily publishing the videos taken on his GoPro to Twitter and YouTube. Ngo told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that he does not wear press identification or badges while covering protests, but openly films and identifies himself as media to those who ask. He also said that he has become well-known to the antifa community in Portland and has “come to expect” their hostility against him.

The far-right group The Proud Boys originally announced the Portland rally for June 29, almost exactly one year after the “Battle of Portland.” That event was marked with street fights and dueling protesters, and was ultimately classified as a riot by the Portland Police Department.

In planning an opposition rally, local antifa demonstrators called the Proud Boy rally an “attack,” and published a ”call to defend” the city. The post mentioned Ngo in a section labeled “Violent and Racist Proud Boy Propaganda,” and described him as a “local far-right Islamophobic journalist.”

The day before the rally, Ngo tweeted out screenshots from the post, writing, “I am nervous about tomorrow’s Portland antifa rally. They’re promising ‘physical confrontation’ & have singled me out to be assaulted.”

Ngo and the public relations firm he has contracted to handle his media requests following the incident did not respond to requests for comment.

The Guardian reported that early on the day of the protest and counterprotests, Ngo was filming when protesters dumped a milkshake on him. Later video taken by Oregonian journalist Jim Ryan showed Ngo being hit and sprayed with silly string by masked individuals who appeared to be antifa demonstrators at around 1:30 p.m.

Ngo tweeted that he “was beat on face and head multiple times in downtown in middle of street with fists and weapons” and that he was taken to an emergency room. Ngo also posted photos of his facial abrasions.

In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, Ngo said that he was diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage.

A Vox explainer article outlines the history between Ngo, The Proud Boys and antifa, and how Ngo is considered by some to be more of a provocateur than journalist. Some have pointed out that Ngo was the only journalist targeted.

For the purposes of the Tracker, Ngo identifies as a journalist, has a track record of publication and was in the process of documenting when he was attacked. For more about how the Tracker counts incidents, see our frequently asked questions page.

Portland protests have become a dangerous beat over the past year: the Tracker has documented multiple journalists covering the demonstrations and riots being injured by far-right and antifa protesters, as well as by Portland police.

The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker catalogues press freedom violations in the United States. Email tips to [email protected].