Chief Federal Law Enforcement Officer in Oregon Puts Media on Full Blast for Refusing to Call Violent Riots 'Criminal'

AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez
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Federal officers advance on demonstrators during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse Saturday, July 25, 2020, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
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The top federal law enforcement officer in Oregon has had more than enough of the liberal media flying wingman for the violent rioters that have besieged Portland for more than two months.

U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams torched the media in a frank interview for refusing to call the violent riots that have rocked the city for over two months “criminal.”

Williams was asked to share his thoughts on whether the “late-night protests” (interesting choice of words, huh?) are “shadowing the overall message about Black Lives Matter” and “taking away from the fight for racial justice.” (Can you say “loaded question”?”

The top cop got straight to the (what should be) obvious point.

“These aren’t late night demonstrations. This is criminal activity. There’s a difference. What you have failed and the media have failed to distinguish, between, you seem unwilling to call people engaged in criminal conduct, as criminals, as opposed to lawful protesting. This is unlawful. And people, whether you’re an opportunist, an antagonist, an agitator, or an anarchist, call it out for what it is.”

Williams seemed to grow agitated as one of the two obviously-liberal interviewers refused to call the violent rioting “criminal,” one of them saying it was because she “hasn’t seen the police reports.” [Eye roll.]

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“You’re using, ‘late night activity,’ it sounds like a party. It’s criminal. Look at the debris. We haven’t had a front door since July 3. That’s criminal, okay?

He returned to the point again, later in the interview.

“You’re choosing terms that sort of downplay the criminal activity and what I’m suggesting is if there is an honest accounting of what this is, that helps build the reality check for how this can stop. That’s my point.”

Not to rain on Williams’s parade, but using terms like “honest accounting” and “reality check” when discussing rioting anarchists or their apologists in the liberal media is wishful thinking at best; there is zero honesty or reality on the Radical Left — and no end in sight.

Unless they are stopped, that is.

Williams was asked what he thinks it will take to put an end to violence. He suggested that residents and organizations in riot-stricken cities — vs. solely law enforcement officers — need to rise up, form coalitions, and find a “community solution.”

“Yeah, so what I think it’s gonna take, this has to be a community solution. It’s not a law enforcement solution, we’re responding, dealing with it, protecting this property just like the city police are protecting city property, but any real solution to stop the mindless violence that goes on has to come from the community and I include various community leaders, faith leaders, business leaders working with whoever wants to join in a coalition. Whatever you want to call that, the coalition of the willing, whatever.”

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He also called for strong leadership — which is obviously a joke in riot-riddled, Democrat-run cities.

“It takes some leadership, which is missing right now. But to change this, because otherwise this activity is just, it’s hijacking the moment in history right? There are opportunities following the murder of George Floyd and the thousands and thousands of lawful protesters and groups calling for change, which everyone can agree there’s change needed, so this is one of those moments in history where it can occur, but it’s being held back by this.”

“This is just mindless violence,” he added, “and it’s been politicized and in my view that’s what enables this to continue because no one in their right mind thinks this is okay.”

Bingo.

To deny that the “mainstream” media has been complicit in facilitating the perpetuation of the more than 60 days of protesting and rioting in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death would be to deny reality.

“Step right up! Throw an incendiary device at the police! Torch a store front! See yourself on TV, tonight! Become famous with your buds!”

Speaking of the ongoing festivities in Portland, my RedState colleague Shipwreckedcrew posted an update this morning on the deal between Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s and the Department of Homeland Security, in which Oregon State Police would clear activists from the streets and properties around the Hatfield Federal Courthouse in the city.

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Thing is, those pesky rascals then showed up in Springfield, Oregon, 105 miles from Portland. Here’s how that went:

“Nothing to see here, folks. Just late-night protests. All good. Go home, get some sleep, and all will be peachy in the morning!”

Except, no. That is at least not until residents and various groups and organization in riot-torn cities rise up and demand an end to the madness. Speaking of which, as I wrote, earlier today, residents in Seattle are beginning to do just that.

During a phone-in city council budget meeting over the city’s plan to slash funding to the Seattle Police Department by 50 percent — which would result in the firing of hundreds of officers — multiple callers said enough is enough. The bottom line, as one caller put it: “Defunding the police is a radical experiment that will hurt the vulnerable.”

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The reality is, the madness will not stop until the mad among us our stopped. Left-wing mayors and governors who all but cheer on night-after-night of rioting — under the faux guise of “racial” or “social” “justice” — must be put on notice: Stop it, or we will stop you.

It’s past time to get after it, America. Bigly.

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