Tag Archives: antifa

BIPOC, Local

Olympia marred by right-wing violence on December 12

Video

From Malcontentment Happy Hour, December 14, 2020

Forest Machala charged with first-degree assault and Stephen Kurtz charged with four-degree assault

Stop the Steal and anti-mask protesters clashed with counterprotesters in Olympia, Washington. When it was over there were three arrests and one person shot.

Forest Machala is facing first-degree assault charges, the equivalent of attempted murder in Washington state, for his actions on December 12, 2020.

Video shows violence and has racial slurs. Viewer discretion is advised.

BIPOC, Local

Olympia protest shooter identified as 26-year old Shoreline man

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[OLYMPIA] (Malcontent News) – The Washington State Patrol confirmed that 26-year old Forest Michael Machala, of Shoreline, Washington, was the person who shot a Black activist on Saturday in Olympia, Washington. Machala in custody at the Thurston County Jail, charged with 1st-degree assault, the equivalent of attempted murder under Washington state law. Machala is presently held without bail and does not have a lawyer on record.

Social media records show Machala graduated from Roosevelt High School and is a former Boy Scout. His profile indicates he has traveled, enjoys hiking, and is otherwise unremarkable. In a photo that captured Machala, he is seen in a “Make America Great Again” Trump hat and carrying a walking stick.

On Saturday, Machala and an estimated 50 to 75 heavily armed “Stop the Steal” and anti-mask Trump supporters descended on the state capitol. They rallied to protest the 2020 Presidential election results and ongoing business restrictions. Waving Gasden, Trump, and American flags, they were met by a larger and more lightly armed group of counter-protesters. About 100 Olympia, Thurston County Sheriff, and Washington State Patrol officers tried to keep the groups separated.

A series of brawls broke out, and officers deployed crowd control measures. A woman aligned with the Trump supporters was arguing with a Black man aligned with the counter-protesters. Around 1:45 PM, Machala allegedly drew a handgun and shot the Black counter-protester in the stomach. Protesters took the victim to the hospital in a private vehicle. Social media reports indicate the victim is in stable condition.

Earlier in the day, Stephen Christopher Kurtz, 42 years old of Olympia, Washington, was arrested by Olympia police for 4th-degree assault and failure to disperse. In that incident, Kurtz is accused of brandishing a gun unprovoked. Several journalists caught the incident on camera. Kurtz was released from Olympia city jail on $1000 bail. A hearing date for Kurtz has not been set. 

Saturday’s shooting is the second in a week marred by gun violence. Christopher Guenzler is held at the Thurston County Jail on 1st and 2nd-degree assault charges. Guenzler is accused of shooting a protester one protester and pistol-whipping another on December 5.

Shoreline, Washington, where Machala lives, has been a flashpoint of racist activity in 2020, including threats against a group of children creating Black Lives Matter chalk art in front of their homes in August, and the attempted arson of a black-owned coffee shop in October. Officials have made no arrests in either of those incidents.

Chris Rojas contributed to this story.

BIPOC, Local, National

Activists remove outer barricades at Red House on Mississippi

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PORTLAND (Malcontent News) – Protesters in Portland, Oregon removed many of the barricades surrounding the Red House on Mississippi. Tension with city leaders has subsided, and activists successfully raised enough money to repurchase the home from an investor.

On Tuesday, Portland Police Bureau tried to remove protesters who have been using Red House as a gathering place and symbol against gentrification, resulting in a dozen arrests. Portland police were not successful in removing the protesters. The activists built a series of barricades with an inner and outer perimeter around Red House and started a 24-hour vigil.

The protest turned Red House into a national symbol against gentrification, predatory lending, and BIPOC rights. The home in Portland’s north end has been with the Kinney family, a Black and indigenous family, for 65 years. The family and the house became locally famous in 2018, as efforts to stop the foreclosure made the local news. The north end of Portland has historically been a Black community and is experiencing significant gentrification.

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Activists started a GoFundMe on Wednesday with a target of raising $260,000 to repurchase the property from the small investor who bought it at auction. Organizers met the goal on Thursday night, and by Friday morning had raised more than $285,000.

The home’s defense has been tense at times, with several incidents of Proud Boys and other far-right extremists driving by throwing commercial-grade fireworks and explosives from vehicles. There were multiple, unconfirmed reports of gunfire. There were no reported injuries in any of the violence attempts captured by independent journalists in the area. On Sunday morning, activists decided to remove the outer barricades but to maintain the barriers closest to the house. There is no end to the vigil, with many still wary of far-right extremists and city officials.

Portland’s population is less than three-percent black due to early political policy and historical events. In 1848, the Peter Burnett Lash Law was passed, making Oregon a white only territory. It was the first of three such laws that called for the expulsion of non-whites and prevented land ownership.

Fueled by the war effort during World War II, Vanport was once the second-largest city in Oregon and a suburb of Portland. The almost exclusively Black community was located on the lowlands at the Columbia River’s mouth, on the border of Washington state. A massive flood in 1948 wiped the icon of Black success off the map. Despite promises to rebuild and repair infrastructure, it never happened. Vanport is little more than a historical marker in a Park and Ride lot today. The Black population of Portland has never recovered.

Renee Raketty contributed to this story.

BIPOC, Local

Black Lives Matter protesters took their message to the Eastside on Saturday

A flyer distributed online over the past week had stated the purpose of the march: “Bellevue is home to the richest people in the world — it’s time to wake them up…”

The group gathered at Downtown Park in Bellevue, WA, before marching through the downtown streets of the city. They chanted familiar slogans to those watching nearby, such as “Off your phones and into the streets.”

Several observers cheered as the marchers passed and some, dressed in their gowns, even left nearby bars and restaurants to join in. A baby could be seen marching as well as one woman who described herself as a “grandma.”

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Not everyone was as enthusiastic. About 15 individuals also followed the march with their cell phones or cameras while live-streaming the demonstration. Neoconservative media personality Katie Daviscourt was among them.

Local initiative celebrity and former gubernatorial hopeful Tim Eyman was also walking alongside the police on the sidewalk. Supporters of Donald Trump, Loren Culp, and the police were out in force near the intersection of NE 8th Street and Bellevue Way NE. One young man on his bike yelled “race traitors” at some of the white marchers.

A heavy police presence tracked the protesters’ every move. The Seattle Police Department and Port of Seattle Police were also there providing support to local law enforcement under a mutual aid agreement. Uniformed Washington State Patrol officers provided added security to the Bellevue Square Mall.

As the march continued downtown, a “civil emergency” was declared by the City of Bellevue. Cell phones on all sides suddenly lit up and the emergency alert tones filled the air. The notice read:

“The City of Bellevue has declared a civil emergency and enacted a weapons ban in the downtown area due to an imminent threat of injury to persons and property during protests tonight (Saturday). Please avoid the area.”

The march resulted in no significant property damage and bike officers only intervened twice to separate the marchers from their critics.

The biggest impact of the demonstration may be on the Bellevue economy and lost tax revenue. Many businesses closed early and hired private security at their own expense. A few businesses appeared to have also boarded up their windows. Furthermore, the overtime for the responding law enforcement agencies is likely to be significant.