by Chris White
Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang expressed support Monday for conservative journalist Andy Ngo, who was brutally attacked while covering an Antifa rally in Oregon on Saturday.
“I hope @MrAndyNgo is okay. Journalists should be safe to report on a protest without being targeted,” wrote Yang, who is the only Democratic presidential candidate to weigh in on the assault so far.
I hope @MrAndyNgo is okay. Journalists should be safe to report on a protest without being targeted.
— Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) July 1, 2019
Video from the attack on Ngo in Portland shows a swarm of masked individuals punching the journalist and pelting him with milkshakes.
Ngo’s attackers are heard on video shouting “Fuck you, Andy!” and “Go home, Andy Ngo!”
Ngo, who lives in Portland, frequently covers Antifa activities in the city. He has also reported extensively on fake hate crime allegations.
Ngo, who is an editor at Quilette, said after the assault his camera equipment was stolen. He went to the emergency room, where his attorney said he was treated for a brain bleed. Portland police arrested three people following Saturday’s rally, but a spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation the arrests were not related to the Ngo incident.
Conservatives on Twitter rallied in support of Ngo, while some liberal journalists downplayed the attack.
Charlie Warzel, a writer for The New York Times, commented on Twitter that Ngo put himself at risk by entering a “volatile” situation.
“But there are also serious risks involved with putting yourself in volatile situations. Any journalist should know that,” he wrote.
“A number of people who go to these protests are looking for fights or to document them. they’re all livestreaming. When tensions boil over, it’s meant to be ammunition for a culture war.”
Charlotte Clymer, a communications staffer for the Human Rights Campaign, accused Ngo of provoking his attackers in order to boost his career.
“Andy Ngo intentionally provokes people on the left to drive his content. Being attacked today on video taken by an actual journalist (because Ngo is definitely not) is the greatest thing that could have happened to his career,” Clymer wrote.
– – –
Chris White is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Andrew Yang” by Andrew Yang.
