There’s nothing anti-fascist about the Left’s violence

Physically assaulting journalists on the basis of their political ideology sounds like something out of a dystopian horror movie, but for Antifa, it seems that’s simply par for their brave new course, writes Caroline Marcus.

They fancy themselves “anti-fascists”, but in reality they are the very evil they claim to stand against.

Antifa, a movement of militant, radical-left anarchists, again showed their true colours at a demonstration in the US city of Portland over the weekend, where they were ostensibly protesting against far-right group Proud Boys.

They ended up so savagely bashing conservative journalist Andy Ngo that he was admitted to hospital with a brain bleed, as well as bruises and cuts to his face and neck.

He also had his camera equipment stolen.

You see, Ngo — who, as the gay son of Vietnamese immigrants, should on paper check all the oppression boxes of the Left — had committed the unpardonable crime of using his reporting to expose the group’s true nature, not to mention being in possession of all the wrong political opinions.

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The editor and photojournalist at online magazine Quilette was surrounded and bashed by masked protesters, and had milkshake thrown over him.

If the milkshake bit sounds innocuous, think again; Portland Police later warned they had received reports that Antifa shakes had been laced with quick-drying cement, which can burn the skin.

Journalist Andy Ngo, was milkshaked by Antifa members in Portland over the weekend. Picture: Moriah Ratner/Getty/AFP

Two police officers were also pepper-sprayed, another was punched and yet another hit in the head with a projectile.

But what was truly grotesque were the liberal (that’s with a small L) journalists cheering on Ngo’s assault, instead of rightfully condemning it as an attack on the freedom of the press and act of blatant physical violence.

“Milkshakes have this special power of revealing how fascists and their enablers are giant f***ing snowflakes,” tweeted Huffington Post senior reporter Christopher Mathias, in just one example of gross victim-blaming.

This phenomenon of “milkshaking” began in the UK with the targeting of figures from the Right.

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Far-right activist Tommy Robinson was first hit with the strawberry variety in May, while later the same month, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage fell victim to a salted caramel concoction.

Fast food chain Burger King even endorsed Farage’s attack, tweeting: “Dear people of Scotland. We’re selling milkshakes all weekend. Have fun. Love BK #justsaying.”

Aside from being a waste of a perfectly good beverage, make no mistake: “milkshaking” is just another form of political violence.

The attack of any journalist should never be seen as acceptable. Picture: Moriah Ratner/Getty/AFP

If you are willing to justify that as acceptable — or indeed, the local version of “egging”, as used against former Queensland senator Fraser Anning in March and Prime Minister Scott Morrison during the election campaign — where do you draw the line?

There should never be any tolerance for assault and, as the Ngo incident demonstrates, it’s only a matter of time before someone really gets hurt.

The problem has been too many are willing to excuse violence when its object is someone they disagree with.

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It started with the “punch a Nazi” meme triggered by the attack on white nationalist Richard Spencer by a protester while he was being interviewed in Washington in 2017.

“What are the ethics of punching Nazis?” the Guardian asked in a headline at the time.

Now, we’re at the stage where even a physically demure, homosexual Asian-American can be considered a Nazi because of his conservative views.

In Australia, Antifa are just as well-organised and prone to violent thuggery.

In late 2017, they protested a speaking tour by right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos, trading blows with right-wing patriots on the streets of Melbourne and pelting police with rocks.

Teenager Will Connolly became an icon of the Left after egging former senator Fraser Anning. Picture: AAP/David Crosling

Speaking to The Australian before the Sydney protest, organiser Omar Hassan told The Australian the movement had “to do what is required to stand their ground and challenge bigotry.”

“Sometimes that involves a physical altercation, but that is not of our choosing, that is just something we are prepared to do,” Hassan said.

Earlier that year, masked Antifa members attacked my Sky News colleague Andrew Bolt in a violent confrontation outside a book launch in Melbourne, appearing to try to punch him and covering him in glitter and glue.

In 2018, hundreds of protesters clashed with police and rocked a bus shuttling attendees outside a speaking event by right-wing Canadian commentator Lauren Southern, again in Melbourne.

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It’s a topsy-turvy world where the so-called anti-fascists have morphed into the real totalitarians, attempting to silence dissenters through intimidation and violence.

But it’s not just black-clad protesters throwing molotov cocktails on the streets.

Consider the activists and corporates who preach tolerance and diversity, yet go after the livelihoods of those whose religious beliefs they disagree with, such as sacked Wallaby Israel Folau and even his wife Maria.

This is the new breed of fascism, where the pretence of “inclusiveness” is used to exclude political heretics and cast them out into the social wilderness, if not land them in hospital.

Caroline Marcus is a senior reporter at Sky News. @carolinemarcus