By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times - Monday, July 1, 2019

It appears that journalist Andy Ngo wasn’t the only victim of an antifa assault at Saturday’s rally in Portland, Oregon.

Two Oregon men — John Blum and Adam Kelly — were mobbed and pummeled by black-masked protesters in a horrific attack that left Mr. Blum bleeding profusely from wounds to his face and skull, as shown in video shared on social media by conservative pundit Michelle Malkin and others.

The assault came during the same counter-protest that saw journalist Andy Ngo bruised and battered by antifa activists, an incident captured on video by the Oregonian that drew outrage over the weekend from political and media figures.

Ms. Malkin, who said she spoke with both Mr. Blum and Mr. Kelly by phone, said police have opened an investigation into the attack on Mr. Kelly.

A GoFundMe page for Mr. Kelly launched by Tami Miller of Beaverton said he was treated at a hospital for gashes to his skull and placed on 48-hour watch for possible concussion, brain swelling and internal bleeding.

Ms. Malkin said the two men were attacked at Pioneer Square after arriving for a rally by Haley Adams, leader of Him Too, which seeks to defend men from false sexual-misconduct allegations.

“Both John & Adam were beaten by Antifa after trying to help a gay man in a sun dress being chased down the street,” Ms. Malkin said. “While the cowards are masked, John and Adam faced the crowds openly and agreed to be named publicly.”

A 45-second video of the attack shows the red-bearded Kelly being hit in the head, kicked and sprayed with gas as he moved toward the older Mr. Blum, who was grabbed and beaten with a pipe or crowbar by a crowd of black-clad assailants.

Both Ms. Malkin and NewsChute have posted lengthy threads of the attack along with commentary.

“While John was being pummeled by the mob in the center, Adam was struck in the head with nunchucks, water bottles, some sort of metal rod, and fists,” Ms. Malkin said.

Harmeet K. Dhillon, a San Francisco lawyer and Republican National Committeewoman from California, said Sunday that Mr. Ngo has been cleared to leave the hospital after suffering a “brain bleed,” adding that he was “kicked and punched several times with rigid surfaces, in pain.”

Ms. Dhillon added that she planned to sue “Antifa criminals … into oblivion.”

A GoFundMe account for Mr. Ngo started by Ms. Malkin had raised $140,000 of its $150,000 goal as of Monday morning.

Portland police have been criticized for failing to stop the attacks, as has Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler for tolerating the political street clashes that have roiled the famously progressive city since the 2016 election.

In a video post on Facebook, Mr. Kelly thanked Portland police for wrapping his head and carrying him to an ambulance.

“Portland police, I thank you guys,” said Mr. Kelly, who reported he received 25 staples to his skull. “They’re under huge restraints from the mayor.”

Police made three arrests and reported “multiple assaults” at the Saturday melee, which saw hundreds descend on the area for a counter-protest led by Portland Democratic Socialists of America and Rose City Antifa against the Proud Boys and Him Too rally, which drew several dozen.

The counter-protest, Portland Unites Against Fascist Violence, was billed as a rally against hate.

The counter-protest’s supporters have called the outrage over the attack on Mr. Ngo overblown, arguing that the real threat of violence comes from the right.

“We live in peak irony when the far-right, the political side actually responsible for every political murder in the past year, ensures that #AntifaTerrorists is trending despite antifascists killing no one,” tweeted Shane Burley, author of “Fascism Today.”

• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.

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