In a scene reminiscent of 1930s Nazi Germany, protestors in Portland, Oregon are now burning Bibles in the street.
Protesters carrying “Black Lives Matter” signs threw Bibles into a fire in front of the federal courthouse in Portland and burned an American flag last week, leaving many African Americans and others wondering what that act of arson had to do with protesting against police actions.
“People began starting a fire in the street in front of the federal courthouse, which started with burning a Bible, then an American flag, until more and more items were added,” according to KOIN reporter Danny Peterson. The fire continued to grow with additional books, including Bibles, tossed onto the pyre.
The station reports that around 1 a.m. several women “put it out with bottles of water and stamped it out.”
The images have shocked millions who had previously been sympathetic to protests until they turned violent. Since protests began, dozens of innocent blacks have been murdered by protesters. Some of the violence is connected to members of Antifa, an anarchist fascist group that claims it is fighting fascism. Antifa has stated they are determined to destroy the US government and American society as we know it. It has recently joined the efforts of the group Black Lives Matters which states on its website it wants a marxist form of government and the dissolution of the nuclear family with children raised by “communities.”
Donald Trump Jr. reacted to videos of the incidents shared on social media, saying, “Now we move to the book-burning phase. I’m pretty sure ANTIFA doesn’t actually stand for what they say it stands for. Maybe just remove the ‘anti’ part of [their] name and it’s perfect.”
Riots in Portland have been ongoing since the May 25 death of George Floyd, who was killed while in police custody in Minneapolis. President Donald Trump sent federal law enforcement officers to Portland to protect federal buildings and crack down on violence. The buildings, which represent the United States government in the region, had been attacked with several attempts at burning them down.
Attacks on churches and religious symbols nationwide have escalated in recent months Russel Burger, a U.S. marshal for the District of Oregon, said, “The violent opportunists engaged in dangerous acts of violence, such as arson, need to realize there will be grave consequences. Serious crimes of this nature go beyond mere property damage to the courthouse and endanger people’s lives.”
–Alana Goforth | Metro Voice
