“A lot of these fires starting around Oregon are being purposely set by ANTIFA BLM,” reads one such post that has been shared hundreds of times.
Officials in the region are pushing as hard as they can against the disinformation campaign. Ashland, Oregon, Chief of Police Tighe O’Meara issued a statement decrying the allegations, saying flat-out that the idea that fires near that community were set by antifa is “100% false information.”
Meanwhile, leftist organizations in cities like Portland and Seattle (places that some on the right might portray as antifa hotspots) are stepping up, providing aid to those who have been displaced by the effects of the wildfires in these areas.
Images on social media demonstrate how these groups in Portland, which have set up mutual aid projects near a popular theater in the city, are handing out a number of items for those who may have lost their homes. Aid is coming in the form of food (including cooked meals), hygiene supplies, toys for kids, masks and other devices to prevent the spread of coronavirus, and even food for pets. Camping space at a nearby park, as well as medical and crisis support, is also being provided by these organizations.
In spite of these efforts from progressive organizations, a number of people in these areas aren’t convinced, holding fast to the false belief that groups like these are the “antifa” bogeymen they were told about on social media — often with near-violent outcomes for those with no associations with antifa at all.
Just last week, a photojournalist named Nathan Howard was near Estacada, Oregon, to document the wildfires in order to showcase how climate change has contributed to the crisis. While there, he was approached by a man who accused him of being an “antifa” looter. Even after Howard explained he was a journalist, the man wouldn’t relent.
Soon after, Howard tried to drive away to avoid further confrontation, but the man followed him down the road in his own vehicle, he explained to The Guardian. Another vehicle, coming from the opposite direction, blocked Howard from driving onward, and another man came out pointing an assault rifle at the journalist. Only after a third vehicle came by to make sure nothing serious was happening did the men relent and allow Howard to drive away.