Editor’s Note: Story updated at 2/1/2026 0947 with a statement from the Portland Police Bureau
PORTLAND/LOS ANGELES — The “National Shutdown” reached a brutal new low Saturday night as violent agitators targeted vulnerable civilians and members of the press in two of America’s most volatile cities. While activists continue to claim their movement is a non-violent response to federal “occupation,” the reality on the ground has turned into a grim display of street-level thuggery.
The Portland Assault: An Elderly Man in the Crosshairs
In South Portland, the “Labor Against ICE” march—endorsed by at least 30 unions—provided cover for a group of masked Antifa agitators to engage in a vicious assault on an elderly man in a wheelchair.
Footage of the encounter shows a chaotic scene outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility where federal agents were already deploying tear gas and pepper balls to repel a mob throwing projectiles at the roof. Amidst the smoke, an elderly man was confronted by a group of masked individuals.
The encounter turned violent when one agitator reportedly struck the man, knocking him out of his wheelchair and onto the pavement. Witnesses on the scene reported that the man was knocked unconscious. An ambulance was summoned to the area at approximately 8 p.m. to treat an “injured person,” and sources later confirmed the victim suffered a concussion and a broken rib from the impact. Portland Police Bureau told Citizen Stringer that despite the clear video of the assault “the investigating officers determined the appropriate course of action was to refer the case to the Multnomah County District Attorney for consideration of charges.” The man seen on the video was not arrested.
The LA Ambush: Media Targeted
The violence was not contained to the Pacific Northwest. In Los Angeles, where thousands gathered at the Metropolitan Detention Center, the focus shifted from federal agents to the very people trying to document the unrest.
A journalist, identified in social media reports as covering the “National Shutdown,” was swarmed by a mob of masked demonstrators. The journalist was reportedly harassed, physically blocked from filming, and ultimately attacked by the group. This follows a pattern of escalating hostility toward those covering the protest events. Another independent journalist in Portland claims he was “jumped” Saturday afternoon by nearly a dozen masked protesters and left with a concussion.
Federal Response: “Forceful Protection”
The rising body count and property damage have prompted a direct response from the White House. President Trump, taking to social media, labeled the agitators in Eugene and Portland as “criminals” and stated he has ordered federal immigration agents to be “very forceful” in their protection of federal property and personnel.
While Governor Walz and Mayor Frey in Minnesota have attempted to de-escalate through dialogue, the events in Portland and LA suggest that the radical elements of the “National Shutdown” have no interest in the “similar wavelength” the President touted earlier this week.
The Bottom Line: Who is Safe
For weeks, the narrative has focused on the tragic deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. But as the “resistance” turns its rage on elderly men in wheelchairs and working journalists, the moral high ground claimed by the anti-ICE movement is rapidly eroding into a puddle of street violence and encrypted “Shadow Command” tactics.
