The Post Millennial's investigative journalist and senior editor Andy Ngo's civil trail against Rose City Antifa and alleged affiliates commenced on Tuesday.
Ngo's lawsuit, initially filed in 2020, claims assault and other injuries from alleged members of Rose City Antifa in a series of incidents beginning in 2019.
Prior to the trial, three alleged Antifa members, Corbyn Katherine Belyea, Madison Lee Allen, and Joseph Christian Evans, were found "in default" and would be held liable for damages by Judge Champone P. Sinlapasai, who is overseeing Ngo's case. Defendants John Colin Hacker and Elizabeth Renee Richter will also face trial by jury.
Judge Sinlapasai enacted media restrictions allowing only photographs to be taken during court proceedings. Journalists were not allowed to "live-post" to social media. Media restrictions were placed citing alleged threats of violence and doxxing reportedly made toward jury members, according to Judge Sinlapasai.
Ngo's attorney, Dorothy Yamamoto, detailed her client's assaults on May 7, 2019 and May 28, 2021 citing Hacker and Richter had referenced Ngo's assaults online and with the Post Millennial senior editor directly.
Hacker allegedly poured an unspecified liquid onto Ngo at a 24 Hour Fitness gym on May 7, 2019. Hacker proceeded to steal Ngo's phone and broke his case after the Post Millennial senior editor began recording out of fear the altercation would escalate. Hacker's gym membership was reportedly revoked after gym staff intervened and returned Ngo's phone.
Hacker also allegedly helped organize the event that Ngo covered during his initial assault on May 1, 2019. Yamamoto described Ngo as an "on-the-ground investigative journalist" and was not relatively well known prior to his initial assault noting he was forced to conceal his identity and adopt new reporting tactics following the incident.
On June 29, 2019, Ngo was assaulted and infamously had "concrete-infused" milkshakes thrown at his head while covering an event organized by Rose City Antifa in Portland, Oregon. Ngo suffered brain injuries and received months of cognitive therapy following the assault.
"After this incident, my client could not do ground reporting because of violence," Yamamoto said. "There are people who passionately hate my client."
Ngo avoided on-the-ground reporting following the assault until a May 28, 2021 incident in which Ngo was again beaten by an alleged mob of Antifa members after reporting on Antifa attacks on the Portland Justice Center. Hacker reportedly approached Ngo, who was reporting undercover, and questioned the reporter about his identity. Hacker identified Ngo and was subsequently chased and beaten by Antifa.
Ngo ran into The Nines Hotel attempting to escape the mob, though Richter allegedly followed the reporter into the hotel live-streaming his location. Richter reportedly made violent verbal threats before hotel staff insisted she leave.
"I can't wait for you to come out, Andy!” Richter yelled at Ngo in a recorded video. "You thought the milkshakes were bad last time!"
"We are going to beat the f--- out of you b----!"
Richter joined Hacker who was also with the mob outside the hotel. Ngo was subsequently escorted to a hospital where he was treated for significant injuries sustained during the altercation.
Yamamoto revealed Ngo decided to relocate abroad leaving his parents behind in Oregon.
Richter's attorney argued against Ngo's referring to him as a "famous, controversial, and polarizing" journalist by claiming his client was not directly involved in Ngo's assaults. Hacker's attorney similarly asserted her client's innocence saying, "Mr. Ngo has sued the wrong people."
"He should have in here the people that did the bad things to him. ... The people who should be in here have not been identified," Hacker's attorney said. The attorney also referenced Hacker's initial alleged assault of Ngo at the 24 Hour Fitness saying her client "didn't want to be recorded."
After taking the stand, Ngo detailed his parent's experience fleeing communist Vietnam before discussing his experience working in journalism. Ngo said he began reporting on-the-ground, citing evidence was "much stronger when people see photos and videos."
The Post Millennial senior editor said he never felt unsafe in his reporting until he began reporting on Antifa.
Ngo discussed his initial alleged 2019 assault by Hacker, saying it was the "first time somebody had confronted [him] outside a reporting context."
"This was me just living my private life on a regular day," he said. "Someone who recognized me at the gym that I thought was a safe place to be."
The reporter transitioned to his infamous 2019 assault saying he was not a confrontational person.
"I've never been in a fight, and I didn’t know what it was like to be punched in the face or the head," he said. "I just wanted to get away from the group but it was hard to see. I began feeling a bit dizzy. My balance was kind of weird, so I just sat on the ground. My phone was still on me so I turned a livestream on."
He added, "I was in shock. I wasn't really contemplating what was happening to me."
Ngo revealed he questioned his future in reporting due to concerns over personal safety.
"I had to prioritize security and safety and was receiving a lot of death threats," the reporter said, explaining his phone number and home address, which was also his parents address at the time, along with all of his family members' information, had been posted online. "It was a really big setback on my work and I questioned my ability on whether or not I would be able to continue."
On July 14, Rose City Antifa was dismissed from Ngo's lawsuit by a Portland judge citing the organization was "not a discreet entity under common law," and therefore could could not be sued or served. On July 16, the Post Millennial senior editor reached a settlement with respondent Benjamin Patrick Bolen.
Day two of Ngo's trial is currently underway.
