Last week I covered a restraining order issued by federal judge Michael Simon directing the federal law enforcement agents defending the Hatfield Federal Courthouse in Portland to not purposely target members of the press or attorney observers from organizations like the ACLU when using crowd control measures such as tear gas, pepper spray, and non-lethal munitions in dealing with rioters.

The Order stated:

To facilitate the Federal Defendants’ identification of Journalists protected under this Order, the following shall be considered indicia of being a Journalist: visual identification as a member of the press, such as by carrying a professional or authorized press pass or wearing a professional or authorized press badge or other official press credentials or distinctive clothing that identifies the wearer as a member of the press. These indicia are not exclusive, and a person need not exhibit every indicium to be considered a Journalist under this Order. The Federal Defendants shall not be liable for unintentional violations of this Order in the case of an individual who does not carry or wear a press pass, badge, or other official press credential or distinctive clothing that identifies the wearer as a member of the press.

The Federal Defendants are not precluded by the Order from issuing otherwise lawful crowd-dispersal orders for a variety of lawful reasons. The Federal Defendants shall not be liable for violating this injunction if a Journalist or Legal Observer is incidentally exposed to crowd-control devices after remaining in the area where such devices were deployed after the issuance of an otherwise lawful dispersal order.

Not surprisingly, videos of rioting at the Portland courthouse since the issuance of the order are more and more often capturing members of the “press” who are dressed suspiciously similar to Antifa and BLM rioters — but now they have their “indicia of being a journalist” with them.   Some have “PRESS” emblzoned on their shirts, and others are waving around notebooks and “badges” which say “Press” on them.  Some of the more enterprising rioters are wearing “GoPro” cameras on their helmets and claiming they are videographers capturing images of protesters — sometimes themselves as they hurl objects over the fence at the courthouse and/or federal law enforcement agent.

FAKE PRESS 🚨

This rioter gets pissed when Feds aim their sights down on her after she provokes them. She claimed to be press. @ElijahSchaffer has posted the moments leading up to me pressing her. pic.twitter.com/AayCHnQ7c8

— Kalen From Scriberr (@FromKalen) July 27, 2020

Damn the fake press! I think there are more fake Antifa press than there are real press here

A mob of them scream about having the right to rush officers due to press immunity

move towards the Feds aggressively

then they fire rubber bullets & flash bangs at the real press pic.twitter.com/0OsUA82K4X

— ELIJAH RIOT (@ElijahSchaffer) July 27, 2020

This is more video of that “journalist” running from the Feds and throwing the tear gas canisters back at him

These are activists and know that the propagandists in corporate media won’t do their job

Are dishonest and will say Feds fire upon press

I’m out of here pic.twitter.com/FMTYPS5Wyl

— ELIJAH RIOT (@ElijahSchaffer) July 27, 2020

This fake Antifa press problem is a pandemic

This man defies orders, insults officers, and makes sexual references to them

And claims he’s press with a $40 handicam mounted on a gas station tripod

Due to a court order police can’t do anything

This puts real press in danger pic.twitter.com/cVvenAof0S

— ELIJAH RIOT (@ElijahSchaffer) July 27, 2020

More fake Antifa press yelling a federal officers

“why are you pointing your guns at press…were you never held?” She asks

As she ignores orders to stay off the street and abuses “press immunity” to avoid confrontation by officers

Her actions put real press in danger pic.twitter.com/vr7F2uBiuw

— ELIJAH RIOT (@ElijahSchaffer) July 27, 2020

The “real” press is responsible for this idiocy.  They “demand” to be given specialized access and treatment in a largely uncontrolled environment — all in the name of “constitutional” rights that don’t exist anywhere in the Constitution.  The real press — in an urban “warfare” zone — mixed in with the agitators and rioters, demand that law enforcement agents take notice of their presence and then account for them when dealing with a largely chaotic scene.  Their presence complicates decision-making and places everyone involved at greater risk.

Cover it if they want from the rioters perspective — but they should be properly outfitted and take their chances if that is their choice.