Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) is in hot water with the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association after she tweeted out a show of support for the Antifa thugs who were arrested on charges of violence against police officers at Saturday’s “Straight Pride” parade in Boston.

The Boston Herald reports:

The union sent Pressley a letter to “strongly protest” her support for people arrested for protesting the parade.

“My members have informed me that the individuals who were arrested Saturday were not peaceful protesters but were committing crimes of assault against Boston Police Officers,” the letter obtained by the Herald reads. “In fact at least four officers were injured by the actions of some protesters. The officers were screamed at, abused and fought by these so-called peaceful protesters.”

The letter adds, “Your actions in support of these individuals serves only to encourage criminal and disruptive behaviors such as those suffered by my members this weekend. This attitude also contributes to the growing we/they attitude against police officers in this country.”

An online fundraiser initiated by the Lucy Parsons Center, a Jamaica Plain anarchist bookstore, has raised more than $24,000 from 698 people for the legal costs of the 36 people arrested at the Straight Pride Parade. Pressley, who represents much of Boston, Cambridge and Somerville, retweeted a link to the fund on Monday.

She later said, “I don’t think they should have been arrested, and that’s why I’ve been promoting a bail fund to support them. … They were protesting a racist, fascist, demonstration.”

Here’s the tweet Pressley sent out encouraging people to support the bail fund for the arrested Antifa agitators:

Join me right now in making a contribution. TY to the allies & accomplices who stood in the gap & laid their bodies on the line today in affront #LGBT hate march. To everyone feeling unseen & vulnerable today…we got you. Equitable outrage. Our destinies & freedoms are tied. https://t.co/xwHQDX7UG2

— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) August 31, 2019

Per the Herald, several of those arrested have already appeared in court:

The 36 people arrested at the controversial parade on Saturday began appearing in court Tuesday. Nine are accused of assaulting police, injuring four officers. Those defendants and others were variously charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, carrying a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct.

Independent journalist Andy Ngo tweeted out the arrest log, which shows what charges were filed:

Boston PD has released log of arrested individuals from Saturday’s antifa counter-protest against the Straight Pride. They face an array of charges including battery of officers & assault using a dangerous weapon. Congresswomen AOC & A. Pressley expressed support for protesters. pic.twitter.com/OXAiIk2aWK

— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) September 2, 2019

Pressley is pushing back on the Boston police not by denying she supports the Antifa activists, but by insinuating the police might have asked for it:

U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who boosted a protester bail fund over the weekend, called for an “independent investigation” into what happened between Boston Police and protesters at the Straight Pride Parade — which devolved into chaos and led to dozens of arrests.

Pressley, speaking in Roxbury Tuesday, also pushed for more police body cameras to show what happens in future incidents.

“A lot of the reason we don’t have a picture of what transpired is because there’s no documenting,” Pressley said, saying she believes body cameras would show if police used de-escalation techniques, and if people were provoked.

“The footage I have seen only leaves me with more questions,” Pressley said.

In response to the letter, Pressley also stated she does not approve of the use of violence and supports people’s right to protest.

She says that, but her actions speak louder than her words.

What she’s done here is two-fold: In responding to the letter, she hinted she believes officers may have “provoked” the attacks that allegedly happened (and in essence suggesting that the violent responses from Antifa were justified). And by posting the tweet, she’s more or less said that regardless of what the charges are and whether or not they hold up in a court of law, she stands behind Antifa against the “#LGBT hate march”, although it’s not clear what specific “hate” she’s referring to (to my knowledge, none of the straight pride marchers were arrested).

Though people disagree on whether or not marches like Straight Pride marches are a good idea, what is not disputable outside of the fever swamps of the activist left is the fact that Antifa is a violent movement. It has an established history of violence, and their violence is not solely visited upon white supremacists and racists but instead anyone who they decide deserves it on any given day (usually people who have the audacity to agree with Antifa and the far left).

In addition to committing violence against those who disagree, Antifa thugs are also proponents of private property destruction.

Ayanna Pressley isn’t stupid. She knows this. But she, like Squad leader Rep. AOC, has chosen to throw her lot behind these thugs because narratives, virtue signaling, and what not.

Read the full letter the BPPA sent to Pressley here.

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— Based in North Carolina, Sister Toldjah is a former liberal and a 15+ year veteran of blogging with an emphasis on media bias, social issues, and the culture wars. Read her Red State archives here. Connect with her on Twitter. –