Thug uses golf club to knock man senseless in unprovoked Portland attack, then throws hot coffee at him and stomps on his head



A suspect was caught on video using a golf club to hit a man in an unprovoked attack earlier this month in Portland, after which the suspect threw hot coffee at the victim and stomped on his head.

What are the details?

Portland police said Central Precinct officers on the morning of March 13 responded to an assault report a Southwest 5th Avenue and Southwest Salmon Street.

When officers arrived, they found an injured man who said a stranger without warning hit him with a golf club, poured hot coffee on him, and stomped on his head while he was down, police said, adding that the suspect robbed the victim of his backpack before fleeing.

The attack took place outside a coffee stand, and surveillance video appears to show someone inside the stand hand the cup of coffee to the suspect before the suspect tosses it on the victim.

\u201cGraphic video: #Portland Police released footage of a wanted black male suspect who beat a robbery victim in downtown on March 13 using a golf club. He was then handed hot coffee from staff at the Less and More Coffee, which is used to assault the victim further. Harold Griffin\u2026\u201d
— Andy Ng\u00f4 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Andy Ng\u00f4 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1680486484

However, police pushed back against criticism of the coffee shop employees.

"Those employees did nothing wrong and acted appropriately in the face of a violent attack with a weapon," police said. "The employees should not have physically intervened as doing so could have resulted in their being injured and making the situation worse. The employees and other bystanders assisted the victim as well as responding officers as soon as the suspect left the scene."

\u201cSuspect in Multiple Robbery/Assaults Sought by Detectives (Photo) https://t.co/vYHtewKWYu\u201d
— Portland Police News (@Portland Police News) 1680274592

Police said the victim was taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries and was treated and released.

Second attack

Police said Central Precinct officers responded at 2:44 a.m. March 14 to a report of an assault at West Burnside Street and Southwest 5th Avenue, where they found an unconscious man on a sidewalk, after which they transported him to a hospital.

Officers determined the victim was assaulted and robbed — and that the suspect was believed to be the one from the March 13 case, police said.

Arrest

Police said Central Precinct officers on Friday morning responded to a report of a disturbance in the area of Southwest 4th Avenue and Southwest Washington Street. When the officers arrived, they determined the disturbance didn't involve any crimes — but officers recognized one of the involved individuals as the suspect in the aforementioned cases, police said.

Harold P. Griffin III, 34, was arrested and booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on two counts of first-degree robbery, one county of second-degree assault, one count of fourth-degree assault, and one count of fraudulent use of a credit card.

Police arrest suspect in violent downtown Portland robberies youtu.be

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Newly released footage reportedly shows white Ohio elementary students dragged, beaten, and forced by black peers to pledge loyalty to BLM



Newly released surveillance footage appears to confirm earlier reports of a possible hate crime committed last month at an Ohio elementary school.

TheBlaze previously reported that Springfield Police were dispatched to Kenwood Elementary on Feb. 13 to deal with possible assaults and menacing offenses that occurred on Feb. 10 during recess.

According to the police report, the school's principal, Evan Hunsaker, told law enforcement that a group of black students had herded several white students over to the playground and violently coerced them to state "'black lives matter' against their will."

The police report, which indicated the alleged assaults were of an "Anti-White" nature, claimed the suspects "also were recording the white students whom were forced to make the statement."

Children who had attempted to evade the coercive mob of junior identitarians were allegedly "chased down and escorted, dragged or carried" back to the playground.

Following a public records request by WKEF-TV, the City of Springfield released surveillance footage this week that appears to corroborate what Hunsaker had been told.

The video shows a child in a white shirt, in the grips of two larger students, escorted over to the playground and forced to his knees. On the way, one of the individuals violently shoving the child along appears to punch him in the head, just before another student can be seen bolting over, tackling the victim to the ground, and then beating on him.

\u201cUpdate: The City of Springfield, Ohio has released surveillance footage of the elementary school incident from Feb. 10 where white students were held hostage & assaulted on the playground by black students who wanted to force them to pledge allegiance to #BLM.\u201d
— Andy Ng\u00f4 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Andy Ng\u00f4 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1676510043

Springfield Police Chief Allison Elliott said the incident is still being investigated, reported WDTN-TV.

"We are still working through speaking with everyone," said Elliott. "Our detectives worked diligently last week, all last week, to speak with people involved and try to try to figure out the details of the investigation to exhaust our resources and be doing our due diligence to investigate the matter thoroughly."

Ryan Springer, whose 12-year-old boy was apparently among those forced to recite the slogan of the scandal-plagued BLM movement, told WHIO, "I mean I’m angry as a parent but I understand they are children. It’s not okay to hate anybody because of their skin color, or their gender or sexual orientation, or anything like that. Nobody should be hating anybody."

"I'm more upset by the assault part of it — the children being forced down on the ground," Springer added.

Instead of activist-weaponized racial acrimony, Springer suggested, "They should just be worried about being children."

Krystal Harr, reportedly the mother of one of the victims, warned other Kenwood Elementary families on Facebook, "Watch your babies! This is getting unsafe!"

While local NAACP president Denise Williams agreed with how the school handled the incident, she suggested that charges should not be pressed against the alleged attackers. She told WKEF that she is concerned about the safety of the alleged aggressors.

"I’m worried about the safety of our children," said Williams, who has received calls from concerned parents. "It rose to the level of discrimination. It rose to the level of calling our black children out of their names."

Black Lives Matter Dayton issued a statement Tuesday afternoon, writing, "The Black Lives Matter Dayton group is disheartened to learn of the incident at Kenwood Elementary School in Springfield, Ohio, involving Black students’ alleged negative engagement towards White students while using the Black Lives Matter phrase."

BLM, the identitarian leftist group the Springfield aggressors allegedly forced their victims to pledge fealty to, was associated with the 2020 riots that did at least $1 billion in damage. Of the 8,700 BLM-related events at the time, 574 reportedly involved violent acts in over 140 cities, including shootings, arson, looting, vehicular crimes, and explosions.

RealClear Investigations reported that between six and 20 persons were killed in the BLM riots. One police officer was killed, and 2,037 officers were assaulted or injured; 16,241 arrests were made.

Extra to its links to violence, destruction, and transsexual activism, BLM calls for police to be defunded, for the disruption of the nuclear family, and for "a queer-affirming network."

The Springfield City School District did not respond to TheBlaze's inquiry about whether teachers or staff at the school have previously promoted BLM in their classrooms; whether CRT is taught in SCSD schools; and whether BLM activists have spoken to students in the past. However, the SCSD did release a statement after the incident indicating that it is "committed to providing our students with a safe learning environment, where they look forward to attending every day."

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Walmart to close both Portland stores this month, some blame rise in shoplifting

Walmart to close both Portland stores this month, some blame rise in shoplifting



The two Walmart stores within the city limits of Portland, Oregon, will both permanently close later this month.

On March 24, Portland's only two Walmart locations — one in Delta Park in the northern section of the city and the other in Eastport Plaza about seven miles southeast of downtown — are expected to shut their doors, including their pharmacy doors, for the last time, forcing regular customers to take their business elsewhere.

"Safeway is the go-to store, if I have to, but that’s three times the price I would spend here," shopper Amanda Pahl lamented.

Despite the loyalty of many shoppers like Pahl, a Walmart spokesperson stated that the closures are the result of underwhelming sales. "The decision to close these stores was made after a careful review of their overall performance," the spokesperson said. "We consider many factors, including current and projected financial performance, location, population, customer needs, and the proximity of other nearby stores when making these difficult decisions."

Though Walmart has officially blamed lower "overall performance" issues at the Portland stores, some have speculated that a rise in crime, particularly shoplifting, may have affected Walmart's bottom line.

"We gotta resolve the shoplifting one way or another," Pahl added, "because that is simply the problem. It's gotta stop."

Pahl isn't the only one to blame shoplifting. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon expressed concerns about the rising cost of retail theft back in December. "Theft is an issue," McMillon said on CNBC's "Squawk Box." "It’s higher than what it has historically been."

Journalist Andy Ngo, who was born in Portland, became a household name after his investigative reporting on the city's Antifa groups. On Twitter, Ngo suggested that the rise in retail theft at places like Walmart is the direct result of the Antifa and BLM riots of 2020, which "normalized urban criminality."

\u201cWalmart has announced it will permanently close all its locations in Portland, Ore. Walmart has long been harshly criticized by the city's left-wing politicians & residents, but this shutdown follows the consequences of the 2020 BLM-Antifa riots that normalized urban criminality.\u201d
— Andy Ng\u00f4 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Andy Ng\u00f4 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1677816878

Whatever the cause, the two closed stores will cost nearly 600 locals their jobs. The company has invited all affected employees, whose final day is scheduled to be June 2, to apply at a nearby Walmart location.

"After we decide to move forward [with a store closure]," the Walmart spokesperson claimed, "our focus is on our associates and their transition, which is the case here."

There are at least 12 stores located in Portland suburbs and 45 stores total in the state of Oregon, though the number of job vacancies at each of those stores is unknown.

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'Republicans fear love': Transgender surgery supporters occupy Oklahoma capitol, demand no age restrictions for operations



Approximately 150 protesters occupied the Oklahoma state Capitol to protest against an age limit for transgender surgeries in the state, which was introduced in Bill SB129 in early January 2023.

The bill bans gender transition surgeries from being performed on anyone under the age of 26, stating that "a physician or other healthcare professional shall not provide gender transition procedures to any individual under twentysix (26) years of age."

Governor Kevin Stitt gave a public State of the State address, in which he stood firmly on the position, saying, "We must protect our most vulnerable — our children."

"After all, minors can’t vote, can’t purchase alcohol, can’t purchase cigarettes … we shouldn’t allow a minor to get a permanent gender-altering surgery in Oklahoma," the governor added.

Oklahomans for Equality and Freedom Oklahoma were two of the groups present at the protest, sporting signs that read messages such as "You can't erase us," and "Things Republicans fear: love, diversity and acceptance."

On the Capitol floor, protesters are seen chanting "trans live matter" as they present their signs.

\u201cA mob of #trans activists took over the Oklahoma Capitol building to try & stop the state\u2019s Republican lawmakers from passing bills that would outlaw the transitioning of minors & require teachers to inform parents if students identify as trans.\u201d
— Andy Ng\u00f4 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Andy Ng\u00f4 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1675760948

The governor also asked legislators to ban hormone therapy for minors as well, exclaiming, "That’s why I am calling on the Legislature to send me a bill that bans all gender transition surgeries and hormone therapies on minors in the state!"

In another video from the Capitol floor, protesters chanted, "We are Oklahoma!" with one protester's sign reading, "We are not a threat, so stop making us a target."

Other protesters wore spray-painted T-shirts with "Trans lives matter" and "Stop the attack" stenciled onto them.

\u201c\u201cWe are Oklahoma\u201d\u201d
— Nick Camper (@Nick Camper) 1675706817

Gov. Stitt categorized the debate as an issue of right and wrong, saying that he will not be intimidated or persuaded by interest groups.

"As governor, I will never shy away from calling out right from wrong. ... I will not be intimidated by partisan interest groups or make decisions based on groupthink," he declared.

"I will continue my responsibility to lead, not follow. ... I ran for this office five years ago because I was tired of seeing other states succeed while ours got left behind.," Stitt added.

According to the Daily Mail, activists called the state bill "genocide" and claimed that Oklahomans should be able to access transgender surgery no matter their age.

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Climate alarmist Greta Thunberg's 'arrest' at anti-labor protest exposed as media stunt, widely ridiculed



Images of climate alarmist Greta Thunberg's supposed arrest by German police circulated widely after the Tuesday incident, prompting some to contemplate her apparent bravery in the face of statist force.

Raw footage of the incident and additional scrutiny have together revealed that the 20-year-old Swedish activist, like her actor father, has a knack for the theatrical. Not only was Thunberg's arrest reportedly staged, it wasn't an arrest at all.

What's the background?

Climate alarmists flocked to a condemned western German village Tuesday for an anti-labor protest, denouncing a job-creating coal mine expansion.

Hamstrung by domestic anti-oil policies and unable to count on renewables, Europe ended up overly reliant on Russian energy. As Russia began to cut off the continent during its war on Ukraine, countries like Germany — which previously obtained roughly 30% of its supply from Russia — were forced to return to using coal.

While climate alarmism had a hand in driving Germany's desperate need for coal, Thunberg and others nevertheless voiced their opposition to the demolition of the abandoned village of Luetzerath, required for the expansion of the Garzweiler 2 mine.

Though condemned and owned by the mine, Luetzerath has recently become an ecosocialist squat for leftist militants and climate extremists.

Leftist extremists from the condemned village can be seen here attacking journalists:

\u201cAt the autonomous zone in #Luetzerath, Germany by militant leftists, #Antifa & climate extremists, Antifa surrounded and attacked journalists. The violent occupation has been praised by leftists & Greta Thunberg for stopping a coal mine expansion.\u201d
— Andy Ng\u00f4 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Andy Ng\u00f4 \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1673762169

Police, who had been trying to prevent protesters from getting injured in the open-pit mine, were reportedly pelted with incendiary devices. Over 70 officers were injured.

Climate alarmists and other anti-labor protesters also reportedly damaged police patrol cars.

Reuters initially reported that Greta Thunberg, who had trespassed to as far as the edge of the mine, had been arrested.

Police told Reuters that "Greta Thunberg was part of a group of activists who rushed towards the ledge [of the mine]. However, she was then stopped and carried by us with this group out of the immediate danger area to establish their identity."

After police rescued the dramatist's daughter, Thunberg was reportedly "held by one arm at a spot further away from the edge of the mine where she was previously sat with the group."

Thunberg, ostensibly wearing a jacket and bag made with petroleum products, told the Associated Press that "what everyone does matters. ... And if one of the largest polluters, like Germany, and one of the biggest historical emitters of CO2 is doing something like this, then of course it affects more or less everyone — especially those most bearing the brunt of the climate crisis."

Some of Thunberg's fans saw the initial images, apparently believing that she had been arrested doing something that mattered.

NASA climate scientist Peter Kalmus tweeted, "Greta's first arrest. It's time for many more of us to stand up and risk arrest for the sake of a livable planet. It will turn the tide."

Climate activist Mike Hudema tweeted with similar urgency, "Greta Thunberg has been detained in Germany for protesting the expantion [sic] of a coal mine despite the government claiming it will exit coal by 2030. The coal expansion betrays 'present and future generations.' There is no time to wait."

\u201cGreta Thunberg has been detained in Germany for protesting the expantion of a coal mine despite the government claiming it will exit coal by 2030. \n\nThe coal expansion betrays "present and future generations."\n\nThere is no time to wait. #ActOnClimate \n#IStandwithGreta #L\u00fctzerath\u201d
— Mike Hudema (@Mike Hudema) 1673985657

Frown for the cameras

The Guardian reported that, contrary to previous claims, Thunberg was briefly detained, not arrested.

The Hill noted that Thunberg, who had been trespassing, was simply escorted along with other climate alarmists away from the coal mine site on private property.

Snopes all but conceded it was nothing more than a photo op, writing that "activists often plan such sit-ins and protests as media events to publicize their cause, in full knowledge that police and media will be present — which is to say that they are, in a sense, 'staged.'"

A video has emerged of Thunberg chuckling away with her supposed captors.

The footage shows Thunberg and her police escorts striking different poses for the cameramen and videographers in their orbit, laughing sporadically.

After the photo op, the police escorted the Swedish trespasser off the private property.

\u201cYes, the Greta Thunberg arrest was staged for the establishment media.\u201d
— Catch Up (@Catch Up) 1673993443

Sky News host Chris Kenny said the photo op was "Just farcical, isn’t it? Deceptive too – it’s theatre, climate theatre, and most media just goes along with the charade."

Townhall editor Guy Benson noted that Thunberg's photo op with German police had the "Same energy" as when Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's (D-N.Y.) pretended to be handcuffed when being escorted from a pro-abortion protest at the U.S. Capitol.

\u201cSame energy\u201d
— Guy Benson (@Guy Benson) 1673997674

At the time of the incident, Thunberg said, "Germany is really embarrassing itself right now. ... I think it’s absolutely absurd that this is happening the year 2023."

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