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posted by n1 on Tuesday May 30 2017, @03:35AM   Printer-friendly

An Army veteran, a recent college graduate and a student who once won a poetry contest by condemning prejudice stirred up by the Sept. 11 attacks intervened as a man screamed anti-Muslim insults at two women in Portland, Ore., on Friday.

[...] Two of the men — Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, 23, and Rick Best, 53 — died in the attack, which occurred on a commuter train. The third, Micah David-Cole Fletcher, 21, was treated on Saturday for injuries that the police said were serious but not life-threatening.

Jeremy Christian, 35, of North Portland, Ore., was charged with two counts of aggravated murder in the attack and could face additional charges when he is arraigned on Tuesday. Mr. Christian, who the authorities said had a history of making extremist statements on social media, was ranting at, and talking disparagingly about, the two women, one of whom was wearing a hijab.

Source: The New York Times

President Donald Trump has released his first official statement on the attack in Portland, Oregon, more than 48 hours after the two victims died.

"The violent attacks in Portland on Friday are unacceptable," Mr Trump tweeted. "The victims were standing up to hate and intolerance. Our prayers are w/ them."

Source: The Independent

Portland law enforcement leaders were tightlipped Saturday about the investigation into Friday's attacks that killed two men on a light rail train but a federal official did say it was too early to label the incident a hate crime.

[...] Loren Cannon, special agent in charge of the Portland FBI office, [...]

"It's too early to say whether last night's violence was an act of domestic terrorism or a federal hate crime," he said. "However, in the coming days, the FBI, PPB and the prosecutors will work together to share information, leverage resources and make determinations about future criminal charges."

[...] Leaders of the Muslim community said they were thankful for the men who gave their lives to save the girls from harm. They have raised $50,000 toward a goal of $60,000 to help support the victims and their families.

Source: The Oregonian


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  • (Score: 2) by butthurt on Tuesday May 30 2017, @06:35AM (2 children)

    by butthurt (6141) on Tuesday May 30 2017, @06:35AM (#517496) Journal

    > It wasn't premeditated, it wasn't calculated to further a political goal.

    I wanted to use the Daily Mail as the source for this; they link to a KOIN-TV story in which a woman who had been riding a train with the man the night before said of him:

    “He was threatening to hurt somebody,” she said. “The talking was so violent and everybody was pretty scared… By the time we were at [the Gateway Transit Center], he was talking about wanting to stab somebody and gestured to pull something out of his pocket. Everybody around me got up, I was right behind him.”

    -- http://koin.com/2017/05/28/video-stabbing-suspect-went-on-rant-night-before-attack/ [koin.com]

    Back to the Daily Mail for a transcript of what the man said that previous night (the video may be at the KOIN page; I have not viewed it):

    'You don't like it? You got a problem with what I'm saying?' she heard Christian say. 'F*** all you Christians and Muslims and f****** Jews , f****** die. Burn you at the stake… f****** die.'

    -- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4551550/Man-accused-Portland-attack-history-racist-rants.html [dailymail.co.uk]

    They also quote some of what they say were Mr. Christian's Facebook posts (emphasis mine):

    'I hope the Police Stand Down as in Berkeley. I will be there Demasking anyone with a mask. I will attend in Lizard King Regalia as a Political Nihilist to Provoke both Sides and attempt to engage anyone in a true Philosophy and Political Discussion.

    'If you attended masked up and that mask comes off and I see a friend who sided with ANTIFA it will be merciless. Free speech or die!!! This is my land!!!'

    [...]

    If Donald Trump is the Next Hitler then I am joining his SS to put and end to Monotheist Question. All Zionist Jews, All Christians who do not follow Christ's teaching of Love, Charity, and Forgiveness And All Jihadi Muslims are going to Madagascar or the Ovens/FEMA Camps!!! Does this make me a fascist!!!

    Those read, to me, as though he were contemplating physically harming people for political purposes (there's a fair bit more in that vein).

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @03:28PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 30 2017, @03:28PM (#517687)

    So where are the people on here that regularly decry religion as the source of all our woe, all our violence, etc.

    Methinks that violent people will just use whatever excuse it at hand.

    • (Score: 2) by rcamera on Wednesday May 31 2017, @05:00PM

      by rcamera (2360) on Wednesday May 31 2017, @05:00PM (#518374) Homepage Journal
      actually, assuming the quote in your parent was accurate, he is basically "coming out" as a christian.

      ... All Zionist Jews, All Christians who do not follow Christ's teaching of Love, Charity, and Forgiveness And All Jihadi Muslims ...

      from that, we can gather that he's not a fan of christians that he doesn't perceive as "real christians". he probably also thinks he's a "real christian", but apparently doesn't think "christ's teaching of love, [and] charity..." apply to him.

      besides, wan't this whole incident literally based on his intolerance for someone else's religion? FTFS, "... as a man screamed anti-Muslim insults..." is a dead giveaway. how was this particular act of violence NOT based on religion, in your opinion?

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