Activists Cleared After Right-Wing Troll Andy Ngô Accuses Them of Assault

An Oregon jury cleared two Portland activists of all civil liability on Tuesday after right-wing provocateur Andy Ngô accused them of physically attacking him while he was undercover at a 2021 rally. Ngô was unmasked and beaten at the demonstration with “fists and weapons” by “antifa” decked out in all black outfits, he said at the time. In his civil suit, filed three years ago, he said activists John Hacker and Elizabeth Richter were his assailants, alleging the pair were members of Rose City Antifa. However, Richter’s attorney, Michelle Burrows, said Tuesday that Ngô’s attackers were never identified. “He grabbed the faces that he saw that night and he sued them,” she said during closing arguments, according to The Oregonian. Ngô, a onetime editor at conservative site Quillette, had been seeking $300,000 from the activists. In a tweet written after the ruling, Ngô said, “I always knew it would be an uphill battle to win justice for the years of torment and violence I have endured. I still believe that these defendants are affiliated with Antifa, and I remain committed to seeking justice. Though I am deeply disappointed in today’s verdict, I am considering my legal options.”