Despite statements from both local and federal law enforcement, social media's lunatic fringe rant and rave
By Brad Smith
ASHLAND,
Ore. – No – Antifa “domestic terrorists” aren’t behind the Almeda Drive Fire or
the other fires in the region.
The rumors
started on early Sept. 9, the day after the fires started. Many took to social
media, claiming that “Antifa” were setting the devastating fires and some had
even been ARRESTED. Their source for that information?
Facebook
scanner groups.
Yes.
Scanner groups. If one wants to spread hoaxes and misinformation, Facebook
scanner groups are the perfect place for that sort of thing. It wasn’t long
before people were repeating fake scanner group postings about Antifa arsonists
and, making things worse, someone created a post mimicking a Medford Police
Dept. press release: It was about some Antifa arrested for arson.
MPD later
released a statement on social media and debunked the post.
It hasn’t
been easy for the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, either.
According
to public information officer Mike Moran, the JCSO has been hit with a tsunami of
calls and emails from a concerned public. The Rogue Free Press asked if
there was any evidence linking Antifa or other extremists to the fires. Moran
responded with this email:
We have had so many totally groundless
reports of the fires being connected to extremist groups. It is a ridiculous
fabrication that is causing extra work for people and is causing undue anxiety
and concerns for citizens.
Every day there is some totally made up
meme or un-attributed headline posted on social media by someone that has no firsthand
knowledge of anything to do with the investigations.
If there were such info it would be
posted on legitimate government sites. There is no evidence of this to answer
your question.
Along with
the JCSO and MPD, the FBI even issued a press release saying that they saw no
evidence linking Antifa to the fires. Beth Ann Steele, of the Bureau’s Portland
office, said in a statement:
FBI Portland and local
law enforcement agencies have been receiving reports that extremists are
responsible for setting wildfires in Oregon. With our state and local partners,
the FBI has investigated several such reports and found them to be untrue.
Conspiracy theories and misinformation take valuable resources away from local
fire and police agencies working around the clock to bring these fires under
control. Please help our entire community by only sharing validated information
from official sources.
However, despite the numerous statements
from both local and federal law enforcement agencies, there are still some
people in denial that cling to their hoaxes and debunked conspiracy theory
rants. It has gotten so bad that armed vigilantes have setup roadblocks and
checkpoints, threatening innocent drivers. In one incident that happened last
week in Clackamas, alt-right vigilantes stopped an Oregon Public Broadcasting
reporter and told them to leave immediately.
There has been one alleged arsonist
arrested. Michael Jarrold Bakkela, 41, a transient, was arrested on Sept. 8
after a Phoenix resident called 911, reporting that a man set a fire behind
their Quail Lane residence. Bakkela had a Sept. 14 court appearance and entered
a not guilty plea. He is currently held at the Jackson County Jail, charged
with first-degree arson and multiple counts of reckless endangerment and
criminal mischief. His bail has been set at $5 million.
Bakkela’s criminal record includes unlawful
use of a motor vehicle, drug possession, felony possession of a weapon and
other charges. However, he had no history of arson and again, no evidence of an
Antifa affiliation. Local alt-right demagogue Bill Meyer said (Bakkela) was one
of those “Anarchist Cookbook types” – but offered no other evidence.
A number of people have been
arrested for looting, but none have links to extremist groups.
Meantime, groups nominally accused
of being Antifa or “violent” BLM supporters can be found at Medford’s Hawthorne
Park, feeding the homeless and those recently displaced by the fires. They
prepare and serve meals, provide those in need with essential supplies and help
people.
That’s a stark contrast to paranoid
and delusional alt-right vigilantes running illegal roadblocks and intimidating
innocent people.
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