Andy Ngo's legal team gives opening statements in trial against Antifa members

Opening statements and testimony from journalist Andy Ngo were delivered to the jury as part of the legal battle against alleged members of the radical leftist group Antifa.

Alleged Antifa defendants John Colin Hacker and Elizabeth Renee Richter appeared in the courtroom to address Ngo's claim of multiple physical assaults and threats against him. The trial began with statements from the plaintiff's legal team.

Dorothy Yamamoto, the journalist's lawyer, said that her client was the victim of severe intimidation and attacks by several Antifa members, including Hacker and Ritcher. Yamamoto noted that because of all of the above, Ngo was forced to leave Portland to try to rebuild his life in a place where he felt safer.

Likewise, the lawyer highlighted that although the trial involves the alleged attacks by Hacker and Ritcher that occurred on May 7, 2019, and May 28, 2021, Ngo was a victim of other violent incidents carried out by members of the leftist group.

According to Yamamoto, the first time Antifa members confronted Ngo about his journalistic work in a personal setting was on May 7, 2019, when Hacker allegedly tried to steal his phone and broke his protector at a gym. The venue staff intervened, retrieved Ngo's belongings, and revoked Hacker's membership.

At that time, Ngo was not very well-known but had found a niche in covering political protests because of the lack of information in the mainstream media.

In opening statements, Yamamoto recounted that his client began concealing his identity while reporting in the field and opted to broadcast live events instead of filming. Unfortunately, this did not prevent the journalist from being attacked.

Following an event organized by Antifa, Ngo even required hospitalization due to the brain injuries he suffered from being beaten by group members.

"After this incident, my client could not do ground reporting because of violence," the lawyer said, highlighting that on May 28, 2021, he made an exception and covered an event that ended up with him as the victim of violent aggression by an Antifa mob.

Ngo was apparently undercover, but Hacker identified him, pursued him and encouraged other group members to attack him.

The journalist managed to escape, but that is when defendant Elizabeth Renee Richter allegedly followed him, live-streamed his location and threatened him. Staff at the hotel where Ngo was staying managed to get Richter to leave, but the damage was done and the journalist had to flee Portland.

"My client decided to relocate. It was too much after the May 28, 2021, attack. Andy made up his mind to leave his parents behind and had to rebuild a new life abroad," she recounted.