Antifa Rioters Threaten Livestreamer Who Filmed Them Destroying Property in Berkeley

An independent journalist who videotaped a mob of antifa rioters destroying property in Berkeley, Ca., on Sunday described on Fox News how they threatened him into backing off.

“They basically confronted me, and said, ‘Get out of here, the police aren’t here, so they can’t help you,’” Ford Fischer told host Sandra Smith Monday evening on Fox’s “The Story.”

Fischer, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of livestreaming service News2Share, was in Berkeley to cover the “No to Marxism” rally and counter demonstrations led by communist and antifa groups.

He told Smith that he followed a group of “Black Bloc” antifa rioters after they broke off from the main protest at Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park.

The journalist videotaped the rioters smashing the windows of a U.S. Marine Corps recruiting office and posted the footage on Twitter.

“From across the street, I was able to film and zoom in really tight,” said Fischer, who added that after damaging the recruiting office, “somebody threw a lit torch into a dumpster, basically trying to create a dumpster fire.”

VIDEO: Antifa smashes the windows of Shattuck Ave US Marine Corps Recruiting office in #Berkeley #berkeleyprotests #Antifa pic.twitter.com/SZH5d97CjV

— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) August 5, 2018

Fischer said he was then accosted by members of the Black Bloc, and told to leave — or else.

After I filmed the antifa break the Marine Corps office window and throw a torch into a dumpster, one of them called a few over to confront me. They basically told me to leave, implying attack if I didn't. I left.

"Get the fuck back. Cops aren't here. They won't help you." pic.twitter.com/7m8WkNmOy9

— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) August 6, 2018

“Frankly, I have no doubt that I would have been hurt had I not left,” he told Smith. So he headed back to the main demonstration.

Berkeley police said 20 people were arrested in all and posted their names and pictures on Twitter.

Berkeley Police Arrest 20 During Protests https://t.co/1dtisBgVzf

— Berkeley Police (@berkeleypolice) August 6, 2018

Here are some of the weapons they confiscated:

We are confiscating weapons and making arrests. pic.twitter.com/YisxhW4FM0

— Berkeley Police (@berkeleypolice) August 5, 2018

We have made 17 arrests, and, if necessary, we will continue to make more. We're also continuing to confiscate weapons. pic.twitter.com/xJVYrdD2ag

— Berkeley Police (@berkeleypolice) August 5, 2018

According to Fox News:

Three people suffered minor injuries after a group of demonstrators threw “explosives” — believed to be fireworks and flares — at police and Alameda County Sheriff’s officers.

Besides the damage to the Marine Corps post, Berkeley police also said, “an extremist element among a large group” damaged 21 city vehicles, setting one on fire, and slashed their tires. The group also set fires in trash bins, which quickly were extinguished.

“The original protests had relatively little violence,” Fischer said. “It was a lot of people yelling at each other and arguing. Most of the violence and property destruction was this sea of antifa-type individuals, who were participating kind of on the outskirts.”