Portland: Who is Navy veteran Christopher David? Brutal video shows vet standing tall as federal agents thrash him
In a poignant new 31 second advertisement, media company MeidasTouch used footage from the Portland protest to slam President Donald Trump and his "goons". The viral video features Trump's secret federal police that has been wreaking havoc across Portland. Last week, reports emerged that camouflaged federal law enforcement officers, deployed by trump, were patrolling the streets in unmarked vehicles and making arrests without any cause. An internal memo from US Customs and Border Protection later confirmed that the agents known as PACT or the Protecting American Communities Task Force were created in response to Trump's executive order to penalize anyone who damaged an American monument during the protests.
The video clip shows federal police in Portland ruthlessly beating a Navy veteran, Christopher David, 53, who was protesting against the government's actions. He told Associated Press that he attended a protest for the first time to talk with the federal agents and was instead beaten up and pepper-sprayed in a confrontation. "What they were doing was unconstitutional," David, a graduate of the US Naval Academy and a Navy veteran told AP. "Sometimes I worry that people take the oath of office or the oath to the Constitution, and it’s just a set of words that mean nothing. They really don’t feel in their heart the weight of those words."
David said that federal law enforcement officers stormed out of a federal building and lunged at a group of protesters. He said he hadn't relented as an officer shoved him backward, while another pointed a munition at his chest. "They came out to fight," David said. He was hit with baton five times and sprayed with pepper gas. He broke his ring finger and another bone in his hand during the process, and the violent interaction was captured in a video shot by Zane Sparling, a reporter for The Portland Tribune. David managed to pry the officer's hand away and walked away raising his middle fingers in the air. However, he said he will need to undergo reconstructive surgery for his finger.
MeidasTouch is a media organization that makes poignant political ads criticizing the Trump administration, every single one of which has gone viral. It was formed with the purpose of stopping Trump from being re-elected in the upcoming presidential elections this November. Since its formation, the committee has released multiple videos criticizing the Trump administration. Following the release of the latest video, which is also narrated by David, #EnoughIsEnough began trending on Twitter.
"Heroes fight for America. Trump fights against it. Please retweet far and wide. #EnoughIsEnough," MeidasTouch captioned the video that has amassed some 12K retweets and 13K likes in the four hours since it was posted. "Christopher David is a true American hero. He sacrificed for the United States in the Navy and was within his constitutional rights to join the protests in Portland," the media organization said on its website. "On the other hand, Donald Trump has unlawfully sent federal forces to Portland to attack American citizens."
"As the election nears, and Trump’s poll numbers continue to tank, his tactics will get more destructive as he launches an assault on the American people," MeidasTouch wrote. "We must honor true heroes like Christopher David, and follow his lead and stand up to Trump and make it clear that #EnoughIsEnough!" David told AP that he had become a symbol of militarized response to the protests in Portland, but said he wanted to bring the focus back to the protesters and the cause that they are fighting for. "It isn’t about me getting beat up. It’s about focusing back on the original intention of all of these protests, which is Black Lives Matter," David said.
Reactions from Twitter users started pouring in as soon as the video began picking up views and interaction. "It can't happen here? IT IS HAPPENING HERE. I'm not telling you that. Trump's rampant lawlessness is TELLING YOU THAT. It's racist. It's fascist. It's escalating," a user stated in a tweet. "If you love America, this ad from @MeidasTouch will bring tears to your eyes. We are being attacked from within. Trump is the cancer. His #Gestapo tactics have to stop. #EnoughIsEnough," said another user commending the media company for its impacting new advertisement. "Donald Trump DESPISES our military. He defunds & deports veterans. He fires & smears Purple Heart recipients. He attacks Gold Star families. He disparages war heroes & their grieving widows & dispatches CBP agents to attack veteran protesters #EnoughIsEnough," a user tweeted.
"We must honor true heroes like Christopher David, by following his lead to stand up to Trump & Trumpism by making it clear that #EnoughIsEnough!" a user wrote. "Very well done. Thanks to that Navy vet for doing what he did. He took some lumps, but he showed that the violence from the federal govt is indiscriminate and unprovoked," another user commented. "Everytime I see this Navy Vet being abused by Trump/Barr thug's it makes me sick. He stood brave and tall while they beat him with sticks. Then used gas on him. #EnoughIsEnough #VoteThemOut", a user said. Another added: "#TrumpsGestapoForce enjoys gassing and beating peaceful American citizens executing their First Amendment Right to protest in their home towns. #TrumpIsAWannabeDictator."