The so-called milkshakes that were hurled at a journalist and others by Antifa in Portland over the weekend may have included quick-drying cement and other chemical additives, according to the Portland Police Bureau.
An email forwarded to the bureau by an anonymous source indicated that the recipe for the milkshakes was: soymilk, Quick Rete Cement Mix, and other chemical additives.
In the email, an organizer wrote that the latter were meant “to cause long term injury and burns.”
“We hope the piggie officers and proud boys enjoyed the shake back!” the organizer wrote.
“Prior to the event, information was circulating that some participants planned to throw milkshakes on others. As the event progressed, officers learned from some participants that a substance similar to quick-drying concrete was being added to some of the ‘milkshakes,'” the bureau said in a statement.
“A lieutenant in the field observed some of the material and noted the texture and smell was consistent with concrete. The Portland Police Bureau sent a tweet out to bring attention to this potential hazard and to encourage victims to contact us. The act of throwing any substance on another person without that person’s consent constitutes the crime of harassment (ORS 166.065). After the tweet was sent, an anonymous email was sent to Bureau members with a ‘Milkshake Recipe.'”
According to the cited statute, a person commits harassment if they annoy another person by “subjecting such other person to offensive physical contact.” Harassment is a class B misdemeanor.
Quick-drying cement can cause chemical burns, according to the Electronic Library of Construction Occupational Safety & Health.
“The hazards of wet cement are due to its caustic, abrasive, and drying properties. Wet concrete contacting the skin for a short period and then thoroughly washed off causes little irritation. But continuous contact between skin and wet concrete allows alkaline compounds to penetrate and burn the skin,” it stated.
“When wet concrete or mortar is trapped against the skin—for instance, by falling inside a worker’s boots or gloves or by soaking through protective clothing—the result may be first, second, or third-degree burns or skin ulcers. These injuries can take several months to heal and may involve hospitalization and skin grafts.”
First skirmish I’ve seen. Didn’t see how this started, but @MrAndyNgo got roughed up. pic.twitter.com/hDkfQchRhG
— Jim Ryan (@Jimryan015) June 29, 2019
Video footage of the attack of journalist Andy Ngo showed Antifa members throwing some of the milkshakes at him as others physically beat him. When he finally got away, his face was covered with the unknown substance.
“The mob of people all dressed in black and wearing masks started beating me with their fists. And some of them used objects to hit me. I don’t know how many people were involved. It seemed like five, 10, 15, or 20. It could’ve been that many. They beat me so much that I lost control of my GoPro camera that I was holding, which was then stolen from me. And when I thought it was over, I was wrong,” Ngo told the right-leaning Fox News on July 1.
“Then they started dumping what I believe were milkshakes and eggs, throwing it at my face which blinded me so that I could not see. And I was kicked some more, punched some more. And all this time I kept thinking, where are the police? I could still see the county justice center in front of me, but no police ever arrived,” he added.
Police later arrested three suspects and released pictures of three others.
Gage Halupowski, 23, was charged with multiple counts of assault, including on a public safety officer; James K. Stocks, 21, was charged with harassment; and Maria Dehart, 23, was charged with disorderly conduct and harassment.
