There’s often a misperception among those on the left that Black Lives Matter is made up mainly of black people.

At least as we see in places like Portland, a lot of the folks coming out and then staying afterward for the Antifa destruction are white leftists, who are about the radical ideology. They don’t really care about black lives or who they might hurt with their continued destruction as long as they move us further to the left.

Some black folks in Portland are telling Antifa and the other radical leftist protesters to stop causing trouble because it’s ultimately hurting the black community. Stop “doing damage to us,” they beg. You are making our lives “more difficult” and that’s “not acceptable,” the letter said.

Leaders from Portland's Black community write an open letter calling on white protesters to stop "doing damage to us." Protesters who say they seek racial justice have damaged Black-owned businesses and a Boys and Girls Club serving mostly people of color https://t.co/QVOs6AhUMK

— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) April 21, 2021

The letter notes in pertinent part:

As an array of Black writers, speakers, artists, activists, teachers, parents and professionals, we already struggle to survive in a state that makes every effort to reshuffle and erase us. We need our allies in this fight to understand and honor this fact. Understand that doing damage to us, our communities, and our resources undoes the work we do.

Black people are not a monolith, and having a complicit Black person in your planning space does not indicate support from the Black community. For decades, efforts towards Black Liberation have suffered at the hands of both well-meaning allies and predatory opportunists, and over the last year we have watched as people have profited from and damaged our movement without our consent or approval.

Revolutionary times call for revolutionary measures, but success requires thoughtful action. Actions that neither increase solidarity nor broadcast purpose while making the lives of local Black communities more difficult are not acceptable.

As we reported earlier today, one way that Antifa just made life a little more difficult was bashing up the windows and the doors of The Portland Boys and Girls Club, which largely serves and helps black and Hispanic children and their families. The Antifa attack was the second time they’ve done damage to the building and it’s estimated that this damage will cost $20,000.

But that wasn’t all.

Antifa was also getting blasted by residents who had just had too much of the wanton destruction, as a video from Oregon Public Broadcasting reporter Sergio Olmos showed. Olmos interviewed a woman in front of the Popeyes restaurant that had been damaged and looted, as the Washington Examiner reports.

At the #antifa riot overnight in northeast Portland, they smashed up a @PopeyesChicken. The riots are nearly every night again. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/O3cdCzpwcS

— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) April 20, 2021

A black Portlander is fed-up after #antifa destroyed the windows of the chicken restaurant during their riot overnight. Antifa say they are rioting “for black lives.” #PortlandMugshots pic.twitter.com/YJxuImlxYX

— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) April 20, 2021

“I think that it’s some bulls—,” the woman declared. “I think that they tearing down our community, and they teaching our kids wrong. Look at these kids. These kids, they grew up in this community. Now, they can’t even go sit down and eat a piece of chicken because they tore up the damn store.” She said she thought it was just getting worse and worse. “I don’t think these are protests,” the lady said.

That’s good to hear that some folks have had enough with these characters.

Unfortunately, liberals in charge in Portland have protected the radicals by not taking any serious steps to hold them accountable. So will Antifa or the liberals in charge take seriously any of these concerns?