FACT CHECK: Did This Portland Radio Station Report That Suspected Antifa And Black Lives Matter Activists Shot At Firefighters?

Trevor Schakohl | Legal Reporter

A post shared on Facebook claims Portland, Oregon radio station FM News 101 KXL reported that suspected antifa and Black Lives Matter activists shot at firefighters.

Verdict: False

The radio station denied reporting about such a thing. There are no credible media reports about antifa or Black Lives Matter activists shooting at firefighters battling the West Coast blazes.

Fact Check:

Wildfires on the West Coast have burned nearly 5 million acres and killed at least 35 people, Fox News reported Monday. Oregon’s Office of Emergency Management said in a Sept. 13 statement that firefighters were battling more than 30 fires across the state.

The Facebook post, dated Sept. 12, alleges that “KXL Radio in Portland reported today that Firefighters are now being shot at by suspected Antifa and BLM members.” Other posts from the same day also made the claim. (RELATED: Does This Video Show A Fire Tornado During The 2020 California Wildfires?)

There is, however, no record of KXL reporting about suspected antifa or Black Lives Matter activists shooting at firefighters. No stories that that effect appear on the radio station’s website or in any of its social media posts. Jim Ferretti, the news director of the station, refuted the claim in a Sept. 13 article on the station’s website.

“On Friday, September 11, 2020, someone with no connection to FM News 101 KXL posted a statement on their personal Facebook page that KXL reported ‘firefighters are not being shot by suspected Antifa and BLM members,'” he wrote. “At no time did KXL report this.”

Check Your Fact also didn’t find any credible media reports about firefighters being shot at by antifa or Black Lives Matter activists while battling the ongoing fires. We rate this claim false.

Trevor Schakohl

Legal Reporter
Follow Trevor on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/tschakohl

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