PORTLAND, Ore. — Independent journalist Chelly Bouferrache, known as “Honey Badger Mom,” says she was assaulted while covering ongoing protests outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland. The demonstrations, led by a core group of Antifa-aligned activists, have been taking place for months with little mainstream media coverage.
From Large Riots to Persistent Core Group
Bouferrache, who has reported on Antifa activity since 2017, told The Ari Hoffman Show that the protests have evolved from nightly large-scale riots into a smaller but consistent group of agitators.
“When it first started, there was a very large crowd every night,” she said. “They were cutting underground cables, vandalizing, throwing things at officers… tear gas and pepper balls were being used. Now it’s a core group yelling at officers, with occasional arrests.”
She believes some arrests are intentional, noting incidents where protesters deliberately entered restricted areas to provoke detainment.
Few Journalists on the Ground
Bouferrache and fellow independent reporter Katie Daviscourt are often the only media present.
“When you find a story nobody else is telling, it becomes your story,” Bouferrache said. “Katie and I need to have each other’s backs… there’s safety in numbers.”
Despite federal statements about cracking down on Antifa, Bouferrache says she has seen little visible intervention at the protests.
The Assault Incident
The Post Millennial’s Daviscourt and journalist Andy Ngo have identified the alleged assailant as 42-year-old Nicole Renee Middleton, reportedly a longtime member of Rose City Antifa and a frequent organizer outside the ICE facility.
According to witnesses, Middleton had been harassing Bouferrache before allegedly tackling her to the ground and punching her repeatedly. Bouferrache had deployed mace in what she says was self-defense. Middleton then reportedly fled with help from other protesters.
Daviscourt pursued the group, filming Middleton leaving in a vehicle registered to John Hacker, a convicted assaulter and known Antifa affiliate. Witnesses later identified Middleton from photo and video evidence.
Who’s Showing Up Nightly
Bouferrache says the protest crowd is a mix of high school students, immigration activists, and hardened Antifa members, with some veteran agitators resurfacing.
“There’s a core group in black bloc who are definitely the Antifa crowd… the ones who do the most violence, cutting cables and doing the wilder stuff,” she said, adding wryly, “I guess it just depends on their barista schedule at whatever coffee shop they’re working for, when they can come out or not.”
Despite the risks, Bouferrache says she will keep showing up until the full story is told — even if she’s one of the last journalists still covering the protests.
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