Michael Strickland is a conservative blogger and for the Progressives Today blog and shares video on his YouTube channel called "LaughingAtLiberals".
Whiteness History Month
At Portland Community College 's Whiteness History Month in April 2016, Strickland attended several events to produce film for his YouTube channel LaughingAtLiberals. A PCC spokeswoman said he was routinely "pushing buttons" and posting heavily edited videos about the events.
Law enforcement say that Strickland has a past police report alleging "possibly race-based threats" against an attendee at a Portland vigil for the victims of last month's nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida. Strickland, who also participated in Portland State University's PSU for Trump group, was alleged to have participated in online harassment campaigns against lesbian and transgender students and also filmed and mocked students and activists along with PSU for Trump members.
At a Black Lives Matter rally in Portland, Oregon, on 7 July 2016, Strickland pulled a Glock 26 pistol and pointed it at protesters, including an undercover police officer. Portland police reported that Strickland's pistol was equipped with "an extremely large magazine" and had a round in the chamber. The police also reported Strickland was carrying five extra magazines for the pistol, all loaded. Strickland claims he was surrounded by several anarchist protesters who pushed and shoved him, and that he feared for his life. Portland's police chief, Mike Marshman, said Strickland's actions at the rally were "fully unacceptable", stating, "I'm very, very proud of the members of the Police Bureau who cautiously and safely enabled the protest to continue on. That's how it should be. To the men and women of the Police Bureau, please continue to do what you do." Portland police arrested Strickland at the scene, charging him with menacing and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors. Law enforcement officials then processed Strickland through the Multnomah County Detention Center and released Strickland on his own recognizance. The next day the state added two additional charges of unlawful use of a firearm, a class C felony. At Strickland's arraignment, the judge set bail at $250,000, with Strickland being released after posting the required bail on July 18. A Multnomah County district attorney sought the high bail amount partly based on alleged race-based threats, including harassing texts and phone calls, reportedly made by Strickland at a previous 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting vigil. In response to the incident and based on his activities on campuses, Portland State University banned Strickland from its campus for two years, and Portland Community College indefinitely banned Strickland from its campus. On February 10, 2017, Strickland was found guilty of all 21 counts: 10 counts of unlawful use of a weapon, 10 counts of menacing, and one count of disorderly conduct. He was sentenced to 40 days in jail, 240 hours of community service, banned from taking video of people or events for at least 2017, and is also banned from owning guns. During the hearing the court discussed finding in a pre-sentence investigation that Strickland had Autistic tendencies or Aspergers. On April 1, 2020, Michael Strickland’s conviction was affirmed by the Oregon Court of Appeal which rejected the arguments of Strickland noting that the facts of the case were undisputed.
