A Portland man suspected of vandalizing several houses of worship was arrested over the weekend on charges of arson and criminal mischief, according to the Portland Police Bureau (PPB).
Michael Bivins, a 34-year-old former freelance journalist in Portland, was booked into the Multnomah County jail early on May 7. He faces an arson charge in the first degree, multiple counts of criminal mischief in the first degree, and criminal mischief in the third degree.
The string of incidents started on April 30, when Bivins allegedly broke windows at Congregation Shir Tikvah, a Jewish synagogue. Two days later, he allegedly targeted the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue, throwing a large rock through the window and spraying graffiti.
On May 3, Bivins is also accused of setting fire to a mosque. The suspect was captured on a surveillance camera pouring an undetermined type of accelerant on the back of the Muslim Community Center and setting it on fire. His first attempt was unsuccessful and he was then seen on camera trying a second time.
“Fortunately, there was only minor damage to the structure,” the PPB said.
“We hope that if this perpetrator is found guilty, that he’s kept from committing these kinds of crimes for other houses of worship,” Cahana told the paper on May 7. “Hate speech can quickly escalate to violence, so we’re very pleased that he was caught before anyone was hurt.”
The rabbi added that the two instances of vandalism had left his organization “shaken” after they found “Nazi-related graffiti spray-painted on the walls of our building” several days after survivors of the Holocaust were invited to speak for Holocaust Remembrance Day on April 27.
“Any type of hate crime, or crime against religious institutions—even if it’s only property damage—needs to be quickly reported,” Cahana said.
Andy Ngo, a journalist known for his reporting on anarcho-communist group Antifa, said in a series of messages on Twitter that Bivins was “most known for his reporting and video coverage of right-wing rallies and protests,” adding that he had captured many viral videos of riots in Portland.
Ngo, who is also the editor-at-large for the Post Millennial, noted that Portland reporters with prior associations with Bivins were quick to respond to his attacks on houses of worship. The suspect is reportedly an avid live streamer of protests and riots who previously sold his video footage to news organizations.
The PPB said that the investigation is ongoing and that they have contacted federal authorities about the case.
