Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler stopped short of condemning suspected anarchists involved in the brutal beating of a truck driver in Portland over the weekend, instead condemning “all violence” including the shocking incident that went viral on social media.
“I denounce all violence, including the assaults that were filmed and posted to social media last night,” Wheeler said in a statement.
He then went on to praise anti-police brutality protesters, even though it’s not clear the ongoing unrest in Portland, which moved to the city’s residential neighborhoods after the Department of Homeland Security turned over the protection of a federal courthouse to Oregon authorities, is connected to any larger movement.
“The work this community and others nationally are doing toward criminal justice reform and racial justice are in an effort to make our communities safer,” Wheeler said. “Assaults like these make our community less safe.”
The assault, which happened overnight on Sunday, involved what appeared to be anarchist rioters, who chased a man who was reportedly trying to help a transgender homeless individual fight off muggers. When the man tried to escape the crowd in his truck, protesters allegedly forced him to crash and then pulled him from the vehicle and beat him.
The victim, Portland Police said in a statement issued Tuesday, has left the hospital and is recovering at home. Authorities are seeking a suspect, 25-year-old former security guard Marquise Love.
Wheeler has faced almost non-stop criticism for his handling of the Portland protests. At first, the mayor appeared to support the ongoing unrest, and at one point even expressed solidarity with demonstrators. Jorge Ventura, a reporter who has been covering the Portland protests, noted to Fox News that residents are concerned Wheeler is ignoring the violence.
“Portland locals want to see law and order established, yet Ted Wheeler isn’t doing that,” Ventura told the network. “And when I speak to folks protesting they are mad at Wheeler because he hasn’t defunded the police. So it seems both sides are angry at the mayor and want to see some type of leadership restored.”
Not all Oregon authorities are united in condemning “all violence” rather than specific actions. The United States Attorney General for Portland, Billy J. Williams, called the incident “depraved violence” in a social media post, and warned Portland authorities that someone could be killed if city officials continue to downplay the destruction associated with the ongoing unrest.
“Like many Oregonians, I was sickened by the video circulating online showing a man being pulled from his truck in Downtown Portland and beaten and kicked until he lies on the pavement unconscious,” Williams said through a spokesperson. “We must all continue to work together to achieve peace in the streets of Portland. If we are not successful, I fear one day soon we will wake up to news that a Portlander has been killed. We cannot let this happen.”