On Wednesday night, liberal Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) attended a protest in downtown Portland near the Justice Center to offer support to the radical left-wing protesters and to emphasize that he wants federal authorities out of the way.
However, when the mayor arrived, protesters immediately cursed him, told to resign, threw things at him, and aimed leaf blowers at his face. He was also hit with tear gas outside the courthouse after the protest was declared a riot and was being cleared out by authorities.
New York Times reporter Mike Baker captured Wheeler going to the protest, being berated, and getting tear-gassed.
“Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler is entering the protest crowd right now. People are already confronting him,” Baker captioned two of his videos. “People have surrounded the mayor, cursing him and calling for [his] resignation.”
People have surrounded the mayor, cursing him and calling for resignation. pic.twitter.com/o0s1azbi2R
— Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) July 23, 2020
In another video, a protester uses a leaf blower to target the Democratic mayor’s face.
Leaf blowers target Wheeler pic.twitter.com/YDP93qtKNW
— Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) July 23, 2020
The mayor also had objects thrown at him by the protesters he was trying to support.
Someone threw something at the mayor pic.twitter.com/ArNnYFxoJ9
— Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) July 23, 2020
“Protesters called on Wheeler to join the front lines at the federal courthouse. He is now going there,” Baker reported. “Someone threw a can at him, and people are chanting ‘F*** Ted Wheeler,’ but he has joined the front lines.”
Someone threw a can at him, and people are chanting "Fuck Ted Wheeler," but he has joined the front lines pic.twitter.com/JW0qWka2mX
— Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) July 23, 2020
“People have surrounded the mayor, cursing him and calling for [his] resignation,” the Times reporter captioned another video. In a follow-up post, Baker quotes one of the protesters saying of Wheeler, “He doesn’t deserve to speak. He’s a f***ing fascist.”
"He doesn't deserve to speak. He's a fucking fascist." pic.twitter.com/EEXrg918u1
— Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) July 23, 2020
As noted by Forbes, Portland police tweeted early Thursday morning, “A riot has been declared outside the Justice Center. Disperse to the north and/or west. Disperse immediately.”
“Failure to adhere to this order may subject you to arrest or citation, or riot control agents, including, but not limited to, tear gas and/or impact weapons,” the department added.
“The area covering SW 1st Ave to SW Broadway from SW Columbia to SW Harvey Milk was shut down, the department said, with protesters told again to ‘leave the area now,'” Forbes reported.
Wheeler was hit with tear gas outside the federal courthouse.
“I’m not gonna lie, it stings, it’s hard to breathe, and I can tell you with 100% honesty I saw nothing that provoked this response. It’s nasty stuff, I’m not afraid but I am pissed off,” Wheeler told Baker.
“This is an egregious overreaction on the part of the federal officers,” the Democrat continued. “There was nothing that I saw anybody do that warranted this reaction. As you can see, all it’s done is piss everybody off. It’s made everybody angry. They’ve come in and they kicked the hornet’s nest. This is not a de-escalation strategy.”
“This is flat out urban warfare and it’s being brought on the people of this country by the President of the United States and it’s got to stop now,” Wheeler claimed. “This is a threat to our democracy.”
WATCH:
Mayor Wheeler with eyes closed, coughing, suffering from the tear gas.
"How does it feel, Teddy?" someone shouts. pic.twitter.com/4VPOKcOIII
— Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) July 23, 2020
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler says the tear gas stings. Says egregious overreaction from feds. Calls it urban warfare. pic.twitter.com/hrRICiNGHn
— Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) July 23, 2020
RELATED: WATCH: Portland Rioters Overwhelm Cops, Torch Police Union Headquarters