Investigators said this week that a fire outside of Portland mayoral candidate and City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez&#8217;s home may have been intentionally set for political reasons. 
Early Friday morning, a car belonging to a family member of Gonzalez <a href="https://www.portlandtribune.com/news/multco-da-says-gonzalez-arson-could-be-politically-motivated/article_1c040f9a-b18a-11ee-a12b-9bd54e5c92b7.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was found</a> on fire outside of his home. After the fire was put out, police said it may have been arson. Gonzalez is a Democrat who ran for public office on a platform of cracking down on homelessness and increasing police funding.
“Acts of political violence and acts of political vandalism are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Commissioner Gonzalez and everyone else in a public leadership role is here to serve this community because they love this community,” Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt <a href="https://www.portlandtribune.com/news/multco-da-says-gonzalez-arson-could-be-politically-motivated/article_1c040f9a-b18a-11ee-a12b-9bd54e5c92b7.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. 
“Everybody is free to agree or disagree with me, the Commissioner, or any public servant or political candidate. But threats, vandalism, arson, violence, or any other form of illegal coercion will not be tolerated. If confirmed arson, we will find and prosecute those responsible for this act to the fullest extent of the law,” Schmidt added. 
Gonzalez thanked the fire department for their quick response after they called to report the fire. 
“Thanks to the prompt response of Portland Fire &amp; Rescue, the fire was unable to spread to any neighboring homes or vehicles. My neighborhood is filled with both families and seniors, and we must do everything in our power to protect them. I am grateful that nobody was physically harmed as a result of this incident,” he said. 
Gonzalez, who is challenging several other city commissioners to replace far-Left Mayor Ted Wheeler in 2024 is considered the moderate in the race. 
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During his campaign for commissioner in 2022, Gonzalez <a href="https://www.opb.org/article/2022/10/20/rene-gonzalez-portland-oregon-city-council-jo-ann-hardesty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he wanted to hire hundreds of more police, increase arrests for shoplifting and trespassing, and get all of the homeless people off the streets and into a shelter. He was also attacked by fellow Democrats for his advocacy for schools to reopen during COVID.
“If you’re doing crimes in the city of Portland, I don’t care if you’re unsheltered, I don’t care if you’re an addict or suffer [from] mental illness,” he told Oregon Public Broadcasting in 2022, “You will start in the criminal justice system.”
Portland has been plagued by homelessness, drug use, and crime in recent years at the same time many officials have pushed soft-on crime policies. 
“I think Portland went so far Left that we see and feel that the future of our city’s at stake,” he said. “I don’t think Portland can continue to be a functioning city if it continues on the path it’s going,” Gonzalez said in 2022.

Fire Fighting

Authorities Suspect Pro-Police Portland Mayoral Candidate Targeted In Car Fire

Arson

Crime

Homelessness

Oregon

Portland

Ted Wheeler

Nike announced the permanent closure of its factory store in northeast Portland, Oregon, on Friday due to ongoing &#8220;theft and safety issues&#8221; after nearly 40 years of business on the city&#8217;s northeast side, according to a non-profit that supports economic and business development in the neighborhood.
The Soul District Business Association (SBDA) reported the footwear and apparel store&#8217;s decision during a phone call with <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2023/09/nike-to-permanently-close-ne-portland-factory-store-business-district-says.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">local media</a>, calling the decision a &#8220;major economic blow.&#8221;
&#8220;This news has landed like a lead balloon in our district,&#8221; John Washington, the SDBA&#8217;s executive director, said in a news release. &#8220;We had all been holding our breath since last November when the store quietly shuttered its doors due to internal and external theft and safety issues.&#8221;
&#8220;But, like so many of us riding out the fallout of the pandemic and protests, we held out hope that Nike, city officials and community leaders would recalibrate and realign order. But it looks like it&#8217;s game over,&#8221; Washington added.
The Nike Community Store reportedly opened in June 1984 after Portland civil rights activists worked to bring the shoe brand&#8217;s first-ever factory store on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, formerly Union Avenue. <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2023/09/nike-to-permanently-close-ne-portland-factory-store-business-district-says.html">According</a> to local media, the area was once the center of the city&#8217;s black population.
The economic driver for the section of the Pacific Northwest city became &#8220;one of the first area businesses to stand up and declare Northeast Portland as a viable community to do business in,&#8221; Ron Herndon, who led the Black United Front, <a href="https://www.wweek.com/news/courts/2023/09/08/northeast-portland-business-association-says-nike-factory-store-is-closed-for-good/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> said in a 2004 Nike press release.
But after Portland defunded its police department in 2020, local business owners affected by the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/portland-businessman-targets-elected-officials-with-national-legal-initiative-over-covid-lawlessness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crime and property destruction</a> struggled to maintain safety and security. Nike officials reportedly closed the store down more than six months ago before finalizing plans to close and vacate permanently.
Earlier this year, Nike requested that city officials provide off-duty police officers for security purposes at the company&#8217;s store in northeast Portland, but Mayor Ted Wheeler reportedly declined, citing a staffing shortage from the Portland Police Bureau.
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Wheeler told local media he was &#8220;very disappointed&#8221; in a statement on Friday about the closure, saying his office and city officials &#8220;worked tirelessly and in good faith with Nike for almost a year to offer creative solutions to their safety challenges.&#8221;
Nike officials <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/nike-abandons-portland-store-re-opening-amid-theft-safety-issues" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News Digital it cares &#8220;deeply about Portland&#8217;s North and Northeast community,&#8221; adding it has provided brand &#8220;access and connection&#8221; to the district for roughly four decades &#8220;while serving as a catalyst for change through volunteerism, investments and partnerships with non-profit organizations that benefit the community.&#8221;
&#8220;Nike&#8217;s commitment to supporting and uplifting Portland&#8217;s North and Northeast community is unwavering. We are reimagining Nike&#8217;s retail space, permanently closing our current location at 2650 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and considering future locations as part of this community&#8217;s long term revitalization plan,&#8221; the company said.
&#8220;True to our roots, we will seek the input of local community organizations and leaders to determine the best new location. As we plan ahead, we are keeping the best interest of our employees at heart, providing them options to continue to be part of the Nike family,&#8221; it added.

Tiger Woods Announces Indefinite Break From Golf

Nike Permanently Closes Portland Factory Store Over ‘Theft And Safety Issues,’ Business Group Says

Nike Permanently Closes Portland Factory Store Over 'Theft And Safety Issues,' Business Group Says

Business

Nike

The mayor of Portland, Oregon, is asking the city council to inject more than $5 million in new investment into the city’s police force. The move comes about a year after “defund the police” protests led the city to slash its police budget.
Mayor Ted Wheeler made the announcement at a press conference Wednesday. &#8220;Many Portlanders no longer feel safe in their city,&#8221; Wheeler said. &#8220;Business owners have closed up shop for fear of doing business in high risk areas. Commuters fear for their safety, whether taking public transport or going by foot. Parents are scared to let their children play outside.&#8221;
Among the investments Wheeler wants are body cams for officers, and more officers added to the force overall.
According to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/portland-mayor-wheeler-increase-police-year-after-defund-police">Fox News</a>, the Portland Police Department’s number of officers is about 130 below its authorized level. Since August 2020, around 200 officers have left the department. In their exit interviews, according to Fox News, officers cited, notably, burnout from the months of violent protests and a lack of support, even outright denigration, from city officials, including the mayor himself. The Daily Wire reported in June that the entire Portland Police “crowd control unit” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/entire-portland-police-unit-resigns-after-fellow-officer-targeted-by-politically-driven-assault-charge">resigned</a> from their assignment just one day after an Oregon grand jury indicted an officer for allegedly using “unlawful” force against a protester during the violent riots that took place in the summer of 2020.
Portland Police Association executive director Daryl Turner <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-portland-police-union-chief-slams-city-officials-claims-they-encouraged-and-enabled-antifa-violence">blamed</a> the unit’s resignation, and the record number of police resignations overall, on city officials whose “political venom demonized these public servants for doing exactly what they were tasked to do—restore peace and order in our City.”
The reduction in police presence has led to a record spike in violence. The city experienced its most violent year on record, with 72 homicides recorded, surpassing its previous annual record of 66, recorded in 1987. The city saw an 83% increase in homicides in 2020, according to Fox News. In response, local businesses have begun hiring armed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/armed-private-security-now-patrolling-portlands-downtown-after-city-slashes-police-funding">private security</a> details to patrol the city’s downtown to keep the peace, as reported by The Daily Wire.
Wheeler’s goal, starting in fiscal year 2023, is to increase the number of officers in the department by 300 over the next three years, including 200 more officers and 100 unarmed “public safety specialists.” To do this, Wheeler is proposing $25,000 signing bonuses to the first 50 officers or specialists who sign on. He also plans to hire back some 25 officers who retired.
&#8220;Our police bureau staffing levels are at record lows and based on projected retirements, staffing levels will continue [to decrease] unless we take decisive action now,&#8221; Wheeler said.
The move also comes as cities around the country <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/defund-the-police-is-over">defeated</a> “defund the police” campaigns. Voters in Minneapolis struck down a measure that would have replaced the city’s police department with a “department of public safety,” 56% to 44%. The city of New York also elected former NYPD officer Eric Adams, who promised to maintain the city’s police force while seeking reform. <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/republican-ann-davison-leading-abolitionist-nicole-thomas-kennedy-in-seattle-city-attorney-race/">Seattle</a> also elected a Republican city attorney, defeating an opponent whom the Seattle Times described as a “police abolitionist.”

Portland Mayor Asks City Council To Invest In Police Following ‘Defund’ Movement

Defund The Police

Portland, Oregon, Mayor Ted Wheeler &#8212; a Leftist who has allowed left-wing violence to fester in his city – is the latest Democrat caught ignoring COVID-19 restrictions they insist others follow.
In <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/26/us/oregon-coronavirus-masks-ted-wheeler.html">a story</a> from The New York Times actually discussing that Oregon &#8212; a Democrat-controlled state &#8212; is “facing its worst virus surge,” the outlet included a photo of Wheeler and some others meeting inside a hotel without wearing face masks.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This story also includes an image we obtained of Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler at a gathering inside a hotel last week.
His office says they were in compliance with the mask mandate because they were “actively eating and/or drinking.&#8221;
Story w/ <a href="https://twitter.com/MrOlmos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MrOlmos</a> <a href="https://t.co/sEA85aTsQa">https://t.co/sEA85aTsQa</a> <a href="https://t.co/UyyvezrEwq">pic.twitter.com/UyyvezrEwq</a>
— Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) <a href="https://twitter.com/ByMikeBaker/status/1431044499061428225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
His office had a ready-to-go excuse for the Times, however, claiming the mayor and those around him were “actively eating and/or drinking,” which allows people to remove their masks indoors, per state rules. The picture does not help Wheeler’s case, showing glasses and bottles of water in the vicinity of the meeting but only one person actually “actively” drinking. Wheeler doesn’t appear to even have a glass near him.
Just two weeks ago Wheeler was insisting on the need for indoor masks, posting a tweet asking Oregon resident to join him “in making a commitment to protect those around us by wearing a mask at all times while indoors.”
The mayor was sharing a tweet from Gov. Kate Brown (D-OR), which also insisted everyone wear a mask.
“Masks are a simple and effective way to protect your friends, family, and those around you from COVID-19. They are a way we can help each other, especially the nurses and doctors working 24/7 to save lives,” Brown wrote.
According to the Times, Brown’s newest restrictions go “beyond what any other state has done in battling the summer surge, requiring that both vaccinated and unvaccinated people wear masks when gathering closely in public, even when outdoors.”
“The virus is rampaging through rural communities where vaccination rates remain low. Hospitals across the state are near capacity, almost 50 percent beyond the state’s previous peak in December. Last week, a coronavirus patient in Roseburg died while waiting for an I.C.U. bed,” the Times reported, without giving specific numbers like it does when reporting about Florida, which has a Republican governor. The Times did note that Oregon is averaging 968 hospitalizations a day.
Wheeler is the latest Democrat to insist residents follow restrictions they themselves ignore. Earlier this month, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/d-c-mayor-muriel-bowser-caught-violating-own-rules-on-first-day-of-new-mask-mandate">came under fire</a> for photos showing her maskless indoors at a wedding on the day new mask restrictions went into place. Like Wheeler, Bowser claimed she was actively eating or drinking in the offending photo, though that does not appear to be the case.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) was also blasted in November 2020 when it was discovered he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gavin-newsoms-coronavirus-dinner-scandal-grows-top-california-medical-association-officials-attended">attended a fancy dinner party</a> at an expensive restaurant where guests mingled indoors without masks.
In Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and Chicago Alderman Tom Tunney &#8212; all Democrats &#8212; also violated COVID-19 restrictions. From The Daily Wire:
<blockquote>Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot also featured prominently in the 2020 annals of coronavirus duplicity. Shortly before Thanksgiving, Lightfoot imposed a 10-person cap on gatherings such as weddings, funerals, and other events, according to the <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-coronavirus-chicago-stay-home-lightfoot-20201112-kvlxvdam35f2bn47k5hzegxqte-story.html">Chicago Tribune</a>. She even went so far as to urge families to “cancel traditional Thanksgiving plans.”
Lightfoot also faced accusations of wanton hypocrisy when she got her hair done in April, during a time when Chicagoans were forbidden even from outdoor exercise. “I am the public face of this city,” Lightfoot said when a reporter confronted her about it. “I’m on national media and I’m out in the public eye. I take my personal hygiene very seriously. As I said, I felt like I needed to have a haircut. I’m not able to do that myself, so I got a haircut. You want to talk more about that?”
Lightfoot also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lori-lightfoot-defends-joining-large-biden-celebration-crowd-was-gathered-whether-i-was-there-or-not">celebrated in the streets</a> amid the apparent victory of Democratic nominee Joe Biden in November.
When MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle questioned her about breaking her own rules, Lightfoot said, “Well, look, I think that we’ve been saying all along everybody has to take care, everybody has to take precaution. I will tell you, in that big crowd a week ago, we had, everybody was wearing masks. Look at, you can see the shot here – mask compliance in our city is actually up very, very high. But yes, there are times when we actually do need to have a relief and come together, and I felt like that was one of those times.”</blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/2020-democrat-hypocrisy-hall-of-shame">2020 Democrat Hypocrisy Hall Of Shame</a>

Portland Leftist Mayor Seen Without Mask Indoors Despite State Mandates

COVID

Face Masks

According to Portland&#8217;s leftist Mayor Ted Wheeler, blacks have been unfairly targeted for low-level traffic infractions, and that is a chief reason he is recommending that police stop pursuing people who commit them.
Unless there is an immediate safety threat, Wheeler said, the practice of pursuing such traffic infractions must end. He stated that 6% of Portland residents are black, but they comprise 18% of traffic stops in the city.
Another change to be implemented by police: if they stop a driver they must obtain permission from the driver before searching the vehicle and allow the driver to refuse permission, AP <a href="https://apnews.com/article/portland-police-halt-minor-traffic-stops-51a110c90d50c0ebc406e0b7e366645c?utm_source=Twitter&amp;utm_campaign=SocialFlow&amp;utm_medium=AP">reported</a>.
Wheeler said, “The goal of these two changes is to make our safety safer and more equitable,” acknowledging, “Our staffing on the streets is inadequate.”
“Currently the police bureau, which is struggling to find its grounding in the liberal city, is at its lowest staffing in decades — the department is around 150 officers short of ‘authorized strength,&#8217;” AP noted, adding, “In the past nine months, the department has experienced a rapid turnover with more than 120 officers having left …”
Wheeler’s soft approach to enforcing the law has been demonstrated in other ways; in late August 2020, The Daily Wire cited a report from Oregon Public Broadcasting that Wheeler was considering ordering Portland police to &#8220;stand down&#8221; in the face of unrest and riots damaging the city&#8217;s downtown:
<blockquote><a href="https://www.opb.org/article/2020/08/24/portlands-protests-three-months-in-no-end-in-sight/">OPB reports that</a>, in &#8220;late July,&#8221; as the protests were entering their second month and suspected anarchists were ramping up attacks on the city&#8217;s federal courthouse, Wheeler texted a top aide and suggested that Portland officials instruct the police to turn a blind eye to the demonstrations, thinking it would de-escalate the violence. &#8220;In late July, Mayor Ted Wheeler had an idea he hoped would end the nightly clashes between protesters and police in Portland. He texted Sonia Schmanski, a top aide, that he had a plan that was &#8216;high risk,&#8217; but he added that the city had &#8216;nothing to lose,'&#8221; according to OPB. &#8220;His idea: Tell his police force to stand down from the demonstrations.&#8221;</blockquote>
Also in August 2020, Wheeler <a href="https://www.koin.com/news/protests/portland-mayor-ted-wheeler-press-conference-protests-riot-city-hall-08262020/">admitted</a> at a virtual press conference that he had been lax toward violent individuals in the city, saying, “We—and I put myself at the top of that list as the city’s mayor—we have allowed our proud tradition of progressive protests to be stolen by a few dozen individuals engaged in violence and criminal destruction. Their intent on creating mayhem and attacking and harming people, not just property — that’s a line that we can’t allow our community to cross, not anymore. Enough is enough. It’s time to rise up and take immediate steps to repair and beautify our city. But again, I need the help of the entire community.”
He added, “All violence—including police violence—is not the way to further the goals of our community.”

Portland Reacts After Fatal Shooting During Violent Night Of Protests

Leftist Portland Mayor Implies Police Are Racist, Blacks Unfairly Targeted. No More Pursuing Low-Level Traffic Infractions

Police

Racism

CNN and MSNBC have reported on the mass exodus of law enforcement officers from the ranks of the police force in Portland, Oregon, yet neither connected the dots between the mass resignations and the city’s progressive, anti-police policies.
A brief segment on Saturday’s “CNN Newsroom” <a href="http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/2106/19/cnr.02.html">noted</a> the fact that every member of Portland’s Rapid Response Team resigned after authorities charged one of its members with unlawful force during months of continuous riots. The district attorney who charged Corey Budworth with inappropriately using his baton last August was “emphasizing the need for consequences” as left-wing activists were “protesting against police misconduct,” the report said.
CNN only mentioned Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) to note that he released a statement “sympathizing with the resigning officers” and to reassure viewers that “the mayor says he has the resources and personnel in place to deal with any community safety situation.”
MSNBC ran a more extended report on Tuesday’s edition of “Stephanie Ruhle Reports,” highlighting Portland law enforcement officers’ plunging morale.
“Right now, police departments nationwide are struggling with burnout, with retirements up 45% and resignations up 18% across the country,” said Ruhle, introducing the package. “So many cops are out the door that it’s getting harder and harder to replace them as violent crime continues to spike – that violence even coming against police officers, with the number dying on duty soaring as compared to last year.” So far this calendar year, 46 police have been killed on the job, <a href="https://www.odmp.org/search/year/2021">according</a> to the Officer Down Memorial Page database.
“Morale I think is at an all-time low now,” Portland Police Officer Krute Aroonsuck told NBC News’ Gabe Gutierrez. “It all boils down to these three main concepts of being underfunded, understaffed, and undersupported.”
Similarly, Portland police union executive director, Daryl Turner, said his officers are “dealing with rioting at a level and a sustained violence that we’ve never seen before.”
Neither network reported on Ted Wheeler’s decision to starve police of needed equipment and coddle nightly “protests” that broke out into violence.
The resignation of cops in “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/portland-police-officers-fleeing-in-unprecedented-numbers-a-win-for-defund-the-police-movement">unprecedented</a>” numbers overlapped with the city’s ongoing, often violent riots, where left-wing radicals pelted police with fireworks, a “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/portland-police-officers-wounded-in-mortar-attack-16-arrested-during-violent-antifa-riot">mortar</a>,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/extremists-in-portland-attack-police-officers-vandalize-businesses-set-fires">metal spikes</a>, and frozen water bottles. Wheeler responded to what The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/04/24/ted-wheeler-portland-protests/">called</a> “anti-police demonstrations” by offering to <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2020/06/defund-portland-police-units-to-reinvest-in-communities-of-color-among-citys-reform-plans-mayor-says.html">cut $12 million</a> from the police budget. He also dismantled the city’s gun violence reduction team, a move some have blamed for the fact that homicides in the city have reached a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/portland-mayor-realizes-defunding-police-was-a-mistake-cop-union-leader">30-year high</a>. Wheeler blamed the violence on National Guardsmen sent by President Donald Trump to protect federal buildings. It later emerged that the mayor considered telling Portland police to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-portland-mayor-ted-wheeler-considered-telling-police-to-stand-down-as-riots-ravaged-downtown">stand down</a> in the face of the rioters, who regularly tried to burn down police headquarters.
Ruhle followed up the segment by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-police-chief-corrects-msnbc-host-live-on-air-after-she-says-defunding-the-police-wont-hurt-law-enforcement">claiming</a>, “The idea behind Defund the Police is not to take money away from the police force, but to redeploy money in better, smarter ways to keep law enforcement safe.”
She did lament the fact that Portland police officers feel “underfunded, understaffed, and undersupported.”
Aside from Wheeler’s tenure as mayor, Ruhle could begin by looking at her own show. On Monday former Obama administration appointee Brittany Packnett Cunningham <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-obama-task-force-member-says-rise-in-crime-is-fault-of-the-police">said</a>, “This rising crime … is actually the fault of the police.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Defund the Police activist &amp; MSNBC contributor <a href="https://twitter.com/MsPackyetti?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MsPackyetti</a>: Rising crime in NYC isn’t the fault of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DefundThePolie?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DefundThePolie</a> movement; &quot;it’s actually the fault of the police&quot; <a href="https://t.co/3ki9EX1Q1R">pic.twitter.com/3ki9EX1Q1R</a>
&mdash; Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1406987725899800578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Ruhle did not respond, interrupt, or push back in any way on Cunningham’s unsupported sentiment — and certainly not because the MSNBC host is averse to confrontation; she <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqA6MuZe8m8">literally screamed</a> at West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (R) for signing a bill requiring biological males to compete exclusively against other biological males in sports.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Daily Protests In Portland Continue Into Third Month

CNN, MSNBC Perplexed Why Portland Police Are Quitting En Masse

MSNBC

Nearly a year after &#8220;anarchist&#8221; violence began raging in Portland, Oregon, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/anarchists-and-an-increase-in-crime-hijack-portlands-social-justice-movement/2021/05/28/d49ee1b6-bf1a-11eb-a55f-4871b8ac676f_story.html">the Washington Post reported</a> Tuesday that the &#8220;social justice&#8221; movement inspiring the often-destructive demonstrations is &#8220;splintered&#8221; and bickering over purposes and methods.
Portland&#8217;s homicide and gun violence rates have skyrocketed, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/portland-homicide-gun-violence-rates-skyrocket-after-city-axes-gun-violence-reduction-team-defunds-cops">as The Daily Wire reported on Monday</a>, and the city&#8217;s minority residents are pressing back on the &#8220;social justice&#8221; movement, blaming the black-clad anarchists for forgetting the purpose of the Black Lives Matter movement that launched last year in the wake of George Floyd&#8217;s death.
Now, the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/anarchists-and-an-increase-in-crime-hijack-portlands-social-justice-movement/2021/05/28/d49ee1b6-bf1a-11eb-a55f-4871b8ac676f_story.html">Washington Post said</a>, the movement itself is in disarray, torn apart by disagreement over methods and concerns about whether the movement should prioritize defunding and dismantling the police force given that violent crime is on the rise and minority communities are most affected by the spike.
&#8220;After months of social-justice activism that made Portland a vivid, sometimes violent focal point for a nation debating the same issues around police accountability and reform, the movement here has splintered into bickering groups, at odds over tactics, goals, and an overall direction for how to make the city safer, with the police force still at the debate’s bitter center,&#8221; the outlet reported.
After a  year of nightly riots, which peaked over the summer when self-described &#8220;anarchists&#8221; targeted downtown federal buildings, including a federal courthouse, Portland&#8217;s downtown is a burned-out shell.
&#8220;Portland’s once-vibrant downtown, the heart of a world-class food scene, is still marred by boarded-up windows and closed businesses, the aftermath of a year of pandemic and fear of random assault and vandalism often committed under the name of the police reform movement,&#8221; the Washington Post noted on Tuesday.
&#8220;The rising gun violence, and for a time the downtown demonstrations, have stressed the police department and put it largely on its back foot, as a response unit rather than a force with resources to prevent crime,&#8221; the outlet added. &#8220;As one measure, police response time to emergency calls has more than doubled over the past eight years, to more than 40 minutes of wait-time before a call is even fielded by emergency dispatchers.&#8221;
Most residents now favor expanding the police department, not contracting it, and the nightly fires are not helping the matter.
The situation is now so bad that Portland&#8217;s Mayor Ted Wheeler <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/portland-mayor-ted-wheeler-finally-condemns-anarchist-violence">came out recently and condemned the &#8220;anarchist&#8221; violence</a> that he largely tolerated throughout the final year of the Trump administration.
“For nearly nine months protesters have called for police reform and an end to systemic racism in Portland, which has become a key city in the country’s racial reckoning,” <a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-police-violence-oregon-portland-a4b84a60d51755a8330ef102098aba63">The Associated Press reported</a> last month. “While officials say many events have been peaceful, there continues to be small groups smashing windows of businesses, threatening community members, and assaulting police.”
“The community is sick and tired of people engaging in criminal destruction and violence and doing it under the guise of some noble cause,” Wheeler told a press conference.
“Portland has always had this great tradition of protest,” Wheeler added more recently. “But the anarchists that joined into the demonstration really co-opted what had been a nonviolent message in favor of change. And now that group has gotten much smaller, but also much more blatant in the damage they are causing and the targets they are picking.”
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Portland Social Justice Movement ‘Hijacked’ By Anarchists, In Disarray: Report

The Portland Police Department (PPD) and the FBI are investigating a purported Antifa video message threatening Portland Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler.
In a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OeVHqrMLKr0">video</a> that surfaced online last week, a person in a white mask standing outside a light rail station says that Antifa will continue to riot and destroy the city until Wheeler resigns from office. At the end of the video, the person also threatens Wheeler directly while flashing the mayor’s home address on screen. The masked person says:
<blockquote>Hello. We come to you as a small collective within the anarchist and antifascist community and I speak for the whole. As each individual may carry different ideologies and beliefs about how things could should or will be accomplished, we hope with this message to simply convey a few points that are commonly agreed upon within this community.
The mayor of this city is undeserving of his position. He has made it abundantly clear that windows to him are more important than human lives. But we are not just challenging the idea of having Ted as a mayor. We are challenging the idea of having mayors at all. We want abolition. Abolition is absolute. If peaceful marches, speeches and voting were enough to bring about goal, then we would have already been there. Window smashing and riots are a necessary escalation when those in power have proven that they are unwilling to listen and have made the choice to ignore you. We are moving with a sense of urgency because not only is the system destroying us, it is destroying the very planet that we live on.
This movement encompasses the very liberation of all those oppressed by the system whether it be black, indigenous, Hispanic, etc. Nobody owns this movement, and wanting to or trying to claim ownership of this movement just leads to more division, which is counterproductive to all of our goals. We are on the same side though, and the more time we spend fighting each other, the less energy we have to fight the true enemy. So let’s start local with our own city’s failed leadership.
Ted, we are asking for the last time that you resign. If you ignore this message outright, the destruction to your precious way of life is going to escalate. Blood is already on your hands, Ted. The next time it may just be your own.</blockquote>
The FBI is assisting the PPD in investigating the video and tracking down the person or people who made it. Wheeler’s office, the PPD, and the FBI have all confirmed the investigation into the alleged Antifa video. As <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2021/04/portland-police-investigate-veiled-death-threat-against-mayor-ted-wheeler-following-calls-to-crack-down-on-destructive-demonstrators.html">The Oregonian</a> reported:
<blockquote>Jim Middaugh, a spokesman for Wheeler, said the mayor and his office learned of the video Wednesday night and that the Portland Police Bureau opened an investigation. Middaugh said the city’s police bureau had also notified the FBI, but he declined to comment further.
Sgt. Kevin Allen, a Portland police spokesman, confirmed the bureau’s investigation but said he could not release additional details at this time. Beth Anne Steele, an FBI spokeswoman, confirmed the federal bureau was assisting Portland police.</blockquote>
The FBI also provided a statement to the <a href="https://www.koin.com/news/portland/fbi-ppb-investigating-video-threatening-mayor-wheeler/">KOIN 6</a>:
<blockquote>The FBI is aware of the video and is assisting Portland Police Bureau in the investigation. Due to the on-going nature of the case, we have no further information to release at this time. Anyone with information as to the person or people responsible for this video are encouraged to contact the FBI or PPB. The FBI can be reached at (503) 224-4181 or via tips.fbi.gov.</blockquote>
The video surfaced after Wheeler gave a press conference on April 23 calling for action against Antifa members, saying, “Our job is to unmask them, arrest them and prosecute them.” The violent rioters have heavily damaged the city over the past year in dozens of riots against the city and federal governments.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/portland-mayor-ted-wheeler-finally-condemns-anarchist-violence">Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler Finally Condemns ‘Anarchist’ Violence</a>

Portland Police, FBI Investigating Alleged Antifa Video Calling For More Destruction, Retribution Unless Mayor Resigns

Antifa

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler joined a chorus of officials earlier this week in condemning recent &#8220;anarchist&#8221; violence in the city&#8217;s downtown area and demanded an end to protests and violence that have rocked the city since May of last year.
Notably, the admission and demands follow an uptick of violence centered around a federal courthouse and nearby Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center &#8212; some of the same buildings targeted last summer when Wheeler and others expressed solidarity with protesters marching downtown.
&#8220;For nearly nine months protesters have called for police reform and an end to systemic racism in Portland, which has become a key city in the country’s racial reckoning,&#8221; <a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-police-violence-oregon-portland-a4b84a60d51755a8330ef102098aba63">The Associated Press reported</a>. &#8220;While officials say many events have been peaceful, there continues to be small groups smashing windows of businesses, threatening community members, and assaulting police.&#8221;
“The community is sick and tired of people engaging in criminal destruction and violence and doing it under the guise of some noble cause,” Wheeler said, forcefully, during the conference Monday.
“The people who work here support the voices of racial and social justice and will not be intimidated from doing our jobs by the ugly graffiti or broken windows,” said Scott Erik Asphaug, U.S. attorney for the District of Oregon added, per the AP. “We do not confuse the voices of the many with the shouts of the few who hope to hold our city hostage by petty crime and violence.”
Police officials also joined the group demanding an end to the violence.
“I want to be clear that this was not a protest group,” Portland&#8217;s assistant police chief added. “This was a group of people who have come to believe that they are entitled to damage other people’s property, threaten community members, and assault police officers.”
Other city officials finally noted that the violence has been committed by &#8220;anarchists,&#8221; though they stopped short of mentioning the term &#8220;Antifa,&#8221; which refers to self-described &#8220;anti-Fascist&#8221; elements.
“The misguided and miseducated anarchists reject civility and instead intentionally create mayhem through criminally destructive behavior tearing up our city. This must stop,” a former state senator &#8212; the first black woman elected to the post &#8212; demanded. “I say to them today, ‘Stop you are not helping, you are hurting Black people.’”
It is not clear what prompted the change in messaging, though it does seem that a recent, second wave of riots pressed Wheeler and others forward, especially given that it&#8217;s clear, now, that Portland&#8217;s demonstrations did not come to an end with former President Donald Trump&#8217;s term. As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/portland-courthouse-now-a-fortress-again-after-second-wave-of-riots">The Daily Wire reported previously</a>, the downtown courthouse, which Trump protected with the aid of special agents from Customs and Border Protection, is again a &#8220;fortress&#8221; after being attacked by protesters angry with the Biden administration for not ending illegal immigration deportations.
Federal agents were also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-agents-defend-ice-facility-in-portland-fire-tear-gas-at-demonstrators">forced to intervene back in January</a> when protesters marked President Joe Biden&#8217;s inauguration with a destructive riot outside of the city&#8217;s Democratic Party Headquarters, and 100 people were detained last week after a march marking the anniversary of Breonna Taylor&#8217;s death descended into chaos.
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ted wheeler protest

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler Finally Condemns ‘Anarchist’ Violence

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler was caught in a confrontation over face masks last weekend and pepper-sprayed a constituent who reportedly accused the mayor of dining maskless in violation of city mask requirements.
&#8220;Wheeler and [former Portland mayor Sam] Adams had just finished dinner at the McMenamins Hillsdale Brewery &amp; Public House on Southwest Sunset Boulevard around 8 p.m. when a man both described as middle-aged accused the current mayor of dining without a mask, according to a Portland Police Bureau report released Monday afternoon,&#8221; <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2021/01/portland-mayor-ted-wheeler-contacts-police-after-unspecified-weekend-incident.html">Oregon Live reported</a>, adding that the man appeared to be recording the interaction with his phone.
When Wheeler attempted to explain himself &#8212; he&#8217;d eaten dinner in a tented, outdoor area of the restaurant where masks were not required &#8212; but the man followed Wheeler and Adams to Wheeler&#8217;s car, at which point Wheeler, concerned for his own safety, doused the man with pepper spray.
“He had no face mask on and got within a foot or two of my face while he was videoing me,” Wheeler told police, per Oregon Live. “I became imminently concerned for my personal safety.”
“I clearly informed him that he needed to back off. He did not do so I informed him that I was carrying pepper spray and that I would use it if he did not back off. He remained at close distance, I pulled out my pepper spray and I sprayed him in the eyes,&#8221; he continued.
Neither Wheeler nor Adams recognized the man. Wheeler did give the man water to wash out his eyes.
Oregon instituted a ban on maskless dining back in July, just after the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic ended, <a href="https://pdx.eater.com/2020/6/29/21307494/oregon-mask-mandate">according to Eater magazine</a>, but those requirements do not apply to so-called &#8220;outdoor indoor dining&#8221; &#8212; that is, tented areas outside restaurants designed to allow diners to eat in well-ventilated spaces where they are less likely to catch and transmit the novel coronavirus.
While a number of other left-leaning officials have skirted COVID-19 preventative measures &#8212; most notably, California Governor Gavin Newsom, who dined out at the French Laundry in Yountville, near Napa, ostensibly in violation of his own orders &#8212; Wheeler says he and his companion were obeying local regulations.
As for why Wheeler had pepper spray, he would not answer questions on the matter, but he likely keeps it for personal protection. Just two weeks ago, Wheeler <a href="https://pdx.eater.com/2020/6/29/21307494/oregon-mask-mandate">was accosted by a group of &#8220;anti-fascist&#8221; demonstrators</a> while waiting his turn to eat at a restaurant. One &#8220;member of the group started swatting at the Mayor and made physical contact with him,&#8221; according to Oregon Live.
Wheeler was also forced to flee his Portland condominium after anti-Fascist protesters, demanding that Wheeler defund Portland law enforcement and allow Portland&#8217;s nightly, riotous demonstrations to continue without police interference, targeted his condo building, and broke into his lobby, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-race-usa-protests-portland/portland-mayor-to-leave-home-targeted-by-protesters-idUSKBN25T32R">per Reuters</a>.
Portland has been a central hub for anti-racism, anti-police, and &#8220;anti-Fascist&#8221; protests since May, following the death of George Floyd while in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department. At one point, Portland played host to riots and near-riots for 100 nights straight.
That issue has not abated. As recently as last Wednesday, demonstrators rioted in downtown Portland, destroying a Democratic party headquarters in protest of now-President Joe Biden. Federal agents responded with tear gas and pepper balls when the protesters attacked and tried to breach an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-agents-defend-ice-facility-in-portland-fire-tear-gas-at-demonstrators">Related: Federal Agents Defend ICE Facility In Portland, Fire Tear Gas At Demonstrators</a>

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler Allegedly Pepper-Sprayed A Man Over A Dispute About Face Masks

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler was most outraged when a reporter asked the Democrat if the months-long rioting in his city &#8220;set the stage&#8221; for violence at the U.S. Capitol last week.
Portland has seen months of violent riots perpetrated by left-wing protesters, most identifying as &#8220;anti-fascist&#8221; or Antifa, since Memorial Day weekend. Wheeler has been criticized for his weak response to the rioters&#8217; violence and for allowing Antifa to take over parts of the city. In fact, the Democrat even joined an Antifa protest in July, though he was booed by the demonstrators and met with chants calling for his resignation.
KATU2 News reporter <a href="https://katu.com/news/local/portland-mayor-violence-criminal-destruction-is-unacceptable">Genevieve Reaume</a> on Tuesday highlighted such violent rioting during a one-on-one interview with Wheeler, before asking the mayor if protesters&#8217; claims that permitting the violence &#8220;set the stage&#8221; for violence elsewhere, including &#8220;on a national level.&#8221;
&#8220;Last week, we watched as pro-Trump supporters broke into the U.S. Capitol; the insurrection was unlike anything this country has ever seen,&#8221; Reaume said to Wheeler. &#8220;But just three weeks ago, protesters broke into the Oregon State Capitol. I have heard people at these protests elsewhere saying, &#8216;Well, they let it happen in Portland, so why not do it here?'&#8221;
&#8220;It seems, in some way, the actions of these small groups (of protesters) that you&#8217;re referring to, have set the stage for what has happened on a state level, and potentially a national level.&#8221;
&#8220;I know you have said it will take time to crack down on these groups, but do we have that time?&#8221; Reaume asked.
&#8220;Are you blaming me for what happened at the U.S. Capitol,&#8221; Wheeler asked while cocking his head in ostensible disbelief. &#8220;I don&#8217;t buy that premise, at all.&#8221;
&#8220;No, not at all, Mayor Wheeler, what I&#8217;m saying is, what I&#8217;ve heard at the protest is people say, well, we&#8217;ve seen this riotous behavior in Portland, so why not do it elsewhere, like in Salem,&#8221; Reaume responded, while Wheeler could be viewed laughing.
&#8220;It doesn&#8217;t make it right,&#8221; Wheeler answered. &#8220;Nobody gets to point to somebody else breaking the law and say, they broke the law, therefore I can break the law. That&#8217;s not how it works. We&#8217;re adults here.&#8221;
Cutting from her interview, Reaume added, &#8220;Wheeler went on to say that everybody, including himself, needs to denounce this type of violence.&#8221;
&#8220;Everybody needs to say, &#8216;Look I don’t care if you’re on the political left or the political right, if you’re engaged in acts of violence or criminal destruction that is unacceptable,'&#8221; Wheeler <a href="https://katu.com/news/local/portland-mayor-violence-criminal-destruction-is-unacceptable">reportedly</a> said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Today we had a one-on-one interview with Mayor <a href="https://twitter.com/tedwheeler?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tedwheeler</a>. We discussed his plan to hold the people who&#39;ve damaged this city accountable plus if Portland riots had any impact on a national level.
Part one of our story is coming up tonight <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LiveOnK2?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LiveOnK2</a> at 6. <a href="https://t.co/sXC2U6nuKT">pic.twitter.com/sXC2U6nuKT</a>
&mdash; Genevieve Reaume (@GenevieveReaume) <a href="https://twitter.com/GenevieveReaume/status/1349166742036049920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Sixteen days before the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and nearly 2,900 miles away, an eerily similar incident occurred at the Oregon Capitol when 50 protesters breached the building — where lawmakers were working — and clashed with law enforcement,&#8221; ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/oregon-lawmaker-faces-outcry-state-capitol-breach-75228463">reported</a> Wednesday.
As noted by Reaume, both incidents were preceded by months-long violence in Portland, and of course, violence perpetrated by the left in a number of other Democrat-run cities.
&#8220;<a class="themeColorForLinks" title="https://katu.com/news/videos/watch-portland-protests-90-days" href="https://katu.com/news/videos/watch-portland-protests-90-days" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">For more than 100 days</a>, the city of Portland saw nightly unrest,&#8221; reported KATU2 News. &#8220;Many protests devolved into unlawful assemblies and riots. Anarchists broke into buildings. Rioters smashed business windows and set fires in the streets. Mayor Wheeler says the criminal groups act similar to a &#8216;flash mob.'&#8221;
President Donald Trump, defending his speech on Wednesday, cited Portland and Seattle.
&#8220;If you read my speech … people thought that what I said was totally appropriate,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-trump-responds-to-question-about-role-in-capitol-violence-blasts-big-tech-catastrophic-mistake">said</a>. &#8220;And if you look at what other people have said, politicians, at a high level, about the riots during the summer — the horrible riots in Portland and Seattle, and various other places — that was a real problem.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Portland mayor <a href="https://twitter.com/tedwheeler?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tedwheeler</a> is offended when KATU reporter <a href="https://twitter.com/GenevieveReaume?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GenevieveReaume</a> asks the obvious: Did Portland&#39;s tolerance of months of riots help provide a new normal that political violence against government property is okay? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/antifa?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#antifa</a> <a href="https://t.co/mC23qPS47P">pic.twitter.com/mC23qPS47P</a>
&mdash; Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1349406209883975680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/if-trump-is-guilty-of-incitement-then-so-are-half-the-democrats-in-congress">WALSH: If Trump Is Guilty Of ‘Incitement’ Then So Are Half The Democrats In Congress</a>

Ted Wheeler protest

Ted Wheeler Outraged When Reporter Asks If Portland Riots ‘Set The Stage’ For Capitol Breach

Capitol Riot

Portland, Oregon, Mayor Ted Wheeler says he&#8217;s finally ready to push back against violent &#8220;anti-fascist&#8221; protesters following a New Year&#8217;s Eve riot &#8212; and even called out &#8220;Antifa&#8221; by name in a New Year&#8217;s statement.
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/antifa-loots-businesses-sets-fires-in-new-years-day-riot-portland-mayor-police-condemn">The Daily Wire reported Saturday</a>, &#8220;anti-fascist&#8221; protesters, who have been demonstrating &#8212; and often rioting &#8212; in Portland nearly every night since Memorial Day weekend, doubled down on their destructive efforts over New Year&#8217;s, tossing Molotov cocktails into buildings, setting businesses and restaurants alight, and launched &#8220;large, commercial-grade aerial fireworks&#8221; at a federal courthouse in downtown Portland.
The NYE protest was eventually declared a &#8220;riot&#8221; by Portland police.
On Friday, Wheeler, who once even joined an Antifa protest in a show of solidarity with demonstrators, pledged to &#8220;push back harder&#8221; against Antifa, calling out the loosely organized network of &#8220;anti-fascists&#8221; by name, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/portland-ted-wheeler-pledges-antifa-riots">according to Fox News</a>.
&#8220;My good faith efforts at de-escalation have been met with ongoing violence and even scorn from radical Antifa and anarchists,&#8221; Wheeler said. &#8220;In response, it will be necessary to use additional tools and push the limits of the tools we already have to bring the criminal destruction and violence to an end.&#8221;
&#8220;Lawlessness and anarchy come at great expense and great risk to the future of our community,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;It’s time to push back harder against those who are set on destroying our community, and take more risks fighting lawlessness.&#8221;
Wheeler mentioned Antifa by name and even lashed out at the &#8220;largely white&#8221; crowds that claim to be agitating in pursuit of social justice.
&#8220;Why would a group of largely white, young, and some middle-age men destroy the livelihood of others who are struggling to get by?&#8221; Wheeler asked.
Wheeler did note that his change of heart was coming late in the game, after months of violence and destruction that moved from Portland&#8217;s city center into its residential zones, where &#8220;Antifa&#8221; members targeted Portland&#8217;s citizens in late-night raids.
The mayor claims that it was difficult for him &#8220;to accept the reality that there are just some people on this planet who are bent on criminal destruction; that there are some people who truly just want to watch the world burn.&#8221;
Wheeler&#8217;s idea of a stronger response is still rather tepid. In his speech, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/portland-ted-wheeler-pledges-antifa-riots">Fox News notes</a>, Wheeler suggested that he will consider &#8220;tougher penalties for rioting, as well as requiring offenders to do public service and meet the owners of the businesses they damaged.&#8221;
Wheeler likely had some idea of protesters&#8217; intent back in July when he joined a demonstration against the Department of Homeland Security, which had sent in a special envoy of agents to protect the city&#8217;s Federal Courthouse. Although Wheeler thought he was contributing to the cause by speaking at a rally, <a href="https://www.opb.org/news/article/portland-mayor-ted-wheeler-faces-protesters-and-tear-gas-head-on/">Oregon Public Broadcasting reported</a>, at the time, that Wheeler faced a chorus of &#8220;boos&#8221; and calls to resign. Later protests targeted Wheeler&#8217;s Portland condo, forcing him to relocate to protect his neighbors from violence.
In November, Wheeler narrowly fought off an electoral challenge from the far left, <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2020/11/ted-wheeler-won-reelection-as-portland-mayor-by-an-historically-narrow-margin-heres-how-he-held-on-to-lead-for-4-more-years.html">Oregon Live reported</a>, and from residents of Portland who were concerned that the mayor was already being too strict in controlling the nightly Portland demonstrations.

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