Portland mayor says it's time take our city back' from mob of violent protesters


‘They want to burn, to bash, to intimidate, to assault’: Portland Mayor says it’s ‘time take our city back’ from ‘anarchist mob’ who have run riot since Black Lives Matter protests first erupted a year ago

  • Mayor Ted Wheeler asked the pubic to help identify those responsible for rioting
  • Wheeler said it is ‘our job to unmask them, arrest them and prosecute them’ 
  • The mayor praised BLM leaders for showing ‘the courage to stand up to this mob’
  • The city extended its state of emergency to Monday amid continuing violence

The Mayor of Portland says he is determined to reclaim the city from the ‘anarchistic mob’ that has inflicted ‘criminal intimidation and violence’ on its streets over the past year. 

Mayor Ted Wheeler called on the pubic to help him identify the people responsible for the rioting and destruction Portland so he could ‘unmask them, arrest them and prosecute them.’

In a news conference on Friday addressing continuing violence in the city, Wheeler praised BLM leaders for showing ‘the courage to stand up to this mob’ and said that all Portland residents should do the same.

‘Together we can make a stand… and take our city back,’ he added. 

Police chase demonstrators after a riot was declared during a protest against the killing of Daunte Wright on April 12. The Mayor of Portland says he is determined to reclaim the city from the 'anarchistic mob' that has inflicted 'criminal intimidation and violence' on its streets

Police chase demonstrators after a riot was declared during a protest against the killing of Daunte Wright on April 12. The Mayor of Portland says he is determined to reclaim the city from the ‘anarchistic mob’ that has inflicted ‘criminal intimidation and violence’ on its streets

Mayor Ted Wheeler called on the pubic to help him identify the people responsible for the rioting and destruction Portland so he could 'unmask them, arrest them and prosecute them'

Mayor Ted Wheeler called on the pubic to help him identify the people responsible for the rioting and destruction Portland so he could ‘unmask them, arrest them and prosecute them’

The city has announced that it will extend its state of emergency through Monday amid fears of continuing violence over the weekend. 

The mayor said that the community needs to resume their lives but ‘self-described anarchists who engage in regular criminal destruction don’t want things to open up, to recover.’

‘They want to burn, they want to bash… they want to intimidate, they want to assault,’ he continued, referencing the nearly $20,000 worth of damage caused to a local Boys and Girls Club in the north east of the city.

Portland has been the site of frequent protests, many involving violent clashes between officers and demonstrators, since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020.

As well as images showing peaceful protest in the city, photos also have emerged showing officers emerging from clouds of tear gas, dozens of people dressed in all black and throwing fireworks at officers and rows of businesses with plywood covering windows. 

Activists march towards the Multnomah County Sheriff's office during a protest against the killing of Daunte Wright on April 12. Protests over the police killing in Minneapolis soon spiraled out of control in the city's downtown

Activists march towards the Multnomah County Sheriff’s office during a protest against the killing of Daunte Wright on April 12. Protests over the police killing in Minneapolis soon spiraled out of control in the city’s downtown

Federal officers arrest a demonstrator during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland in July 2020. Portland has been the site of frequent protests since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020

Federal officers arrest a demonstrator during a Black Lives Matter protest at the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland in July 2020. Portland has been the site of frequent protests since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020

Over the summer, there were demonstrations for more than 100 straight days. On April 13 this year, a crowd set a fire outside the city’s police union headquarters following recent fatal police shootings.

Protests over the police killings of 13-year-old Adam Toledo in Chicago and Daunte Wright in Minneapolis soon spiraled out of control in the city’s downtown, with rioters lighting fires and vandalizing businesses. 

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler has previously decried what he described as a segment of violent agitators who detract from the message of police accountability. 

In the news conference on Friday, he said that he supported police using all legal strategies including kettling – a controversial containment tactic used by police in which officers surround a crowd to keep it in a particular area.

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