After saying in no uncertain terms that violent rioters are engaging in criminal acts and pointing out that they destroyed a minority-owned local business, he added: “These acts range from stupid, to dangerous, to criminal. The violence must stop. None of this should sit well with any thinking Portlander. Arson and terrorizing families with children does nothing except steal, and distract from, the important message of the racial justice movement.”
Wheeler also recently announced that he would be moving out of his $840,000 condo in the city’s Pearl District after rioters attempted to set it on fire on his birthday on Monday. They damaged the building, left graffiti, and threw burning newspapers into a retail space in the building. Nineteen people were arrested in the demonstration.
The building, which has 114 units, has been a regular scene of protests, with people lighting fires, setting off fireworks, and shining lights on it. He said a move would be best for him and his neighbors while apologizing to them for the disruption his residence there has caused to their lives.
The mayor has been facing intense criticism for his poor handling of the protests. He has expressed sympathy for rioters, asked cops not to arrest them, and vowed to defund the police, among other questionable moves. Apparently, it’s a different story when it’s his own home that comes under attack, although he did accuse rioters of committing attempted murder in early August after they tried to light a police precinct on fire while people were trapped inside.
Wheeler said that local and state law enforcement are working to hold those who participate in violence accountable and that they will not tolerate their hateful and destructive actions.
Portland is struggling to keep riots under control but won’t accept federal help
President Trump called Wheeler a “wacky Radical Left Do Nothing Democrat Mayor of Portland” on Twitter as the mayor gave a speech criticizing the president. He added that “Portland will never recover with a fool for a mayor.”
In an August 31 letter, Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf encouraged Wheeler to accept federal assistance in curbing the protests and riots, adding that "President Trump has made it abundantly clear that there will come a point when state and local officials fail to protect its citizens from violence, the federal government will have no choice but to protect our American citizens.”
Police Chief Chuck Lovell issued a statement denouncing the latest escalation of violence in the city. He asked elected officials to “draw a line in the sand and to hold people accountable.” He pointed out that the families who live inside buildings that were recently set on fire have not done anything to provoke the threat to their lives.
He also drew attention to the number of police officers who are needed to respond to the riots and how that is contributing to a rise in crime in the city. As gun violence skyrockets in Portland, emergency calls are going unanswered as they struggle to stay on top of all that is going on in the city. Police officials have said that 911 calls are being placed on hold for hours at a time some nights as personnel get tied up dealing with riots.
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