After months of pampering, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler vowed to crack down on Antifa, whose members engage in near-night campaigns of chaos, violence and destruction in the city.
“My good faith de-escalation efforts have met with continued violence and even disdain from radical Antifa and anarchists,” Wheeler said at a news conference Friday night. “In response, it will be necessary to use additional tools and push the boundaries of the tools we already have to end criminal destruction and violence.”
“It is time to push back harder against those who want to destroy our community and to take more risks in the fight against lawlessness,” added Wheeler.
The mayor was given a second term by voters in Portland last month, defeating an openly pro-Antifa candidate, Sarah Iannarone.
The Wheeler press conference was prompted by a New Year’s Eve riot near the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse, which was a frequent target of the agitators.
A meeting in downtown Portland has turned into a riot. Participants dropped multiple firebombs at officers and fired commercial-grade fireworks at Federal Courthouse and Justice Center, “Portland Police tweeted early New Years Day.
Throughout 2020, Antifa rioters had free rein in downtown Portland. The situation got so bad that President Trump briefly deployed federal troops in July to protect US properties in the city.
“We’re trying to help Portland, not hurt it. Their leadership has lost control of the anarchists and agitators for months. They are missing. We must protect federal property AND OUR PEOPLE. These weren’t just protesters, these are the real deal !. ” Trump said at that moment.