Portland, Oregon Protest Thread (Wheeler: legally, rating, work)

[jdhpa]

Originally Posted by illumined

In the wake of yet more rioting in the Nob Hill area the illustrious Mayor of Portland has decided to call upon the city residents to unmask the "self described anarchists". But he still can't admit "Antifa" exists. Frankly, I doubt this is going to do much and we'll probably keep seeing rioting as it continues to be tacitly condoned by the county DA, among many others.

Do you mean tacitly condoned by the voters of Portland?

[illumined]

Originally Posted by jdhpa

Do you mean tacitly condoned by the voters of Portland?

Indeed, but now it's being outright endorsed by voters. Looks like the "community leaders" didn't like the Mayors attempt at common sense regarding the riots.

On Saturday morning, a group of Black activists, protesters and community leaders gathered at City Hall to criticize the mayor’s comments.

"When I read your response Tevis, what I read was you trying to pull us apart," said Amber Boydston, a speaker at the event.

Boydston is one of dozens of Black Oregonians who drafted an open letter this week aimed at those participating in demonstrations. It says, in part, "actions that neither increase solidarity nor broadcast purpose while making the lives of local Black communities more difficult are not acceptable."

In other words, rioting is a-okay! Here's an idea, let's let the rioters and criminals just run around and do whatever they want within the city limits of Portland, it's what the people who live there want.

[SusVelo]

Originally Posted by illumined

Indeed, but now it's being outright endorsed by voters. Looks like the "community leaders" didn't like the Mayors attempt at common sense regarding the riots.






In other words, rioting is a-okay! Here's an idea, let's let the rioters and criminals just run around and do whatever they want within the city limits of Portland, it's what the people who live there want.

Your butchering of that story was really something to witness.

Boydston is one of dozens of Black Oregonians who drafted an open letter this week aimed at those participating in demonstrations. It says, in part, "actions that neither increase solidarity nor broadcast purpose while making the lives of local Black communities more difficult are not acceptable."
While the letter also talks about concern with police violence, the groups say the mayor misused those words in his call to extend the state of emergency.
"I would appreciate it if people would listen to the words that we say and read the words that we say, absorb the words that we say, think on the words that we say, but stop adding your own lens to it, " said Mac Smiff, a speaker at the event. "Sometimes you have to be quiet and listen.”

[mathlete]

Originally Posted by SusVelo

Your butchering of that story was really something to witness.

Boydston is one of dozens of Black Oregonians who drafted an open letter this week aimed at those participating in demonstrations. It says, in part, "actions that neither increase solidarity nor broadcast purpose while making the lives of local Black communities more difficult are not acceptable."
While the letter also talks about concern with police violence, the groups say the mayor misused those words in his call to extend the state of emergency.
"I would appreciate it if people would listen to the words that we say and read the words that we say, absorb the words that we say, think on the words that we say, but stop adding your own lens to it, " said Mac Smiff, a speaker at the event. "Sometimes you have to be quiet and listen.”

All I hear when I'm quietly listening are the sounds of windows breaking, Molotov cocktails exploding and rampaging mobs cursing the police.

[T. Damon]

The organization Don’t shoot PDX with its founder and leaders is at the heart of the city’s demise and destruction. The citizenry needs to stand up to these violent anarchists, even if it is probably too late to save the once beautiful city.

[mathlete]

Wait! Something's coming through . . . . Sounds like an assassination threat.

Police are investigating a video published to Twitter on Wednesday night that claims militant activists in the city will continue to destroy property and riot until Wheeler resigns and also includes the mayor’s home address along with a menacing warning.

“Blood is already on your hands, Ted,” says the video’s masked and voice-altered narrator, who appears outside a MAX station and claims to be a member of Portland’s anarchist and anti-fascist community. “The next time, it may just be your own.”

[redguard57]

I'm about as liberal as you get but I'm done with these idiots. They lost me when they started attacking random things for no good reason. When they attacked the historical society back in November I was done. "Antifa" is a misnomer for these people. They are a vandalism gang. They diverged from BLM and degenerated into petty crime months ago, circa Fall 2020. They now threaten BLM.

I'm also against Kate Brown now, wish I could take back my vote & vote for Buehler. Covid restrictions are helping to fuel this because the business districts are all abandoned, there is no one to alert the police fast enough when these vandals show up. They spend 5 minutes smashing the windows & spray painting and they're gone. Now we have more covid restrictions, the only state in the country increasing them. The whole place will remain empty.

E.g. if there were 1500 people milling around after a concert at Schnitzer hall at 10pm, 25 Antifa vandals would not have such an easy time tagging it.

[jdhpa]

Originally Posted by redguard57

I'm about as liberal as you get but I'm done with these idiots. They lost me when they started attacking random things for no good reason. When they attacked the historical society back in November I was done. "Antifa" is a misnomer for these people. They are a vandalism gang. They diverged from BLM and degenerated into petty crime months ago, circa Fall 2020. They now threaten BLM.

I'm also against Kate Brown now, wish I could take back my vote & vote for Buehler. Covid restrictions are helping to fuel this because the business districts are all abandoned, there is no one to alert the police fast enough when these vandals show up. They spend 5 minutes smashing the windows & spray painting and they're gone. Now we have more covid restrictions, the only state in the country increasing them. The whole place will remain empty.

E.g. if there were 1500 people milling around after a concert at Schnitzer hall at 10pm, 25 Antifa vandals would not have such an easy time tagging it.

When people aren't punished for committing crimes, there will always be some number of people who just keep ratcheting up the crime until they find the new limit. You can expect this to just keep getting worse until the city or state makes it clear where the limit is. It seems the limit has not been reached yet.

[mathlete]

Threatening to assassinate a mayor unless he resigns is terrorism.

[redguard57]

Originally Posted by jdhpa

When people aren't punished for committing crimes, there will always be some number of people who just keep ratcheting up the crime until they find the new limit. You can expect this to just keep getting worse until the city or state makes it clear where the limit is. It seems the limit has not been reached yet.

Yeah, based on his recent rhetoric I think Wheeler is finally getting it. Took him long enough and still not fast enough. What we are dealing with here is truly not very many people. They number in the dozens or low 100s at most. But we are going to have to break some eggs with those few, and tolerate pissing off the next level of a few thousand by doing so. Arresting and holding them will result in somewhat larger demonstrations and Wheeler will have to tolerate that.

Wheeler is well-connected with the business community and was most supported by the higher income people of the city who will, at some point I assume, want their city back. I mean these are the same kind of people who want and can afford to go to Schnitzer Hall, etc...