Portland mayoral candidate Sarah Iannarone said during a debate Thursday night that the left-wing activist group antifa is “not anything more than an idea.”
“That’s what Vice President Biden explained to us. It’s people who oppose anti-fascism,” Iannarone said during a debate with incumbent Democrat Ted Wheeler when asked if she supports the group linked to violent protests across the country, most notably in Portland.
Portland mayoral candidate Sarah Iannarone, currently leading in the polls, is asked if she is antifa:
“Antifa is not anything more than an idea… it’s people who oppose anti-fascism.”
pic.twitter.com/RXj1bYOXVH— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) October 9, 2020
Last year, Iannarone stated “I am antifa” and embraced the label of “antifa mayor.”
Iannarone was also asked by an Oregonian in a video message how she would address peaceful protests that developed into violent riots. She responded by criticizing the law enforcement tactics used to combat the riots.
“I condemn violence in all forms,” Iannarone said. “I always have. But we must know that the answer to protests about police brutality cannot be increased police brutality.”
When the moderator pushed Iannarone to say specifically what she would do to address protests that develop into riots, she again pivoted to the actions of police.
Iannarone answered: “We need equal enforcement of the law regardless of who is engaging in criminal activity. And as Portland mayor, I will not be able to control what any individual protester is doing in the streets. My job will be making sure that the police do their jobs, making sure they are held accountable for when they break procedure and even the law. That will be my job as Portland mayor, and ultimately, we’ll have a police force that’s well equipped to enforce the law without racial bias in the future.”
Iannarone drew criticism on Twitter this week over a photo circulating online showed her wearing a skirt emblazoned with the faces of communist leaders Mao Zedong, Joseph Stalin, and Che Guevara.
The mayoral candidate told the Washington Examiner that the skirt was part of a “performance art appearance.”
“The picture in question was taken with Reverend Billy, whose spectacle of the absurd is a treat whenever it comes to town,” Iannarone said. “I dressed flamboyantly that day in a skirt that features pop art — art that is meant to satirize the subjects. While most Americans are focused on stopping COVID from taking our lives and jobs, some internet commentators are focused on how I dressed during a performance art appearance in 2016. I’m focused on winning a Green New Deal and Housing for All Portlanders, not on false controversy meant to distract from real issues.”
Polls show that Iannarone is currently leading Wheeler in the polls by more than 10 points.
