The Democratic mayor of Portland said he regrets keeping police away from violence that broke out at a protest last month.
Mayor Ted Wheeler held a city council meeting on Wednesday, during which he said the “right strategy” was not employed to respond to the events of Aug. 22 when right-wing demonstrators and left-wing protesters clashed with people armed with bats, paintball guns, fireworks, and bear mace, according to the Associated Press.
“It is clear based on the public outcry, on the media outcry, on the national front, that that strategy was not the right strategy,” Wheeler said. “I think we can all acknowledge that.”
Wheeler initially defended the decision with a statement on Aug. 23.
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“With strategic planning and oversight, the Portland Police Bureau and I mitigated confrontation between the two events and minimized the impact of the weekend’s events to Portlanders,” he said at the time. “In the past, these same groups have clashed with extremely violent and destructive results. This time, violence was contained to the groups of people who chose to engage in violence toward each other. The community at large was not harmed and the broader public was protected. Property damage was minimal.”
However, Portland residents felt differently about the protest and said they felt “terrorized and abandoned,” according to the Associated Press.
“As soon as the fighting began and spilled out into the neighborhood, the police should have come in and stopped it,” said Democrat state Sen. Michael Dembrow. “I’ve heard from a number of Parkrose residents who felt exposed and betrayed by the lack of police presence. They have every reason to feel that way.”
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The city of Portland has seen several protests since the summer of unrest began in 2020 following the death of George Floyd, a black man killed by police. After 100 nights of protests and riots, two-thirds of voters had a negative view of Wheeler.
