Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler announced that he will be abandoning his condo in favor of a new home following protests outside his Oregon residence.
Wheeler, a Democrat, emailed his neighbors on Tuesday and notified them that he would be moving out of the 16-floor apartment building after months of demonstrations outside the property. He said it would be “best for me and for everyone else’s safety and peace” for him to seek a new home.
“I want to express my sincere apologies for the damage to our home and the fear that you are experiencing due to my position,” Wheeler wrote in the email that was obtained by the Oregonian. “It’s unfair to all of you who have no role in politics or in my administration.”
Rioters set fires, broke several windows, and vandalized other parts of the property while demanding that the mayor resign during a demonstration outside the complex on Wheeler’s birthday over the weekend, which included fireworks. More than 200 demonstrators gathered outside. The police declared a riot, and 19 people were arrested.
The protests outside the condo have been steady since mid-June. The building Wheeler is leaving has 114 units. The mayor’s two-bedroom condo was purchased in 2017 for $840,000.
President Trump has offered to send federal law enforcement officials into Portland to help curb the riots that have been taking place since May. Wheeler refused assistance from the Trump administration and urged them to “stay away” from his city.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced on Sunday a “Unified Law Enforcement Plan” that partly aims to bring in additional personnel and resources to be present for the Portland protests after the fatal shooting of a man in the city on Saturday.
