After receiving tear gas when he joined a crowd protesting police brutality, the Portland mayor said he “saw nothing to provoke this response,” even when protesters set fire to a federal court.
“I am not going to lie, it hurts, it is difficult to breathe, and I can tell you with 100 percent honesty that I did not see anything that provoked this response,” Mayor Ted Wheeler said in a video filmed by a journalist.
The Democrat, who said it was the first time he had been gassed, coughed and drank water while putting on a pair of glasses that someone handed him while surrounded by a phalanx of journalists.
Meanwhile, protesters lit a large fire in the space between a nearby fence and Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse, accidentally setting one of his comrades on fire, as federal agents continued to fire tear gas and stun grenades at the frantic crowd. .
“It is unpleasant, I am not afraid, but I am angry,” Wheeler said. “This is an overreaction by federal officials. There was nothing I saw anyone do to justify this reaction. “
It was not immediately clear if federal officials knew the mayor was in the crowd when they used tear gas.
“As you can see, all you do is piss everyone off. It has made everyone angry. They entered and kicked the hornet’s nest. This is not a de-escalation strategy. This is a resounding urban war and the President of the United States is bringing it to the people of this country, “continued the Democratic mayor.
“This is a threat to our democracy,” added the mayor, who arrived around 9 pm Wednesday to chants of “F-Ted Wheeler!” and “Do your job!”
Camouflage officers from the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies were deployed to the city last week to protect federal monuments and buildings after nearly two months of protests about police brutality and racism.
Agents have been accused of using excessive force to restrain protesters and arresting people without probable cause.
Some Portland residents and City Council members have accused Wheeler of failing to control local police, who have also used tear gas before federal agents arrived this month in response to nightly protests since George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis.
Others, including business leaders, have criticized him for not controlling the situation before federal agents appeared.
When Wheeler left the protest, around 12:40 am, some protesters surrounded him and yelled at him angrily as he walked away.
“You have to be here every night!” one yelled at him.
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