The mayor of Portland, Oregon, received tear gas from the United States government Wednesday night when he was standing on a fence guarded by a downtown federal court during another night of protests. Protesters have repeatedly clashed with federal agents dispatched by President Trump to quell the ongoing unrest in the city.
It was the 55th consecutive night of protests in Portland against police brutality and the pursuit of racial justice. They have led to clashes with federal officials and those officers who have deployed tear gas every night for more than a week, reports CBS Portland affiliate KOIN-TV.
Wednesday night was no different.
Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, said it was the first time he had received tear gas. He looked a bit dazed and coughed as he put on a pair of glasses someone gave him and drank water. However, he did not leave his place in the front and continued to take gasoline.
Around Wheeler, the protest sparked, with protesters lighting a huge fire in the space between a fence and Federal Courthouse Mark O. Hatfield, and with pop-pop-pop federal agents deploying tear gas and stun grenades. and peppercorns in the crowd.
It was not immediately clear if federal agents knew Wheeler was in the crowd when they used tear gas.
KOIN-TV
Hannah Ray Lambert of KOIN was on stage:
Fireworks were fired, disturbing a protester:
Later, the Portland police had a severe warning to protesters:
Wheeler was mostly booed while trying to rally the protesters, but was briefly applauded when he yelled “Black Lives Matter” and raised his fist in the air.
The mayor has opposed the presence of federal agents in the largest city in Oregon, but has faced harsh criticism from many sides, and his presence was not well received by many, who yelled at him and insulted him.
“I want to thank the thousands of you who have opposed the occupation of this city by the Trump administration,” Wheeler told hundreds of people gathered near federal court. “The reason this is important is that it is not just happening in Portland … we are on the front line here in Portland.”
Some Portland residents, including members of the City Council, have accused Wheeler of failing to control local police, who used tear gas multiple times before federal agents arrived earlier this month in response to the nearly two months of nightly protests since George Floyd was assassinated. Others, including business leaders, have condemned Wheeler for failing to control the situation before officers appeared.
Protesters in the crowd held signs saying “Ted Gas Ted” in reference to the use of the substance by the Portland Police Office before federal agents arrived. When the mayor abandoned the protest, around 12:40 am, some protesters surrounded him and yelled at him furiously as he walked away. One person yelled, “You have to be here every night!”
While answering questions Wednesday night, and before he was injected with tear gas, Wheeler was criticized for the actions of his own police department, without disbursing local police, the national movement seeking to redirect police funds. to the needs of the community, such as housing and education, and not having the Portland police protect people from federal agents. The mayor said he wants to use the energy of the protests to make changes.
While answering questions Wednesday night, and before being teargassed, Wheeler was criticized for the actions of his own police department, failed to remove local police, and failed to have Portland police protect people. of federal agents. The mayor said he wants to use the energy of the protests to make changes.
Wheeler then addressed the much larger crowd from an elevated balcony, saying “I am here tonight to be with you.”
Earlier Wednesday, the City Council prohibited police from cooperating with federal agents or arresting reporters or legal observers.
Wheeler’s tense nighttime appearance downtown came hours after Oregon attorneys urged a judge to issue a restraining order against federal agents deployed to quell the protests.
And the ACLU filed another lawsuit on Wednesday on behalf of volunteer doctors who have been treating injured protesters. He alleges that federal agents have used rubber bullets, tear gas, pepper spray, batons, and stun grenades against doctors in violation of federal protections for freedom of expression and freedom of movement.
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