President Trump is once again threatening to send more federal enforcement to Portland amid ongoing demonstrations in the city.
In a tweet sent out late Friday night, the Commander-in-Chief wrote: ‘If the incompetent Mayor of Portland, Ted Wheeler, doesn’t get control of his city and stop the Anarchists, Agitators, Rioters and Looters, causing great danger to innocent people, we will go in and take care of matters the way they should have been taken care of 100 days ago!’
In a separate tweet, shared a short time later, Trump praised the National Guard for helping to restore order in Kenosha, Wisonsin – a separate city rocked by civil unrest earlier this week following the police shooting of black man, Jacob Blake.
‘Kenosha has been very quiet for the third night in a row or, since the National Guard has shown up. That’s the way it works, it’s all very simple. Portland, with a very ungifted mayor, should request help from the Federal Government. If lives are endangered, we’re going in!’ he wrote.
President Trump is once again threatening to send federal enforcement to Portland amid ongoing demonstrations in the city
Black Lives Matter supporters are seen clashing with right-wing protesters in Portland earlier this week. The city has been experiencing prolonged periods of civil unrest
Chaotic scenes unfolded in Kenosha earlier this week following the shooting death of black man Jacob Frey. The National Guard was called in to help with the situation
A woman hands flowers to a member of the Wisconsin National Guard standing by as people gather for a vigil, following the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha on Friday
Members of the Wisconsin National Guard stand by as people gather for a vigil during a calmer night of protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Friday
Protests began in Portland back in late May following the death of unarmed black man George Floyd at the hands of white police officers.
Demonstrations have continued to take place each night, but have become increasingly unruly. Police have declared riots on several occasions, and President Trump last month ordered federal troops to the city to curb chaos.
At the time, crowds grew into the thousands and agents repeatedly clashed with demonstrators over a two-week period, deploying tear gas and arresting those they said were hurling objects and trying to damage property.
The agents pulled back from a visible presence downtown, but it’s unclear how many remain in Portland, under an agreement in which the Oregon State Police would be deployed to the city center.
Earlier on Friday, Mayor Wheeler took to Twitter to publicly rebuke Trump’s threat to deploy more federal agents, calling it ‘divisive’.
‘Today, I sent this letter via email to @realDonaldTrump declining his recurring offer to aid Portland by sending federal enforcement to the city,’ Wheeler wrote.
He shared a screenshot of his note to Trump, which read: ‘Dear President Trump: Yet again, you said you offered to aid Portland by sending in federal law enforcement to our city. On behalf of the City of Portland: No thanks.’
‘We don’t need your politics of division and demagoguery. Portlanders are onto you. We have already seen your reckless disregard for human life in your bumbling response to the COVID pandemic.
‘And we know you’ve reached the conclusion that images of violence or vandalism are your only ticket to reelection. There is no place for looting, arson, or vandalism in our city. There is no room here for racist violence or those who wish to bring their ideology of hate into our community. Those who commit criminal acts will be apprehended and prosecuted under the law.’
Earlier on Friday, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler took to Twitter to publicly rebuke Trump’s threat to deploy more federal agents, calling it ‘divisive’. The President responded by calling him ‘incompetent’
Wheeler penned this open letter to Trump despite ongoing chaos in his city
Democratic Oregon Governor Kate Brown has also dismissed Trump’s threat.
‘Oregon isn’t interested in a role in your political theater,@realDonaldTrump. The @OregonGuard is focused on fighting wildfires, distributing PPE & helping with unemployment calls. I’d love to discuss what we actually need: financial resources, N-95 masks & testing supplies,’ she wrote on Twitter earlier this week.
However, chaos is still breaking out in the city’s streets.
On Tuesday, protesters smashed windows at City Hall and pelted officers with projectiles on the 90th consecutive night of demonstrations. 23 people were arrested.
On Tuesday, protesters smashed windows at City Hall and pelted officers with projectiles on the 90th consecutive night of demonstrations. 23 people were arrested
Officers confront Black Lives Matter supporters outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland during another unruly night of demonstrations earlier this week
A police statement said officers used ‘crowd control munitions’ in response to the protest, which was later deemed a riot, but did not specify what kind
A crowd of around 150 demonstrators assembled downtown at Shemanski Park yesterday evening, marching toward City Hall at 9pm – exactly three months after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Demonstrators threw bottles and eggs at police, and put metal bars in the street to try to damage police vehicles. Members of the crowd also vandalized the lobby of City Hall, smashing windows and marring the outside of the building with graffiti.
The Portland Police Department said officers used ‘crowd control munitions’ in response to the protest, which was later deemed a riot, but did not specify what kind.
The chaos erupted within 15 minutes of the crowd arriving, police said, where the activists graffitied the building’s rotunda, smashed a door switch and shattered three glass doors.
Portland police walk past the shattered glass of a bus stop while dispersing a crowd of about 150 people
A number of the demonstrators forced their way into City Hall, where security features – such as the surveillance camera – were smashed.
The protest was quickly deemed an unlawful assembly by police. A line of officers were seen approaching the crowd and attempting to force them away from City Hall.
Members of the crowd continued to shatter windows of the building, while one protester ignited an aerosol can while spraying it towards the building, Oregon Live reported.
As tensions escalated, police eventually deemed the gathering a riot at 11:20pm, citing ‘extreme life safety concerns’ of security guards working inside City Hall.
Officers moved in to disperse the crowd more forcefully and began arresting more people.
Police were struck by an array of projectiles such as eggs and bottles as they moved in on the crowd. Someone reportedly shined a powerful laser into an officer’s eyes three times, police said. A bus stop was also reportedly shattered amid the unrest.