Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler on Monday suggested it could be hard to replicate the city’s full-scale push Saturday to curtail chaos during rival downtown demonstrations, even as right-wing activists from out of state threatened to return soon.
“Clearly sustaining the kind of investments we made are going to be difficult,” he told The Oregonian/OregonLive in an interview at City Hall.
But the mayor also expressed skepticism whether outside agitators — who have repeatedly targeted Portland for its progressive self-image as well as its bands of militant leftists — would make another strong appearance.
“I don’t know if they’ll come here again or not,” he said, speaking of the group who organized the weekend’s right-wing rally. “Honestly, the Proud Boys could not articulate why they were here.”
Wheeler’s remarks came two days after a tense but relatively uneventful face-off in Oregon’s largest city between opposing political factions.
The heavily policed event, with very little violence or drama between the opposing sides or with police, marked the first such confrontation in nearly three years that ended in a victory for city officials.
The Proud Boys, who describe themselves as “patriots” and “Western chauvinists,” and their supporters converged on the city’s waterfront to condemn anti-fascists, or antifa, and push to have the left-wing activists labeled as “domestic terrorists.”
Counter-protesters ranging from black-clad anarchists to people in banana costumes turned out to oppose them, claiming they promote racism, bigotry and violence.
Despite a few skirmishes, no major bloody brawls or riots broke out in the streets, as happened during protests past. Police largely refrained from clashing with counter-protesters or deploying less-lethal munitions into crowds of left-wing activists that roamed downtown after the Proud Boys wrapped up their rally.
“We planned for the worst,” Wheeler said. “Fortunately, on the whole, it was a non-violent day.”
But the efforts made by the city and its police force to keep the peace were unprecedented.
The Portland Police Bureau drew on local, state and federal law enforcement to provide 700 officers for the day, more than one cop for every two of the estimated 1,200 protest participants. City officials spent weeks on preparation and logistics.
All told, Wheeler said he estimates taxpayers will be on the hook for millions of dollars.
Those costs do not include the impact that a day of disruption had on downtown during the height of summer tourism. Multiple businesses closed and employees stayed home. Events were cancelled.
“They lost money. That hurts them. And that hurts their families,” said Wheeler, who added that the city planned to lead a public push to support downtown businesses this weekend.
In the interview, the mayor once again argued his belief that Oregon’s liberal free speech laws prevent him from keeping people from showing up in Portland to exercise their First Amendment rights — regardless of the costs or consequences.
He also brushed aside ongoing criticisms from the left and right that the city and police favors their political opponents. “Everybody feels like their side is being held more accountable than others,” the mayor said.
Wheeler, however, did accuse organizers of Saturday’s right-wing rally of intentionally attempting to disrupt the city and inflict financial harm on businesses and taxpayers.
“That’s not really an articulated political message,” he said. “That’s just menacing.”
One of the right-wing demonstration’s main organizers, Joe Biggs, a Florida resident and former staffer for the right-wing conspiracy website InfoWars, did not respond to a request for comment.
But Biggs and a few of his fellow Proud Boys did release a video Sunday that poked fun at the mayor, lashed out at antifa and promised they’d be back.
“Thanks for footing the bill on our $2 million weekend in Portland,” said Biggs, who was splayed on a backyard trampoline and wearing sunglasses and an oversized top hat. “We came in here and exposed you and your criminal element and we’ll continue to do so until you’re fired.”
Wheeler, in response, sounded a little nonplussed.
“Who does that?” the mayor said. “I think it’s the ultimate cynicism. I think it speaks to the character of the man.”
-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh; 503-294-7632
Email at skavanaugh@oregonian.com
Follow on Twitter @shanedkavanaugh
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