Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler went to the 56th nightly planned riot in his fair city on Wednesday night and rioters threw flaming bags of garbage at the federal courthouse in his honor. In response, the mayor was teargassed with his friends.
The mayor took the side of the rioters in week six of the skirmishes. President Trump has sent federal police officers to defend federal property that’s been under nightly siege for reasons long since forgotten by the rank-and-file troublemakers.
Wheeler now maintains that the rioters come in peace, which is why he was surrounded by a phalanx of plainclothes security, likely armed Portland police officers, whom the mayor has vowed to “defund.”
The New York Times sent a reporter to follow the mayor and noticed that protesters still think Wheeler is a “f*cking fascist.”
"He doesn't deserve to speak. He's a fucking fascist." pic.twitter.com/EEXrg918u1
— Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) July 23, 2020
Wheeler sent word early that he would attend the Wednesday night riot and hold a “listening session” with protesters.
Protesters presented a list of demands that he must fulfill for them to be friends.
Rumor has it that #Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler may come out to tonight’s demonstration. The protesters — who have been calling for police reform for months — have prepared a list of demands. It’s projected onto the side of the Justice Center, which includes the county jail. #PDX pic.twitter.com/lvUP3lAnQd
— Marissa J. Lang (@Marissa_Jae) July 23, 2020
Wheeler was asked what he’d been doing to get rid of the feds, so he told them about going on national TV to complain about the president.
Portland mayor Ted Wheeler withstands two rounds of tear gassing by federal law enforcement agents before being whisked off by his team to the city's municipal services building. #PortlandProtests pic.twitter.com/c9FmuVVhtU
— Deborah Bloom (@deborahebloom) July 23, 2020
Wheeler, and other mayors with riots and high crime rates, sent Congress a sternly worded letter asking them to investigate the president for sending federal officers to defend federal property.
Related: Worst Mayors in America Demand Congress Stop Trump From Ruining Their Riots
Rioters started a fire and sent fireworks over a protective fence around the federal building. That’s when rioters threw fireworks and flaming bags of garbage over the fence surrounding the federal courthouse. KGW TV reporter Mike Benner says demonstrators were warned they’d be gassed. Wheeler, who was there, claims not to have seen the fire and was upset the feds unleashed tear gas to move the crowd back.
“I saw nothing that provoked this response. I’m not afraid, but I am pissed off. This is an egregious overreaction on the part of the federal officers.”
Mayor of Portland @tedwheeler joins the Federal resistance
Complains about the stinging feeling of tear gas
He is then attacked (see other posts) by protesters while Feds never touch him
It’s hard to lie to the public when only one side attacks you
pic.twitter.com/hcS4D3KVpU— ELIJAH (@ElijahSchaffer) July 23, 2020
The mayor is up for re-election and has gone all-in with the rioters hoping to curry favor with them while they stand, as he put it, in “solidarity” against President Trump.
Before he went to the riot, Wheeler engaged in dangerous rumor-mongering, claiming he’d heard that federal officers would be allowed to use live ammo on rioters.
This afternoon I was made aware of concerns within the community that federal agents may be authorized to use live ammunition on demonstrators this evening.
— Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) July 23, 2020
Perhaps his words about live ammo were to make him look brave when he attended the nightly riot and stood up against President Trump!
It’s unclear what Wheeler’s listening session accomplished, except to get some campaign photos and telegraph to his law-abiding constituents that he’s not on their side.
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