‘Our city has seen enough’
Portland has a proud history of protest. I am a firm supporter of the First Amendment. I asked the federal government to revoke the permit for an event scheduled Sunday in downtown Portland based on serious public safety concerns.
I respect the decision of the federal General Services Administration to allow the organizers to keep their permit, but I remain concerned about the safety of Portlanders, both in and around the protest.
While this planned demonstration is constitutional, it is highly irresponsible.
In the wake of a horrible act of racist violence, our community is still in shock. We are in mourning, and we are angry. There is never a good time to bring messages of hate to our city. There could be no worse time than now.
Yet, there will be protests and counterprotests this weekend in Portland. I have asked the organizers to use common sense and to help us keep the peace.
There will be local and federal law enforcement on the ground to ensure that every- body has the right to express their beliefs and to protect everyone’s safety. I urge everyone participating to reject violence. Our city has seen enough.
I am inspired by the three men who stood up to hate last week. Two of them gave their lives. One was seriously injured. They faced horrific violence defending two people they didn’t know, who were different from them. Their courage and their sacrifice should set an example for all.
As we move forward, we need to reckon with the fact that racist attitudes lead to racist words, and that racist words lead to violence. And we need to decide what we’re going to do about it.