Portland Protests: Debate Underway On Time, Place Restrictions

PORTLAND, OR – Debate is underway in the Portland City Council over a proposal that would set time and place restrictions when protests could take place. Mayor Ted Wheeler is behind what he calls the "Public Safety Ordinance."

Wheeler is trying to break the cycle in the city of un-permitted protests that devolve into violent clashes.

"We want everyone to be able to safely exercise their First Amendment rights," Wheeler said on Election Day after learning that six separate groups were planning protests and none would meet with the police bureau to develop a plan to keep everyone safe.

"But you know the laws: You cannot block streets, freeways, or public transportation. Most importantly, violence will not be tolerated."

Get all the latest information on what's happening in your community by signing up for Patch's newsletters and breaking news alerts

While there were no violent clashes and arrests on Tuesday night, that has not always been the case.

Wheeler has been trying to fight Portland's image of – as Portland Police union boss Daryl Turner put it last month – "one of the most politically violent cities in America.

"Lawlessness, aggression, and violence have replaced peaceful protests. In a harshly divided nation, we have become a stark example of what happens when fringe groups get exactly what they ask for with their grandstanding – attention."

Political protests in Portland have become increasingly violent since Election night 2016. Those protests, which garnered national attention, lasted for six nights and resulted in more than 100 arrests.

It turned out that the majority of those had not bothered to cast a vote in the election.

The mayor says that the ordinance would protect First Amendment guarantees but would establish specific guidelines on where and when demonstrations could happen as is the case in cities including Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Long Beach, Cincinnati, Springfield, and Raleigh.

Wheeler's office points out that similar regulations have faced legal challenges in cities including New York, Seattle, Denver, Colorado Springs, and Tacoma – and survived.

"Portland is one of the most vibrant, livable and economically prosperous cities in the U.S, and we have a robust history of peaceful demonstrations — but in recent years we've become a magnet for agitators either with a history of – or an expressed intent to be violent," Wheeler says.

It's a tough road ahead for Wheeler. Two of his colleagues – Amanda Fritz and Chloe Eudaly – have already spoken out against the ordinance and the ACLU's Portland chapter has expressed legal concerns.

File photo via Travis Loose/Patch.