Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler took “full responsibility” Wednesday for city leaders’ response — or lack thereof — to protesters rioting in the city Aug. 22.
Residents said they felt “terrorized and abandoned” as Proud Boys and antifascists fought in streets, parking lots, and school grounds, The Associated Press reported. They watched fireworks explode and rioters carrying with baseball bats and sporting helmets and gas masks fight each other, according to The Associated Press.
Residents, activists and state officials have criticized Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Police Chief Chuck Lovell for the police bureau’s handoff approach. https://t.co/dMQxExEJzX
— NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) September 9, 2021
“It is clear, based on the public outcry, on the media outcry, on the national front, that that strategy was not the right strategy,” Wheeler said during a Portland City Council meeting, according to The AP. (RELATED: ‘Concerned For My Personal Safety’: Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler Blasts Man In The Face With Pepper Spray)
Wheeler was referring to the lack of police intervention, according to The AP. A police spokesperson said that cops watched the riots from a police airplane, Oregon Live reported.
Before the Aug. 22 protest occurred, officials said not to expect police officers trying to interfere due to staffing shortages, history of police increasing tension, and “legal restrictions,” according to The AP. After that particular riot, the mayor called the strategy a success, then changed his mind Wednesday when he said it was not the right strategy.
“The public doesn’t want an overwhelming police presence, nor do they want the appearance that the police are not going to get engaged,” Wheeler said.