@nytimes : The mayor of Portland, Ted Wheeler, was left coughing and wincing in the middle of his own city Wednesday night after federal officers deployed tear gas into a crowd of protesters that Wheeler had joined outside the federal courthouse.
Wheeler denounced federal officers for an “egregious overreaction” and their “urban warfare” tactics, saying he was outraged by the use of tear gas and that it was only making protesters more angry.
“I can tell you with 100 percent honesty, I saw nothing which provoked this response,” he said.
But the Democratic mayor has also been the target of Portland protesters infuriated by the city police’s own use of tear gas, which was persistent until a federal judge ordered the city to use it only when there was a safety issue.
After a large wave of tear gas sent @tedwheelerpdx away from the scene, some protesters mocked him, asking how it felt. He said that joining the protesters at the front of the line was just one way he was going to try to rid the city of the federal tactical teams.
“A lot of these people hate my guts,” Wheeler said, looking around at the crowd. But he said they were unified in wanting federal officers gone. Tap the link in bio to read more. Photos by Mike Baker, @octaviojones and @mason_trinca
~ July 23, 2020, 12:13 pm, Portland, Oregon ...read more
~ July 23, 2020, 12:13 pm, Portland, Oregon ...read more