As the ACLU of Oregon and other groups called for Portland police to change the way they respond to protests, Mayor Ted Wheeler admitted mistakes have been made and he expects policing to improve.
“When police show up in riot gear, it has the effect of escalating the situation,” said ACLU of Oregon spokeswoman Sarah Armstrong. “We think police policies should aim for de-escalation.”
Portland police arrested 13 people Monday during a “Not My President” rally in front of the Federal Building on Southwest Third and Columbia Street. Armstrong said officers who showed up in riot gear, as they have for all of the anti-Trump protests, used riot control tactics in making the arrests.“Portland has a long history of civil disobedience,” said Armstrong. “What seems to be different is the swiftness and violence of the police response.”
A homeless advocacy group, Boots on the Ground PDX, also criticized actions by police during the protest. The group urged Wheeler’s office to review its protest policing policies. The group Portland's Resistance has applied for a permit to march to Wheeler's home on Wednesday in response to the issue.
Many observers have noticed a change in the tolerance level of police for protesters blocking streets under Mayor Ted Wheeler. Protests taking place in 2016, before Wheeler took office, included hours of blocked streets.In a statement released Tuesday, Wheeler said he and the police chief will meet with members of the community to discuss how to best relieve tensions between protesters and police. (Read the full statement below)
“Inevitably, mistakes will be made. It is my job as Police Commissioner to address them and make changes when necessary. This is one of those times," said Wheeler.
"It is my expectation that policing in Portland will improve. I ran on a platform of police accountability and I intend to see it through."
A small group of protesters went to Wheeler's house around 1 a.m. Tuesday and confronted the mayor to raise objections to the police actions on Monday. In an episode captured by one of the protesters on video, the mayor urged protesters to not come to his house in the middle of the night, saying that the incident had awakened and scared his young child.
Protesters persisted, leading to a protracted and often heated exchange between the nightrobe-clad mayor and the small group on his doorstep. Police soon responded and the group dispersed.
Wheeler has been vocal about his standards: Protesters are allowed to gather and express their First Amendment rights, but they are not free to break the law.
In an interview for KGW’s Straight Talk that aired last weekend, Wheeler said, ”The minute you choose to block a street or block transit or block a highway, or engage in acts of violence, that is not protected by the U.S. Constitution as free speech.”Several Portlanders have complained that officers pushed their way into a crowd of peaceful protesters standing on the sidewalk to make the arrests Monday.
Portland Police Bureau spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson said that once officers decide to arrest someone, it’s too late to retreat to the sidewalk.
“The sidewalk is not 'home base,' ” said Simpson.
As for the request by the ACLU that officers refrain from wearing riot gear to protest, Simpson said the gear is for their own protection. During an Inauguration Day protest on Jan. 20, protesters threw eggs, rocks, bottles and fireworks at officers.

LOVE SPORT NEWS