The Mayor of Portland proposes accelerated regulations for public events. New

At a press conference Monday, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler announced his intention to introduce a bill – as early as this week – to respond to the "escalation" of violence in the United States. streets.

The bill would give the mayor, who is also a police commissioner, the ability to dictate the location and duration of events if it turns out to be a threat to public safety or a disruption of services. public.

Although Wheeler did not mention any group names, the order comes after frequent clashes between two conflicting political groups: the far-right Patriot Prayer of southwestern Washington and the left antifa protesters in Portland. The conflicts generated a steady stream of negative pressure on Wheeler, particularly in partisan media.

"I will not let the scheduled violence on the streets between rival factions continue on the streets of Portland," Wheeler said.

Describing the reason for these new rules, the mayor described a series of growing incidents involving both groups, including an alarming account that had not yet been made public.

Wheeler said on Aug. 4 "before the start of a planned protest, the Portland Police Bureau discovered individuals who had positioned themselves on a rooftop parking lot in downtown Portland with a cache of firearms. "

Deputy Chief of Police Ryan Lee provided more details on the incident. He added that the police, concerned that the men were in an elevated position in relation to a large demonstration site, seized their weapons to secure them and that "these individuals were reoriented".

Lee added that the police had investigated whether the men had committed an indictable offense, but had concluded that this was not the case because they had concealed a transport permit. He identified the men as affiliated with Patriot Prayer.

Joey Gibson, the chief of Patriot Prayer, first told OPB that he was unaware of the incident. But he said that after talking to a contact at the police office, he thought Lee and Wheeler had misinterpreted the incident during the press conference. According to Gibson, the men parked their cars in the garage and were intercepted by the police, who informed them that no weapons would be allowed during the August 4 incident. Police have allowed men to store their firearms in their vehicles, according to Gibson.

Wheeler said that his order – still in the form of a draft – would give him, in his role as Police Commissioner, the opportunity to regulate the time, place and content of demonstrations in the city.

As the mayor has described, the rules of the ordinance could apply to a wide range of protests in Portland, far beyond the clashes between Patriot Prayer and Antifa.

Wheeler said this could be triggered in cases where two or more groups plan to demonstrate the same day and have a history of violence, but more generally, if a protest is considered "a threat to the safety of participants or bystanders." , an interference in the possibility of accessing public property or disrupting public services "or if there was" a substantial risk of violence "on the basis of information collected at the time. advanced.

Wheeler said that failure to respect his written orders limiting the time and place of a protest would be an offense that protesters could face after their arrest.

"I have also asked my staff to look for ways to empower those who undermine our public resources by using the city as a place of planned street violence," he said.

The four colleagues at Wheeler City Council were only informed of the draft bill a few hours before Wheeler publicly announced his plan. In a statement sent to the press by e-mail, Commissioner Chloe Eudaly indicated that the mayor may have difficulty winning her vote.

"I share the mayor's concern and the public's frustration with these violent and disruptive protests. However, as a strong advocate for freedom of speech, expression and assembly, I am very reluctant to support a policy that could in any way affect these essential constitutional rights, "wrote Eudaly. .

And the order could come up against legal hurdles. The ACLU of Oregon immediately questioned the constitutionality of the measure and the mayor's eagerness to introduce it.

"What is perhaps worse than the legal problems that are raised there, is that this order was made public by the public without notice, as an emergency measure taking effect immediately", said Mat dos Santos, legal director of the group. "This mayor's action demonstrates a lack of trust in the public and is an end to our usual democratic processes."

Portland has a long history of loud and sometimes violent street protests. It was nicknamed "Little Beirut" by the employees of President George H. W. Buisson.