Democratic Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler called out the “anarchists” wreaking havoc in Portland and asked local residents to reveal their identities.
Portland has endured intermittent protests and riots since the death of George Floyd last year.
Rioters drew the ire of some locals recently after vandalizing a church and a Boys & Girls Club, according to The Oregonian.
Those cases are just two examples representing countless victims of damaged property in the last year.
Wheeler pointed to those recent acts of vandalism in his plea with residents to report the participants in an attempt to end the ongoing riots.
“The city is beginning to recover, but self-described anarchists who engage in regular criminal destruction don’t want things to open up, to recover,” Wheeler said.
“They want to prevent us from doing the work of making a better Portland for everyone,” he added. “They want to burn, they want to bash.”
So far, some residents have responded to the call.
“I want to personally thank neighbors, family and friends who have come forward with vital evidence,” Wheeler told KOIN News. “People know who these criminals are.”
Members of Black Lives Matter have also reportedly turned in rioters.
“If BLM leaders can show the courage to stand up to this mob, then we all should. … make a stand and take our city back,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler’s comments drew strong criticism from the left.
Today, @tedwheeler asked people to “take a stand” by tracking and calling the police on others for wearing black clothing. His comments are inappropriate, irresponsible, and dangerous.
— ACLU of Oregon (@ACLU_OR) April 24, 2021
Ted Wheeler advocating arrest of ppl dressed in black is some real Gestapo shyt. If Trump said this, liberal Twitter would lose their mind. Same energy. https://t.co/4zYy3fowSK
— ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) April 24, 2021
Thanks to Ted Wheeler request to report people in black he has successfully brought back the Proud Boys who are now intimidating black folks around town. Including my neighborhood, way to go Ted you put more black and brown folks at risk.
— Linneas B.G (@linneasblm) April 24, 2021
Ted Wheeler — the police commissioner who lets cops cover their name badges while brutally policing protests to prevent doxing — publicly endorses doxing of protesters https://t.co/GZXPTGiYnP
— Tim Dickinson (@7im) April 23, 2021
