Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler Thursday evening condemned the actions of rioters who attempted to set fire to a police precinct and blocked the exits while officers were inside.
“When you commit arson with an accelerant in an attempt to burn down a building that is occupied by people who you have intentionally trapped inside, you are not demonstrating, you are attempting to commit murder,” Wheeler said in a news conference with Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell.
Portland mayor condemns rioters for ‘attempting to commit murder
Remember the that we were told Federal Officers were the cause of the “Peaceful demonstrations” by the “Antifa Myth” and that as soon as the Trump Goons were gone from the Federal Courthouse, it all would be, Peace, Kumbaya and free kombucha. But the good guys in black hoodies tried to bur local cops alive inside the Portland Police Bureau’s East Precinct building. I wonder why the prediction failed.
“Don’t think for a moment that you are if you are participating in this activity, you are not being a prop for the reelection campaign of Donald Trump — because you absolutely are,” he said. “You are creating the B-roll film that will be used in ads nationally to help Donald Trump during this campaign.
First: Yes, you are right and that is why so many of us have simply said “Let Portland burn.”
Second: So your real condemnation is not because police officers could be hurt or killed in the fire, but because it is bad optics and how will they play in the re-election? Come November 4th, Portland LEOs can be getting an ISIS fire cage treatment and you would not care since the election is over?
Nice to know.
I bet the Portland police are thrilled to know that the only reason the mayor doesn’t want Antifa to kill them is because it would be good for Trump.
I bet they are even more motivated to do their jobs now.
Real morale booster that is.
I’m surprised that Portland HAS a police force after this…..When the mayor continues to show more concern for the rioters than the police force, why do the police stay?
https://mobile.twitter.com/PortlandPolice/status/1291622222356856832
“User:CALTROPS has entered the chat”
When those hit the highways to be used against civilians or will really get interesting.
Don’t you know? it’s Utopia!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mF_nOb4_ew8
Yes, the rioters are “attempting to commit murder”. Good on him for calling that out, if for the wrong reasons.
But they are also committing acts of domestic terrorism, which in its own way is a far worse crime and usually carries harsher sentences. Also, it’s not just murder, it’s mass murder, as it’s not one or two people they’re targeting; it’s everyone in a multi-story building.
However, charging them with murder is a city, county, or state action, which keeps the accused in Portland, Multnomah County, or at least Oregon, where the DAs, sentencing judges, and parole boards are on the rioters’ side (or can be brow-beaten or strong-armed to be on the rioters’ side). The crimes can be pleaded down to manslaughter or attempted manslaughter, the sentences probation and community service (we can probably define BLM “protests” as community service), and then dropped altogether.
But domestic terrorism charges are federal. Mayor Wheeler and Governor Brown would have zero say in the trial or sentencing, which for murder/attempted murder and terrorism could include the death penalty.
So we’ll stick with “attempted murder” for the cameras and make it sound like that’s the only thing they’re doing.
So after more than 70 days of rioting and arson, it all of a sudden dawns on the mayor that arson is a crime akin to murder? Wow. He makes mushrooms look smart.
Actually, more likely he knew it all along, but didn’t want to say so since he’s on the side of the arsonists. He may be starting to realize that even in Portland that may not be a long term tenable position, and he’s trying to back away from it by pretending these aren’t his people after all. Good luck with that.