Portland mayor to crack down on violent protests

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler says he will crack down on “street brawls” in Portland after a weekend protest turned into a fight between right-wing Patriot Prayer members and left-wing counter-demonstrators.

KGW reports that Wheeler said at a Monday news conference that he would introduce an ordinance to place restrictions on protests held in the city.

Wheeler said the issue was not about political ideology, but “about delivering a strong and principled message that we will not tolerate violence in our community.”

Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson called for the Saturday march in response to what he called a lack of action by the city’s police department during an Oct. 6 showdown between a driver and anti-police protesters.

Right-wing and left-wing demonstrators ultimately brawled and officers attempted to restore order. No arrests were made.