Portland legalized rioting, and you’ll never guess what happened next
Oregon | October 20, 2021
As the city of Portland has seen frequent violent riots, Oregon state legislators have identified a solution: Let them riot.
That solution was put into practice in the city recently as police officers stood by and watched rioters cause more than $500,000 worth of damages to banks, stores, coffee shops, and government buildings. Police officers weren’t caught off guard either. The riot was organized by the mother of an “Antifa anarchist” who had been struck and killed by a car in 2019. She proudly declared on Twitter that it would be a “night of rage and anger” and “not a peaceful event.”
But no amount of forewarning mattered. That’s because the Oregon Legislature passed a law that restricts the use of pepper spray, tear gas, and incapacitating projectiles. Because officers don’t have clarity on the law, they are adhering to the most restrictive interpretation. That means that officers stood by and watched as the mob of rioters tore through the city, with the most resistance coming when officers urged the rioters to disperse over a loudspeaker.
Again, this is what Portland has asked for. This bill was passed by a Democrat-run Legislature, with meager Republican opposition in the state Senate. It was passed because Democratic officials in both the city and the state care more about protecting rioters than they do about preventing riots….. (Excerpts from the Washington Examiner)