After Portland quickly shuts down 'autonomous zone' in the city, the mayor offers some choice words for Seattle's CHAZ: 'I'm not impressed'

'It's a distraction'

Photo by Noah Riffe/Anadolu Agency via Getty Imag

After radicals created a short-lived "autonomous zone" in Portland, Oregon, Wednesday night, the city's liberal mayor, Ted Wheeler, had some words for what's going on in Seattle's CHAZ: "I'm not impressed."

What happened? 

The Pacific Northwest Youth Liberation Front and other left-wing demonstrators attempted to create their own autonomous zone in Mayor Wheeler's Portland neighborhood.
The effort was short-lived as police, reportedly acting under Wheeler's orders, put a stop to it and cleared out the anarchists from their would-be new nation.
Not surprisingly, the agitators left a huge mess behind that mayor and his neighbors were forced to clean up on their own. In a brief on-camera appearance with KOIN-TV, Wheeler noted the mess the community was facing Thursday morning.
"I'm out here this morning because there were a lot of barricades set up," Wheeler said. "There is a lot of trash and litter and detritus left from last night's demonstrations. And this is where I'm living, these are my neighbors, and I'm out here helping to pick up the mess that was left behind."

After decrying the mess the protesters left behind, the mayor then went after the CHAZ craziness the country being allowed to continue as the leadership in Seattle continues to do nothing.
A reporter asked Wheeler, "Would you ever let an autonomous zone be set up here in Portland."
The mayor replied, "I do not want an autonomous zone set up in Portland."
Why wouldn't he?
"I'm watching what's going on in Seattle, and I'm not impressed," he continued. "I think it's a distraction from the larger movement and the movement is justice for black people."
What's not to love, mayor?
"I'm not in Seattle, obviously," Wheeler continued, "but what I'm hearing coming out of Seattle concerns me: Armed people walking around in the autonomous zone; people being asked to show their papers and demonstrate where they're from at the entrance to the autonomous zone; businesses potentially being shaken down to be allowed to operate within the autonomous zone."
Wonder if Seattle heard what he said next.
"So if you're asking if that's something I support, let me unequivocally clear: I absolutely do not support that," he said, reiterating, "I do believe it's a distraction from the larger movement, which is to support and uplift black voices in our community."