Mayor Wheeler Orders Police To Stop Using Tear Gas
September 10, 2020 12:02PM PDT
Mayor Ted Wheeler speaks to people gathered in downtown Portland, Ore., Wednesday, July 22, 2020. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The mayor of Portland has ordered police in Oregon’s largest city to stop using tear gas for crowd control during often violent protests that have racked the city for months.
Ted Wheeler said Thursday that the order is effective immediately.
It comes as protesters have held nightly demonstrations since the police killing in May of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Many have been violent.
Wheeler is a Democrat and was tear gassed when he went to a demonstration against the presence of federal authorities dispatched to the city to protect federal property.
He says he still wants police to respond aggressively to prevent violence and vandalism.
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