Oregon Governor Pens Joint Letter Calling For An End To The Violence In Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. — In a short letter issued Thursday, Oregon Governor Kate Brown said it was time elected officials and community leaders come together to condemn the acts in violence in Portland.
The letter mentions there is no place for white supremacy or vigilantism in Oregon, but fails to mention the attacks on police or arson fires set by demonstrators inside occupied buildings including the building where Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler lives.
The letter is signed by Mayor Wheeler and City Commissioner Amanda Fritz. City Commissioners Jo Ann Hardesty and Chloe Eudaly did not sign the letter.
Newly elected Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt’s name also did not appear on the letter. Thursday evening, KXL received the following from D.A. Schmidt’s office:
After speaking with the governor’s office this evening, it was determined there was an oversight and DA Schmidt never received a request to sign the joint statement.
Upon this discovery, DA Schmidt immediately agreed and signed the letter and added, “we continue to support Governor Brown in her efforts to end the violence occurring in Portland.”
Read the full letter below.
As elected officials and community leaders, we are coming together to condemn the acts of violence in Portland that have occurred as thousands of Oregonians have been peacefully protesting for racial justice and police accountability.
The violence must stop.
There is no place for white supremacy or vigilantism in Oregon.
All who perpetrate violent crimes must be held equally accountable.
Together, we are committing ourselves to do the hard work that will bring meaningful change for racial justice and police reform.
Governor Kate Brown
Tobias Read, State Treasurer
Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum
Speaker of the House Tina Kotek
Senator Michael Dembrow
Senator Lew Frederick
Senator Kathleen Taylor
Representative Maxine Dexter
Representative Alissa Keny-Guyer
Representative Karin Power
Representative Andrea Salinas
Representative Akasha Lawrence Spence
Representative Barbara Smith-Warner
Senate President Peter Courtney
Senator Ginny Burdick
Senator Shemia Fagan
Senator Elizabeth Steiner Hayward
Senator Rob Wagner
Representative Janelle Bynum
Representative Diego Hernandez
Representative Rob Nosse
Representative Jeff Reardon
Representative Tawna Sanchez
Mayor Ted Wheeler, City of Portland
Commissioner-Elect Carmen Rubio, Portland City Council
Commissioner Amanda Fritz, Portland City Council
Commissioner elect Dan Ryan, Portland City Council
Mike Schmidt, Multnomah County District Attorney
Reynolds School Superintendent Danna Diaz
Business and Community Leaders:
Black American Chamber of Commerce
Grantmakers of Oregon and Southwest Washington
Muslim Educational Trust
NAACP Portland
Oasis of Praise International Ministries
Oregon AFL-CIO
Oregon AFSCME
Oregon Education Association
Oregon Latinx Leadership Network
Oregon Nurses Association
PCUN
Portland Business Alliance, Greater Portland’s Chamber of Commerce
Portland Timbers
Portland Thorns
Portland Trailblazers
SEIU 49
SEIU 503
Stand for Children
Unite Oregon
