Portland's Next Mayor Could Be a Self-Proclaimed Antifa Supporter
Portland’s next mayor could be an open supporter of antifa, the far-left movement whose members have unleashed violence in cities across America.
Left-wing activist Sarah Iannarone will face incumbent Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler in a runoff election on Nov. 3 after neither candidate received a majority of votes in the first round of voting.
Wheeler has faced criticism from both sides of the political spectrum over his handling of the violent riots that have taken place in Portland since late May.
President Donald Trump has criticized Wheeler for not embracing federal assistance to quell the riots, while left-wing activists have accused Wheeler of being too tough on protesters.
Local progressive activists have called for Wheeler’s resignation, but the mayor has said he has no plans to step down.
Iannarone, whose platform includes a pledge to slash the city’s police funding, identified herself as a member of the antifa movement in a January 2019 tweet.
“To those who say Antifa are violent thugs: I am not a violent thug and I am Antifa,” she wrote.
“I am Antifa because the Red Hats are coming after brown & black people, after Jews, after queer & trans people, and more. They are coming after our democracy,” she added.
To those who say Antifa are violent thugs: I am not a violent thug and I am Antifa.
I am Antifa because the Red Hats are coming after brown & black people, after Jews, after queer & trans people, and more.
They are coming after our democracy. #HolocaustMemorialDay #NeverForget
— sarah iannarone (she/her) (@sarahforpdx) January 27, 2019
Iannarone’s campaign manager, Gregory McKelvey, led protesters in shutting down a Portland highway following Trump’s 2016 victory, the Willamette Week reported.
Iannarone has consistently expressed support for the nightly unrest in Portland.
“My daughter was in the streets last night driven by anti-racist conviction. She is not an agitator nor an opportunist and she should not fear for her safety at the hands of Portland police,” Iannarone wrote in a May 31 tweet.
“Protests will continue in our city and across the country until our leaders address the problems racism, police brutality, and white supremacy undergirding our society,” she added in a statement.
“We need to understand these protests are part of a healthy democracy. Peaceful protests, in my opinion, might not necessarily be moving the conversation forward,” she told KGW in an Aug. 7 interview.
Her campaign later issued a follow-up statement saying she does “not condone” criminal activity.
Neither campaign returned the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment for this story.
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