Oregon Gov. Kate Brown is sending state police back to Portland as part of an effort to end unrest that has continued virtually every night since May 28.
Brown is also calling on several law enforcement agencies to send officers to Portland, including the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
“We all must come together—elected officials, community leaders, all of us—to stop the cycle of violence,” the Democrat said in a statement.
Gatherings on most nights devolve into rioting, fueled by Black Lives Matter and Antifa activists. Crimes committed include arson, attempted murder, and assaulting police officers.
A supporter of President Donald Trump was shot Saturday after clashes between leftwing and rightwing demonstrators.
Brown blamed the shooting on Patriot Prayer, a conservative group that helped arrange a car caravan that drove through Portland, even though the victim may have been a member of the organization.
“The right-wing group Patriot Prayer and self-proclaimed militia members drove into downtown Portland last night, armed and looking for a fight. Every Oregonian has the right to freely express their views without fear of deadly violence. I will not allow Patriot Prayer and armed white supremacists to bring more bloodshed to our streets,” she said in a statement accompanying the new plan.
Patriot Prayer has only occasionally ventured downtown in recent months.
Joey Gibson, the founder of the group, didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry. In a statement on social media on Sunday, Gibson said he would not make any public statements until after relatives of the deceased, Aaron Danielson, also known as Jay, did. He has in the past denounced white supremacists who sought to affiliate themselves with his group.
“We love Jay and he had such a huge heart. God bless him and the life he lived,” he wrote.
Along with sending law enforcement to try to quell the unrest, the governor said she will convene a community forum with Mayor Ted Wheeler, black demonstration organizers, and community leaders to discuss “racial justice and police reform.”
“The group will create a venue for all community voices to come together, listen to each other, and co-create a just and peaceful future,” the governor’s office stated.
Demonstrators involved in the violence in recent months are calling for drastic measures, including sharp cuts to the city’s police agency and the resignation of Wheeler, who also serves as police commissioner.
Wheeler told reporters at a briefing that he asked Brown for National Guard assistance twice but she declined both times.
Brown and the Trump administration hammered out a deal late last month to send state assistance to Portland after rioters for weeks targeted the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse, repeatedly clashing with federal law enforcement.
The deal triggered demonstrators to target other buildings, including the bureau’s North Precinct.
Riots have taken place most nights since then. Some 911 calls have been placed on hold up to 20 hours because of a lack of personnel, as the city deals with a surge in violent crimes, according to police officials.
Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell told reporters at the briefing that police “need additional resources” to deal with the mayhem.
Asked why the National Guard might be off the table, Lovell responded, “I don’t have a hesitancy one way or the other.”
