Portland Mayor Moves to Suspend First Amendment for Trump Supporters in Wake of Killings

Portland, Oregon Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, has acted to suspend the First Amendment rights of Trump supporters and those opposed to Islamic sharia law by banning demonstrations planned for Portland in the coming weeks. This comes following the killings of two men (and the wounding of a third man) who intervened against a man harassing a Muslim woman and her friend on public transportation.

Wheeler is also demanding the federal government do the same and revoke or not issue demonstration permits for the rallies which are set to be held on federal property in Portland.

Mayor Ted Wheeler, Twitter avatar.

A rally planned for June 4th is called “Trump Free Speech Rally Portland“. A rally scheduled for June 10th is part of a nationwide effort that day by Act for America called, “March Against Sharia — March for Human Rights“. Both Portland rallies are reportedly being organized by the same person, Joey Gibson. Gibson issued a video statement Monday, reported KATU-TV that he will not cancel.

“Mayor Wheeler will not convince me to cancel the rally. I will not do that for several reasons,” he said. “One reason is that if I cancel this rally and if we don’t have a permit, you’re talking about hundreds of people just showing up in the park with no leadership, no voice of reason, nothing.”

“If they pull our permits, we cannot kick out the white supremacists, we cannot kick out the Nazis,” he said.

“Our speakers aren’t going to be filled with any hate,” Gibson said. “I have nothing to do with Jeremy Christian, and I will not stand down. I will make sure that I get up there, and I will make sure that I speak and say my piece. Because the things that I say, the things that I preach goes against everything that Jeremy Christian would have said.”

For the record, the killer was a Bernie supporter who was kicked out of a Trump rally in Portland.

Gibson’s announcement for the June 4th rally states:

PATRIOT PRAYER-JOEY GIBSON

Free Speech Rally with BASED STICKMAN, BASED SPARTAN, PATRIOT GIRL, WARRIORS FOR FREEDOM, AND MANY OTHERS IN DOWNTOWN PORTLAND…one of the most liberal areas on the West Coast. There will be speakers exercising their free speech, live music, flags, and an uplifting experience to bring back strength and courage to those who believe in freedom.

Thank you Trump for all you have done.”

The Act for America rally announcement reads in part:

On Saturday, June 10, 2017, ACT for America is having March Against Sharia events in cities across the nation.

This is a march against Sharia law and for human rights. Our nation is built on the freedom of religion — a pillar of our democracy — which we must always respect, protect, and honor. However many aspects of Sharia law run contrary to basic human rights and are completely incompatible with our laws and our democratic values.

We, at ACT for America, are committed to protecting women and children from Sharia Law and its impact on Muslim women and children including honor killing and Female Genital Mutilation. We must ensure that every woman and child enjoy the protection afforded by the U.S. Constitution.”

Democrat Mayor Ted Wheeler announced his moves against the First Amendment in a series of tweets on Monday. The statement reads in part:

…2) I have confirmed that the City of Portland has NOT and will not issue any permits for the alt right events scheduled on June 4th or June 10th. The Federal government controls permitting for Shrunk Plaza, and it is my understanding that they have issued a permit for the event on June 4th.

3) I am calling on the federal government to IMMEDIATELY REVOKE the permit(s) they have issued for the June 4th event and to not issue a permit for June 10th. Our City is in mourning, our community’s anger is real, and the timing and subject of these events can only exacerbate an already difficult situation.

4) I am appealing to the organizers of the alt-right demonstrations to CANCEL the events they have scheduled on June 4th and June 10th. I urge them to ask their supporters to stay away from Portland. There is never a place for bigotry or hatred in our community, and especially not now.”…

Willamette Week notes that Wheeler’s denial of local permitting could allow Portland police to shut down any public gathering by conservatives within the city’s jurisdiction.

“It is not a symbolic gesture. Unpermitted marches are the rationale that the Portland Police Bureau has used to crack down on political rallies on the left, deploying tear gas and stun grenades. Wheeler’s statement raises the prospect of riot police trying to shut down a coalition of right-wing extremists that includes biker groups, militia men and celebrity brawlers.”

Mayor Wheeler did not issue a call for a planned antifa counter-demonstration for June 4th to be cancelled.

The ACLU responded to Wheeler on Twitter in a multi-part statement, this first of which was a blunt rebuke, “1. The government cannot revoke or deny a permit based on the viewpoint of the demonstrators. Period.”

President Trump posted a statement on Monday about the murders in Portland, “The violent attacks in Portland on Friday are unacceptable. The victims were standing up to hate and intolerance. Our prayers are w/ them.”

Photos of attack survivor Micah Fletcher were posted showing how lucky he is to be alive.

Destinee Mangum, the friend of the Muslim woman initially targeted by the killer spoke to the media.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DDOPgSA1zQ

Both women were subjected to anti-Muslim comments prompting the three men to intervene, each of whom were subsequently slashed in the throat by the alleged killer, Jeremy Christian.

The two men killed in the attack were Rick Best and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche.

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Kristinn Taylor has contributed to The Gateway Pundit for over ten years. Mr. Taylor previously wrote for Breitbart, worked for Judicial Watch and was co-leader of the D.C. Chapter of FreeRepublic.com. He studied journalism in high school, visited the Newseum and once met David Brinkley.

You can email Kristinn Taylor here, and read more of Kristinn Taylor's articles here.

 

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