You know you're in an upside down world when the mayor of *Portland* takes a stronger stance against property crimes than Bay Area politicians

Nearly a year after making excuses for violent protests in the City of Roses, Mayor Ted Wheeler has finally had enough and is asking DA's to start prosecuting lawbreakers. Aaron Mesh reports for the Willamette Weekly.

A palpably angry Mayor Ted Wheeler today pledged a zero-tolerance policy toward property destruction by "violent antifa and anarchists… rampaging through Portland," and demanded the Oregon Legislature increase criminal penalties for repeat vandalism offenders.

"My good-faith efforts at deescalation have been met with scorn by antifa and anarchists bent on destruction," Wheeler said. "It's time to push back harder."

The Jan. 1 press conference followed a New Year's Eve in which several dozen protesters shot fireworks at the Multnomah County Justice Center, riot police deployed tear gas at the small crowd, and masked rioters shattered windows in downtown Portland.

In his remarks, Wheeler described the holiday vandalism as the last straw after a year of civil unrest, and pledged to "change the dynamic" in 2021. He expressed bafflement at the actions of protesters, apparently leftists, who repeatedly smash windows and spray-paint buildings after rallies where they demand a reduction of funding to the Police Bureau.

"Why? This is the hardest of all questions to answer. Why would a group of largely white, young and some middle-aged men destroy the livelihoods of others struggling to get by? It's the height of selfishness.

"There are just some people on this planet who are bent on criminal destruction," the mayor continued. "There are just some people who want to watch the world burn."

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Photo taken by Tedder.