Street Violence in Portland Makes Reopening Economy Difficult
PORTLAND, Ore.—When the fence that had surrounded the federal courthouse here was removed earlier this month, city leaders touted it as a sign that Portland was returning to normal after nine months of protests that often turned violent.
But within days, bands of rioters were back in downtown Portland. They blocked streets, broke windows, threw a can of beer at police and, once again, vandalized the courthouse. Thirteen people were arrested following a protest on March 12 and the fence around the courthouse is now back up.
The violence downtown has become a persistent roadblock in Portland’s attempts to reopen and revive its economy as vaccinations spread, Covid-19 cases fall, and business restrictions are loosened. Local officials who had supported the racial justice protests last summer are now pledging to crack down on those causing the destruction.
“The community is sick and tired of people engaging in acts of criminal destruction and violence,” Mayor Ted Wheeler said at a news conference last week. The rioters, he said, were harming the cause of racial justice, and “also standing on the air hose of the economic recovery for a lot of our small businesses.”
The past year has been especially difficult for businesses in downtown Portland. In addition to the hardships of the pandemic that were felt nationwide, last summer’s racial justice protests stretched on for more than 100 days here; rioters, some connected to the loosely organized far-left group antifa, smashed windows and looted shops; federal officers were deployed; the Proud Boys, a far-right group, held a rally.
Some businesses were hit more than once. Plywood has lingered on many of their windows since June.
About 25% of small businesses have closed, consolidated or are looking for new locations, according to a survey by the local business group Bricks Need Mortar, and 33% owe at least $15,000 in deferred rent.
Christine Azar’s downtown chocolate shop, Azar Indulgences, closed one location for good last year, while the other was shut from last March until November.
“I believe in the right to peacefully protest,” Ms. Azar, 37 years old, said. “I don’t believe in people stopping me from earning an income and providing for my family. You don’t get change from destruction.”
Local officials have blamed the vandalism and looting largely on a group of left-wing anarchists. Mr. Wheeler was tear gassed while attending one demonstration last summer, and used pepper spray on a resident who confronted him in January.
“There really was the perfect storm in Portland—it’s been very difficult on the community and on the community’s reputation,” the mayor said in an interview before this month’s violence. “But I’m starting to see green shoots as we enter the spring.”
In recent months, the pace of demonstrations has slowed. The city has awarded about $500,000 in grants to repair businesses damaged by riots or protests. A group of businesses formed the Rose City Downtown Collective in December, amid frustration about ongoing destruction in the neighborhood, and the group has now handed out $22,000 for merchants to repair windows and take down plywood. Hotels recently agreed to add a surtax room charge, with the revenue earmarked toward marketing Portland to tourists.
Part of the challenge is convincing residents and visitors that the city is safe. As in many cities, crime rates have increased. Homicides climbed 60% in Portland last year over the previous year and burglaries rose 30%.
Traci Johan, a 35-year-old mother of three who lives near downtown, no longer goes out alone at night. In the past few weeks, she said, the driver’s side window on her car was smashed and a trip to pick up pizza was delayed because a shooting forced police to close a road.
“During the day, Portland feels like Portland. But as soon as night hits, it feels like you live in a bad neighborhood, whether you do or not,” Ms. Johan said.
Black activists and civic leaders have called for an end to the violence, saying it is harming the cause of racial justice. Business owners, meanwhile, have criticized law enforcement for not prosecuting more of those arrested during riots, saying it has led to an environment of impunity. A spokesman for the district attorney’s office contested that characterization, saying that more than half of arrests for property crime and arson since last May 28 have led to charges.
Still, after the most recent outburst of violence, local officials said they plan to use new tactics to bring the riots under control. At the March 12 demonstration, after the crowd broke several windows, police said, officers boxed the crowd in using a technique known as “kettling” that civil rights groups have criticized. Chris Davis, a deputy chief of the Portland Police Bureau, said the tactic allowed police to end the demonstration without use of tear gas.
Local economists said the violence might slow the regional recovery, but will likely not detract from its appeal in the long term.
Bertony Faustin, the owner of Abbey Creek Vineyard & Winery, went ahead with plans to open a tasting room in downtown Portland last summer, despite the large-scale protests taking place blocks away. His sales are now close to pre-pandemic levels, buoyed in part by companies choosing Black-owned businesses such as his for corporate gifts. “I was downtown every week, every night,” Mr. Faustin said. “Our corridor was safe.”
Photo: Christine Azar in her downtown Portland chocolate shop, Azar Indulgences, and helping a customer on Friday.
