Portland Commissioner Threatens Legal Action Over Delayed Response to Threats and Violence

Portland City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez has announced his intention to sue the city over its delayed response to investigate crimes committed against him during his 2024 mayoral campaign. The moderate Democrat accused the city of failing to protect political candidates who were frequently threatened with violence, particularly by anarchist groups like Antifa.

Gonzalez highlighted a specific incident that took place on January 12, 2024, when a firebombing attack occurred outside his Eastmoreland home. The attack, which resulted in a vehicle owned by his father being torched, was deemed “intentionally set” by authorities. A blog affiliated with Rose City Antifa claimed responsibility for the attack, but no arrests were made. Gonzalez expressed concern that the city did not take sufficient steps to investigate the attack or protect politicians who have been subjected to threats in the past.

He argued that it was the city’s responsibility to ensure the safety of elected officials and prevent violence that could undermine democracy. Gonzalez criticized the lack of proactive measures to safeguard politicians and prevent incidents like the firebombing. He contended that the slow response to the attack reflected a broader issue in Portland’s handling of threats against elected officials.

The commissioner’s tort claim, a legal document preceding a lawsuit, demands reimbursement for personal items lost in the fire, including a ring and his father’s car, along with an unspecified amount for the total loss of the vehicle. Gonzalez revealed that despite requesting reimbursement from the city, he received no response and hopes to resolve the claim without resorting to a lawsuit.

Throughout his career, Gonzalez has been a target of far-left Antifa activists, especially due to his pro-police policies. In 2021, his campaign office was vandalized, and he has faced repeated harassment from activists. After the firebombing, Antifa members celebrated the attack on social media, further fueling Gonzalez’s concerns about the lack of city protection for politicians facing threats.

Gonzalez also pointed out the city’s failure to adequately respond to increasing threats against other local officials, including Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and City Commissioner Dan Ryan. He emphasized the need for the city to take political violence seriously, arguing that the security of elected officials should be a top priority. Although Gonzalez was provided security after the arson, he believed the city should have acted sooner, given the history of threats against him.

In addition to criticizing the city’s handling of threats, Gonzalez lambasted local media for not accurately reporting on the political violence in Portland, particularly during the 2020 BLM-Antifa protests. He urged journalists to pay more attention to the violence faced by elected officials and report it as political violence rather than downplay it.

After losing his mayoral bid to Keith Wilson, Gonzalez’s term as commissioner ends soon. He leaves office with a call for more decisive action to protect public servants and ensure that political violence is taken seriously by both the city and the media.

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