The verdict declaring former police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of George Floyd’s murder won’t singlehandedly restore many Americans’ faith in the criminal justice system, nor does it disentangle our policing practices from the discriminatory beliefs often embedded in them.
But it is affirmation that our institutions, as flawed as they may be, can evolve and that those who betray our faith can be held accountable. It’s evidence that progress can come from challenging our institutions to be better, not by abolishing or breaking them. And at this critical moment in which Portlanders are struggling to climb out of a year of pandemic and unrest, it offers a message of hope and encouragement that we can build on this moment.
That’s what our elected officials, community leaders and residents need to rally around, even as turmoil and tragedy continue to unfold. Real progress is happening, from legislative initiatives to strengthen police accountability to innovative ideas for broadening Portland Police training to include community participation. Along with investments focused on communities of color, support for businesses to get back on their feet and programs aimed at bolstering downtown, Portland is putting together the elements of a community comeback anchored in equity and responsive policing.
What we cannot build on, however, is the havoc wrought by anarchists regularly rampaging through downtown and other neighborhoods while claiming to protest for racial equity. In the past two weeks, their calls for “direct action” have resulted in multiple fires, damage to community organizations and a church, and smashed windows of businesses already hard hit by the pandemic. As Mayor Ted Wheeler, City Commissioner Mingus Mapps and other leaders noted in a press conference last Tuesday, these actions aren’t aimed at racial justice, but rather community breakdown.
It’s hard to conclude otherwise. What other message is there from rioters who smashed the windows and doors of the Blazers Boys and Girls Club that serves low-income children of color? What purpose is promoted by setting fire to portable toilets used by people who are homeless? How does damaging a church that offers meals to those in need reflect anything but deep cynicism and disdain for our city, our values and our future?
The obvious answer is that it doesn’t. And we need those who love our city, share our community’s sense of compassion and believe in creating a more equitable future to draw the line.
Wheeler appears to be doing so. On Friday, he made an unusual direct appeal to community members to recognize that those engaged in these bouts of destruction aren’t racial-justice protesters but self-described anarchists. He and Acting Chief Chris Davis also laid out a number of actions that the city and police are doing to try to counter such crimes. Among them: detainment tactics or “kettling” of protesters to filter out those hiding among them who are engaged in crimes; urging businesses to lock up dumpsters and materials as precautionary measures to limit the potential for destruction; urging the public to call in tips on offenders; and working with Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt to look at potentially reviving dismissed charges for those who are rearrested on new, more serious offenses. There’s more that prosecutors and the courts can do, Wheeler noted, such as imposing pre-trial conditions on defendants that bar them from attending another direct action. Schmidt’s willingness to consider refiling charges reflects that the progressive prosecutor recognizes his role in helping deter the destructive behavior harming Portland’s fledging recovery. That’s a start, but Portland needs more from all its leaders.
As former state Sen. Avel Gordly said in last Tuesday’s press conference, the choice before us is between chaos and community. Those of us who love this city will choose community every single time.
- The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board
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Editorials reflect the collective opinion of The Oregonian/OregonLive editorial board, which operates independently of the newsroom. Members of the editorial board are Therese Bottomly, Laura Gunderson, Helen Jung and John Maher.
Members of the board meet regularly to determine our institutional stance on issues of the day. We publish editorials when we believe our unique perspective can lend clarity and influence an upcoming decision of great public interest. Editorials are opinion pieces and therefore different from news articles.
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