'Anything can happen, we like it that way': Portland tourism bosses are slammed for taking out full-page ad in New York Times admitting the riot-hit city has an 'edge' - but claiming locals still love it
Tourism bosses in Portland have taken out a full-page advert in the New York Times admitting the riot-hit city has an 'edge' - but urging visitors to come anyway.
Travel Portland - a nonprofit which oversees the Oregon city's tourism marketing - referenced reports of far-left violence in the city in the ad.
It admits that much of what has been said about Portland - whose 50-strong riot squad resigned last week - was true, and that the city, which endures nightly riots, has an 'edge.'
‘You’ve heard a lot about us lately,’ the NYT ad begins. ‘It’s been a while since you’ve heard from us.'
‘Some of what you’ve heard about Portland is true. Some is not. What’s most important is that we’re true to ourselves.'
'There's a river that cuts through the middle of our town. It divides the east and the west. But it's bridged - over and over again. Twelve times, to be specific. And that's kind of a great metaphor for this city.'
The advert goes on to highlight Portland's problems - and implies that locals don't mind the out-of-control behavior that has made much of the city's downtown area a no-go zone after dark
It says: 'We're a place of dualities that are never polarities. Two sides of the same coin that keeps landing right on its edge. Anything can happen. We like it this way.
'This is the kind of place where new ideas are welcome - whether they're creative, cutting-edge or curious at first glance. You can speak up here. You could be yourself here.'
'We have some of the loudest voices on the West Coast. And yes, passion pushes the volume all the way up. We've always been like this. We wouldn't have it any other way.'
'We have faith in the future. We’re building it every day the only way we know how, by being Portland. Come see for yourself.’
A full-page advertisement for the city of Portland appeared in Sunday’s New York Times paper
Travel Portland posted a video to its Youtube channel to coincide with the ad
Travel Portland said the ad, which voices over different Portland landscapes and scenes, will advertise the city throughout the summer and encourage overnight stays at local hotels and short-term rentals
The commercial includes over 30 local chefs, merchants, athletes, performers and artists
Towards the end of the video, it reveals a few clips and images of peaceful Black Lives Matter protests
Travel Portland's accompanying advert included footage from a Black Lives Matter protest
Travel Portland said the ad is part of a campaign called 'This is Portland,' which will advertise the city throughout the summer and encourage overnight stays at local hotels and short-term rentals, reported KOIN. The campaign will run through August and will target leisure travelers in the West Coast cities of Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
Travel Portland posted a video to its YouTube channel to coincide with the ad. Most of the narration is the same as the ad and voices over different Portland landscapes and scenes. The commercial includes over 30 local chefs, merchants, athletes, performers and artists.
Towards the end of the video, it reveals a few clips and images of peaceful Black Lives Matter protests over which a narrator says, ‘And yeah, we have some of the loudest voices on the West Coast. Sometimes passion pushes the volume all the way up. We’ve always been like this.’
ProPublica reporter Alec MacGillis shared the ad in a tweet, which had a mixed bag of reactions.
A Twitter user named Cyber Westphalia wrote, ‘Perfectly reasonable use of taxpayer funds of a city that’s set ablaze daily.’ And Jeff McNamee wrote, ‘Two blocks of the city HAD the riots. The rest is pretty sweet.’
An account named UnitedWeStand52 wrote, ‘Portland is only villainized because of @FoxNews. Portland’s moto for years has been #KeepPortlandWeird and that it is.’
Meanwhile, last Wednesday Portland's 50-person riot squad resigned after one of its members was indicted for striking a photographer he claimed he thought was a rioter.
The resignations were effective immediately, according to the Portland Police Bureau, and come after the indictment on Tuesday of Officer Corey Budworth (pictured)
The resignations were effective immediately, according to the Portland Police Bureau, and come after the indictment of Officer Corey Budworth, for assault during an incident in which he allegedly struck photographer Teri Jacobs in the head during a riot last August.
'Unfortunately, this decorated public servant has been caught in the crossfire of agenda-driven city leaders and a politicized criminal justice system,' the Portland Police Association said in a statement Tuesday.
Video of the incident was shared on social media, in which Budworth appears to push the photographer, who has been identified as Jacobs, an activist, and then striking her in the head with his baton.
Jacobs says she was attacked despite carrying a press card. She was not charged with any crime, and received a $50,000 settlement from the City of Portland as a result of the baton strike. Cops have continued to insist she was part of a riot which set a government building alight with a petrol bomb.
The officers from the Rapid Response Team, which is equipped to handle riots, will remain employed in the Portland Police Department, the PPB said, but would no longer be a part of the team.
It is not clear how the resignation's would affect the department's effectiveness during riots, with the Oregon city experiencing nightly unrest in its downtown district for the last year.
'Under the cover of darkness, a group of 200 demonstrators, many equipped with tactical helmets, faces covered, and armed with a variety of weapons, sparked a night of violence. Multiple dumpsters were set on fire, buildings were defaced, and windows were broken.' the Portland Police Association said, giving its version of the events of August 18 when the assault allegedly occurred.
Eventually, the event escalated and was declared a riot.
Cops are pictured tackling a rioter in Portland on August 2018. That was the night Officer Corey Budworth struck Teri Jacobs with a baton - an incident he has now been indicted for
Portland's entire riot squad has resigned after Officer Corey Budworth was filmed hitting protester Teri Jacobs, pictured, with a baton last August
From last June through July there were protests virtually every day in the city, with tens of thousands of demonstrators, some of whom identified themselves as representing ANTIFA.
On one night in June, Portland Police Bureau's North Precinct was set on fire following violent clashes between cops and protesters. One right-wing commentator described the area as looking like something from 'a war zone', while protesters accused the authorities of inflaming tensions.
Demonstrators attempted to create an autonomous zone - much like Seattle's CHAZ - around the precinct. Police responded by declaring an 'unlawful assembly', KOIN reported.
Cops confirmed they used tear gas to try and disperse that crowd. Some protesters allegedly responding by 'shooting paintballs at the officers' face shields, rendering them unable to see'.
More recently, in February around 150 suspected members of the violent anti-fascist group took part in a protest against President Joe Biden's immigration policies, vandalizing several businesses including a Starbucks, Chipotle, Umpqua Bank and Urban Pantry.
Last month two groups of radical protesters, who have throughout the past year represented Antifa and other far-left causes, were armed with weapons, body armor, shields and flares and marched throughout parts of the city.
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