ACLU of Oregon Comment on the Proposed Protest Ordinance in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore — In meetings with city leaders over the last two weeks, the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon (ACLU of Oregon) has flagged concerns about the constitutionality of Mayor Wheeler’s proposed protest ordinance. The civil liberties group will testify tomorrow about those issues at the City Council meeting. Mat dos Santos, legal director at the ACLU of Oregon, had the following comment:

“We share the concerns of many Oregonians that Portland is becoming a regular gathering place for white nationalists, but the mayor’s proposed protest ordinance is deeply flawed. There is no excuse for violence on the streets, and the last thing we want is more violence. There are reasonable, legal solutions to address violence on the streets—this ordinance is not one of them. The ordinance hands law enforcement and the mayor far too much power, and risks undermining people’s ability to practice their constitutionally-protected right to speech and assembly. The proposed ordinance is also very similar to efforts by the Trump administration to clamp down on protests near the White House and on the National Mall. Does the mayor want to follow the president’s lead on this one, or define a more democratic, constitutional path for the city?”

More information about President Trump’s efforts to stifle protest is online at https://www.aclu.org/blog/free-speech/rights-protesters/trump-administration-seeks-stifle-protests-near-white-house-and.

Mayor Wheeler’s proposed protest ordinance is online at https://www.portlandoregon.gov/wheeler/article/701949.

This release is online at https://aclu-or.org/en/press-releases/aclu-oregon-comment-proposed-protest-ordinance-portland.