On Tuesday evening, the city will dole out its annual “Spirit of Portland” awards to a select group of individuals and organizations that city commissioners believe embody the city’s values. One of those recipients is Bobbin Singh, founder and director of the Oregon Justice Resource Center, a civil rights advocacy group based in Portland. But Singh won’t be in attendance tomorrow night.
“While I was incredibly honored to be chosen for this award, it doesn’t feel appropriate to accept when the city lacks a true commitment to civil rights,” said Singh.
Singh declined the award Thursday evening, just hours after the Portland City Council wrapped up a 3-hour-long public hearing on Mayor Ted Wheeler’s new proposal to restrict protests that take place in Portland. Wheeler’s proposed ordinance would limit the movement, size, and duration of protests organized by groups who have a proven history of violence. The council is slated to vote on the ordinance this Wednesday.
Like other civil rights organizations and constitutional lawyers in Portland, Singh believes Wheeler’s proposed ordinance restricts Portlanders’ ability to exercise free speech—while ignoring the rise of right-wing extremist groups, like Vancouver’s Patriot Prayer, who bring violence and hate to the streets of Portland.
“If we’re serious about combating hate in this community, we need to be talking in a more complex and nuanced way about the value system the city’s supporting by allowing groups like Patriot Prayer into our city,” Singh said.
He likened Wheeler’s decision to mislead the public about these protests to how the federal government has downplayed the threat of white supremacy in the US.
“We’re starting to mimic national solutions at the local level,” Singh said, noting the city’s way of equating Patriot Prayer’s actions to those of local counter-protesters. “At this time in history, you have to stand up for something or you have to get out of the way.”
The ACLU of Oregon and the Portland chapter of the National Lawyer’s Guild have both spoken out in opposition to this restrictive ordinance, and have promised to sue if it’s approved by city council this week. Singh said he’s “befuddled” by the city’s decision to ignore the the warnings of these two organizations.
“There’s very few times that these civil rights groups come out on the wrong side of history,” Singh notes. “It doesn’t feel like the city is taking them seriously.”
In an interview with the Mercury last week, Wheeler said the ACLU was “chomping at the bit” to sue the city over this ordinance.
Yet, in her Thursday testimony before council, ACLU of Oregon legislative director Kimberly McCullough said she’d prefer the city and ACLU work together to create a more robust (and constitutional) policy—instead of having to battle it out in court.
Singh was nominated to receive the Spirt of Portland award by Commissioner Nick Fish, the one member of city council who hasn’t made his stance on Wheeler’s proposal clear. He’s expected to be the swing vote at the Wednesday meeting. Singh hopes his message encourages Fish to truly consider the gravity of this decision.
“If the city wants to give out awards that represent the ideals of the city, the city needs to commit to those ideals they say they embrace,” Singh said.
From all appearances, there are elected officials in Portland, including mayors, this one and previous, and others, as well as appointees, who think, talk and act on whims, without apparently consulting anyone, or else there are too many sources of bad advice. Many people in positions of authority seem to think they have a free pass and a blank check.
“If the city wants to give out awards that represent the ideals of the city, the city needs to commit to those ideals they say they embrace,” Singh said.
“when the city lacks a true commitment to civil rights”
“we need to be talking in a more complex and nuanced way about the value system the city’s supporting by allowing groups like Patriot Prayer into our city”
These statements totally contradict each other, to the extent that “civil rights” means the right to protest. Patriot Prayer is dogshit on the bottom of my shoe, but to the extent they simply want to march and shout stupid things, then our “civil rights” paradigm per the First Amendment allows for that.
The real failure is a lack of follow-up on investigating, arresting, and prosecuting those same Patriot diaper babies when they then go on to threaten, harass, or assault our citizens. Those are two separate issues.
Again, case law already exists regarding people and groups whose speech inevitably leads to and/or encourages violence. You can ban a group that always starts violent riots.
It amazes me that anyone in charge of Portland would think that the better idea is just to outlaw protest. Well, maybe that’s not the amazing part, but the stupidity is still overwhelming.
“Wheeler’s proposed ordinance would limit the movement, size, and duration of protests organized by groups who have a proven history of violence.”
“Like other civil rights organizations and constitutional lawyers in Portland, Singh believes Wheeler’s proposed ordinance restricts Portlanders’ ability to exercise free speech—while ignoring the rise of right-wing extremist groups, like Vancouver’s Patriot Prayer, who bring violence and hate to the streets of Portland.”
So the ordinance limits protests by groups who have a history of violence.
PP has a history of violence.
Therefore, this ordinance limits protests by PP.
Right? What am I missing here?
MotherNaturesSon, you’re not missing anything. That’s how it’s designed to work, and is modeled after other cities that have previously passed similar ordinances that have withstood legal challenge if applied fairly and correctly. The PP diaper babies and any other groups who have a history of violence will be treated on that basis, as they should be. They are instigators ultimately seeking to provoke a physical conflict as a justification to use even more violence. The people who have a problem with this are upset because, if equally applied, it means the antifa and other zealous career Portland protesters they happen to agree with will also be impacted.
Hey man, the ordinance hasn’t even passed yet.
Personally I am 100% OK with both Patriot Prayer and AntiFa fucking off from this city forever.
Oh look, it didn’t pass through the city council. Premature protest.