Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf condemned the violence of mobs in Portland, Oregon that are destroying property and posing a threat to public safety in a report on the city’s condition posted on the agency’s website on Thursday.
The wave of violence started as protests against the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in May at the hands of police in Minneapolis, and quickly devolved into mob rule in cities across America. Wolf said:
The city of Portland has been under siege for 47 straight days by a violent mob while local political leaders refuse to restore order to protect their city. Each night, lawless anarchists destroy and desecrate property, including the federal courthouse, and attack the brave law enforcement officers protecting it.
A federal courthouse is a symbol of justice – to attack it is to attack America. Instead of addressing violent criminals in their communities, local and state leaders are instead focusing on placing blame on law enforcement and requesting fewer officers in their community.
“This failed response has only emboldened the violent mob as it escalates violence day after day,” Wolf said.
“This siege can end if state and local officials decide to take appropriate action instead of refusing to enforce the law,” Wolf said. “DHS will not abdicate its solemn duty to protect federal facilities and those within them.”
