Portland mayor jeered as he tries to rally protesters

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Portland’s mayor faced a hostile crowd of protesters Wednesday night, who screamed at and sharply questioned him as he tried to rally demonstrators after they clashed repeatedly with federal agents sent in by President Donald Trump to quell ongoing unrest in the city.

“I want to thank the thousands of you who have come out to oppose the Trump administration’s occupation of this city," Mayor Ted Wheeler told hundreds of people gathered downtown near the federal courthouse. “The reason this is important is it is not just happening in Portland ... we're on the front line here in Portland.”

The Democratic mayor has opposed federal agents’ presence in Oregon's largest city, but he has faced harsh criticism from many sides and his presence wasn't welcomed by most, who yelled and swore at him.

Wheeler struggled Wednesday night to be heard over a crushing crowd that gave him just a few feet on a street corner and surrounded him as he walked there to speak.

Holding just a microphone attached to a speaker with a cord, Wheeler called it a “listening session” and opened up for questions after a few minutes — but it was unclear if anyone could hear over the angry crowd. About 20 feet (6.1 meters) away, Black Lives Matter speakers rallied a crowd of several thousand.

Some Portland residents, including City Council members, have accused Wheeler of not reining in local police, who have used tear gas multiple times before federal agents arrived early this month in response to nearly two months of nightly protests since George Floyd was killed. Others, including business leaders, have condemned Wheeler for not bringing the situation under control before the agents showed up.

While taking questions Wednesday night Wheeler was criticized for the actions of his own police department, not...