Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler took several positions on the First Amendment during the past two weeks. <\/p>\n
On May 29, Wheeler asked the federal government to block a downtown Portland rally organized by right-wing protesters, saying visiting extremists had no legal right to hate speech. That request was denied by the feds, decried by civil liberties watchdogs, and sneered at by \"alt-right\" leaders. <\/p>\n
Worse, he was wrong: The protections of the U.S. Constitution are designed to forbid the government, including Portland mayors, from deciding what citizens can and cannot say, even when it is deeply offensive. <\/p>\n
By this week, Wheeler's office reversed itself again, saying the mayor had misspoken. <\/p>\n
Wednesday, May 24 In a WW story on the street brawls that had already occurred between alt-right and antifascist groups, Wheeler's spokesman Michael Cox said: \"Portland is going to continue with our strategy: honoring First Amendment rights while not tolerating acts of violence, vandalism or blocking transit.\" <\/p>\n
Monday, May 29 Three days after a double murder on a MAX train, Wheeler called for revoking federal permits for the alt-right rally: <\/p>\n
\"My main concern is that they are coming to peddle a message of hatred and of bigotry. And I am reminded constantly that they have a First Amendment right to speak, but my pushback on that is that hate speech is not protected.\" <\/p>\n
Wednesday, May 31 Wheeler wrote an op-ed in USA Today, backing away from his interpretation of the Constitution from a day earlier: <\/p>\n
\"I am a firm supporter of the First Amendment. While this planned demonstration is constitutional, it is highly irresponsible.\" <\/p>\n
Monday, June 5 Cox said Wheeler didn't really mean hate speech was unconstitutional: <\/p>\n
\"He was being a being a bit imprecise. He was really talking about words meant to incite violence.\" <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
More: Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler took several positions on the First Amendment during the past two weeks. On May 29, Wheeler asked the federal government to block a downtown Portland rally organized by right-wing protesters, saying visiting extremists had no legal right to hate speech Continue reading
\nMayor Ted Wheeler Changed His Mind About the First Amendment, More Than Once - Willamette Week<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"