Loretta Smith calls for open carry for Portland city councilors following latest protest
Oregon Public Broadcasting - OPB • • general
Key Points:
- Portland Councilor Loretta Smith has proposed a city ordinance to allow councilors to openly carry firearms during city business, citing recent aggressive protests as a safety concern, despite never having carried a firearm herself.
- The proposal follows a disruptive protest by the group "Revoke the ICE Permit PDX" during a council meeting, where activist Susan Anglada Bartley was arrested for trespassing after holding up a petition demanding the closure of the local ICE office.
- Smith described the protesters as increasingly aggressive and expressed feeling vulnerable as a woman of color in office, while protest organizers condemned the firearm proposal as an overreaction to peaceful demonstrations.
- Portland currently prohibits openly carrying loaded firearms in public except under limited circumstances, and Smith’s ordinance would create a new exception
