Portland Democrat Considers Carrying a Gun to Protect Herself from Her Own Party’s Voters [WATCH]

A Portland city council meeting was interrupted Wednesday night by demonstrators calling for the closure of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office, prompting one councilor to propose changes to city rules on firearms inside City Hall.

Councilor Loretta Smith, who represents East Portland in District 1, has drafted a city ordinance that would allow city councilors to openly carry a firearm while conducting city business. Smith has never carried a firearm.

“It’s a defensive mechanism,” Smith told OPB.

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“If people know that you’re a serious person and you’re going to protect yourself, they’re not going to be as quick to mess with you.”

Portland has a long history of public protest, and city council chambers have frequently been the site of demonstrations. Smith said recent protests feel more aggressive.

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For months, a group known as “Revoke the ICE Permit PDX” has urged city councilors to take legislative action to close the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in South Portland.

On Wednesday night, roughly 40 members of that group disrupted the council meeting with chants and shouted demands.

During the protest, a woman identified as Susan Anglada Bartley moved past the public testimony table and stood in front of the council dais while holding up a petition.

“I’ve collected 19,000 signatures to revoke the ICE permit,” Anglada Bartley told OPB Thursday evening.

“I’ve brought it to council five times, and they have never paid attention. I saw an opportunity to hold it up.”

Security guards attempted to remove Anglada Bartley from the front of the chamber and in the process pushed her toward where Smith was seated.

Smith recorded video and took photos of the interaction on her phone. In one image, Anglada Bartley is holding the petition toward Smith while a guard’s arm is around her neck.

Anglada Bartley and three other individuals were later arrested by Portland police and charged with trespassing.

“These are not peaceful protesters,” Smith said in an interview with OPB.

“They are getting more aggressive, and it’s not OK. They yelled at me, ‘Do your job, Councilor Smith.’ We can’t do our job because of them interrupting our meetings.”

Anglada Bartley disputed that account.

“I didn’t have a weapon, I didn’t hit anyone,” she said. “Why am I now being threatened with violence?”

Smith has said she feels particularly vulnerable as a woman of color serving in elected office. Concerns about safety in City Hall are not new.

Former city commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty received numerous death threats while in office, leading the city to install bulletproof glass in her council office windows.

After a roughly 40-minute delay on Wednesday, the council meeting resumed with all councilors appearing remotely.

This marked the second time this year a Portland council meeting moved online due to protests.

A Jan. 21 meeting was also disrupted by the same activist group, resulting in a brief shutdown and a switch to a virtual format.

Under current Oregon law, individuals with a license may carry a concealed firearm in most public buildings.

However, openly carrying a loaded firearm in public is illegal, with limited exceptions.

Smith hopes to create a city-level exception allowing councilors to openly carry firearms inside City Hall while conducting official duties.

The proposal has not yet been reviewed by the city’s legal team.

Revoke the Permit PDX organizer Holly Brown criticized Smith’s proposal.

“Councilor Smith is so afraid of constituents using First Amendment rights that she wants to shoot people?” Brown told OPB.

“No one was threatening her. Susan was simply holding pieces of paper. The councilor is the threat here.”

Council President Jamie Dunphy is responsible for determining when to remove individuals from council chambers or transition meetings online.

In an email to OPB, Dunphy said he intends to work with security staff to improve safety measures.

“Our constituents have the right to protest,” Dunphy said.

“We must work together toward solutions that uphold justice without compromising safety.”

Mayor Keith Wilson did not attend Wednesday’s meeting. In an email to OPB, he said protest disruptions “pose serious safety risks.”

He did not explicitly endorse Smith’s ordinance proposal but acknowledged her concerns.

“I stand in support of my council colleagues who were subjected to unacceptable aggression and verbal abuse,” Wilson wrote, “one of whom stated that the session was so unsafe and ‘out of control’ that she is now considering a concealed weapons permit and a firearm.”

According to the Portland Police Bureau, approximately 26 officers responded to the protest. No injuries were reported.

“We fully recognize and respect the community’s right to peaceful protest,” said PPB Chief Bob Day in a statement.

“That right is fundamental. Our goal is always to balance protecting constitutional rights with maintaining safety for the entire community.”

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