Portland Councilman's Past Tweets Backing Riots and Abolishing Police Resurface

Resurfaced social media posts from Portland City Councilman Mitch Green, a Democratic Socialist seeking reelection, have drawn attention for tweets that expressed support for rioting and called for the abolition of the police. The posts, unearthed by political commentator Max Steele, date back to 2020, a period marked by widespread protests following the death of George Floyd.

In one tweet from December 2020, Green stated, "When I say 'defund the police,' what I really mean is abolish policing." He clarified this stance as a "step in that larger demand" to "do away with the institution altogether," rather than police reform. Earlier that year, he posted "All cops are bastards" and described police officers as "shit and absolute monsters."

Green also voiced support for increased rioting, writing in December 2020, "I think the left should riot more." He justified this by stating, "Legislators are not really concerned that people will notice when they actively impoverish people. That needs to change." In July 2020, he wrote, "You have a moral obligation to beat the piss out of anyone wearing Nazi masks anytime you see it happen."

One tweet from July 2021 showed Green responding to a post about far-right commentator Nick Fuentes, stating, "This guy needs to get whipped in the head with a framing hammer."

Green deleted his Twitter, now X, account before launching his 2024 campaign, attributing the action to Elon Musk's purchase of the platform. He confirmed the authenticity of the posts to The Oregonian and described them as a way to "express frustration, outrage, and feelings of helplessness" following George Floyd's death.

"I want to acknowledge that those tweets are not a good look, especially for a sitting elected official," Green told The Oregonian. "And that’s not how I engage in discourse today." However, he reiterated his commitment to abolishing the police, stating, "That's what I'm actively trying to build."

Regarding his comments on rioting, Green distinguished between property destruction and violence, defining the latter as harm to people or animals. He indicated he would not call for riots today but did not rule out future actions, particularly concerning the federal government. He acknowledged that his tweets were unfiltered expressions of his thoughts, even if poorly stated, and not indicative of productive political engagement.

In a press release, Green's office argued that critics were mischaracterizing his 2020 tweets as "violence" while Portland had experienced "hundreds of actual incidents of physical violence resulting in bodily injuries." The statement also emphasized that the Black Lives Matter movement was about "basic respect for human dignity" and a reaction to witnessed violence.

Portland Police Chief Bob Day expressed a lack of confidence in Green's assessment of the police, citing Green's role on the council that sets the Police Bureau's budget and policy. Day stated that such responsibilities require a "baseline of good faith" and that the Bureau's work should be judged on its merits, not predisposed to dismantling law enforcement.

Green responded to Day's statement by agreeing he has an "agenda" that includes demanding police accountability. He argued that he, like police officers, should be evaluated based on his current actions and votes as a councilor, rather than solely on his past tweets, just as police should be judged on their actions today.