Portland mayor authorizes ‘all lawful means’ to clear protesters from home

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler on Tuesday said he has authorized police to use "all lawful means" in ending an illegal occupation at a home in the city.

Protesters have rallied at the private North Portland residence for months to demonstrate against the eviction of a Black and Indigenous family, according to reports. 

"I am authorizing the Portland Police to use all lawful means to end the illegal occupation on North Mississippi Avenue and to hold those violating our community’s laws accountable," Wheeler wrote on Twitter Tuesday night.

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), with the assistance of the Portland Police Bureau (PPB), made at least seven arrests and cleared people on Tuesday morning who they said have been trespassing for months at the "Red House on Mississippi."

The alleged trespassers had been ordered to leave the property following a court order in September.