Tonight, the Multnomah County Building, the headquarters for the largest safety net provider in Oregon, was vandalized and set on fire by a small group of protestors.
This is the heart of our County, where people in our community come to get married, get their passports, and celebrate their cultural traditions and diversity.
A small group set fire to the Office of Community Involvement, a space dedicated to engaging community members who have been marginalized by the traditional political process.
The lobby where the first same-sex marriage in Oregon took place, and where millions of pieces of personal protective equipment are being distributed to help our community battle COVID-19, was damaged.
I acknowledge that there is grave injustice in our world and there is a violent and tragic history of oppression in our County. I am committed to transformational change.
And I ask the community to work with us: support the critical work we do every day leading the public health response to COVID-19, providing thousands of meals to families in need, answering mental health crisis calls and serving those experiencing domestic violence.
In such a difficult, uncertain time, our community needs all of us to work together.