Black councilman nudges Portland center on post-protest path

By GILLIAN FLACCUS
Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon’s largest city was at the center of the nation’s progressive push to cut police budgets amid the outrage that swept the nation after the murder of George Floyd. Months later, the sustained protests that made Portland the far-left’s darling have mostly faded away and the city is seeking a path forward amid rising homicide rates and a homeless crisis. A Black councilman elected in the throes of the Black Lives Matter movement has become a key voice nudging the city to a more centrist — and controversial — position on police funding as Portland grapples with its identity in the post-protest era.