PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland city commissioner and mayoral candidate Rene Gonzalez and his staff are speaking out after a string of alleged verbal and physical attacks in response to what they believe to be his stance on homelessness and public safety.
Dating back to June of 2022, his staff has recorded more than a dozen alleged targeted attacks including an arson outside his home and an incident while he was riding the MAX train last month.
Newly released video, first obtained by The Oregonian, shows the moments Commissioner Gonzalez said he was “accosted” and subjected to “deliberate, unwanted physical contact” during a train ride on his way to city hall. He has since stopped riding public transportation.
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The video shows a woman briefly brushing by him as she walks up the aisle before sitting down in a seat in front of him. There is no audio in the video, but Gonzalez said it was then she started criticizing the city’s policies around homelessness.
There does not appear to be any further disturbance, and Gonzalez gets off at the next stop.
“She came from behind, sort of surprised me," Gonzalez said, referencing the video. "It’s in some ways consistent with what I remember but it’s hard to get full context from watching the video.”
Portland police investigated the incident and determined there wasn’t evidence of a crime.
This was one of more than a dozen alleged attacks — both physical and verbal — recorded by Commissioner Gonzalez and his staff dating back to June of 2022.
“It’s part of a pattern and we are inclined to speak up and not stay silent about it,” said Gonzalez’s chief of staff Shah Smith.
Their records show two unreported vandalism incidents at Gonzalez’s home before his family member’s car was set on fire there last month. Detectives believe that was arson.
“This is a really significant degradation on our democracy and the city of Portland,” Gonzalez said.
His communications director Cassidy Vandomlen said she was attacked by a man outside city hall late last month. It’s unclear if it was targeted or related to her job.
“He just kicked me in the knee and then he called me the b-word … I felt terrified, honestly, I mean I had no idea why this man did it,” Vandomlen said.
She said she doesn’t leave city hall alone anymore, and if there is no one to walk with her she said she will oftentimes skip her lunch.
“So, you look at the whole thing and we’ve got to speak up. We can’t allow people to intimidate on these pieces, and I have a responsibility to protect my family and my staff,” Gonzalez said.
KGW reporter Blair Best asked if these alleged attacks would force him to drop out of the mayoral race. He said, “Absolutely not, we cannot be intimidated on these pieces.”
In years past, Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioner Dan Ryan have experienced similar incidents. Gonzalez believes he is a current target because of his stance on public safety and homelessness. As a result, he has increased his security.
KGW asked the staff of the other two commissioners running for mayor — Mingus Mapps and Carmen Rubio — if they have experienced similar threats. Mapps’ staff said no and that he continues to feel safe downtown and ride public transit while Rubio’s staff said there was one incident in the past year.
TriMet sent KGW the following statement:
"We understand Commissioner Gonzalez’s heightened sense of security after the arson incident involving a car outside his home. It is unfortunate when community leaders feel they cannot travel freely in public. We look forward to welcoming him back on board when he feels safe to go out in public again."