Portland ‘Autonomous Zone’ to Be Dismantled After City Buckles to Antifa Demands

The blockades surrounding the ‘red house’ in Portland, Oregon, demarcating the boundaries of Portland’s new ‘autonomous zone’, are to be dismantled after negotiations with city authorities.

The ‘autonomous zone’ was created after police conducted a raid on a foreclosed Portland property formerly owned by a black family. The area had been occupied for some months prior by members of Antifa, in anticipation of the squatting family’s removal.

One activist outlined the level of organisation that had gone into their efforts:

"Since September, support has grown for the Red House and today we maintain an around-the-clock community presence along with onsite camping, a fully functional kitchen offering two free hot meals a day, and free programming centered in healing and abolition. This is what it looks like for neighbors to truly take care of each other."

The Kinney family believed that they are “sovereign citizens” who are not subject to the laws of Oregon or the United States. Therefore they maintained that their house was being stolen from them.

After the successful police raid, over one hundred Antifa members returned, who then violently drove away the police and reclaimed the area.

Once Antifa regained control of the area, several fences were erected that blocked off access to the former-Kinney family residence. The area was later declared by Antifa as the Red House Autonomous Zone (RHAZ). 

Much of this is outlined in greater detail in a previous article by Lotuseaters.com covering the formation of the RHAZ.

The Kinney family sought to raise funds through GoFundMe, with the aim of receiving enough to pay for the house. As of 14th December, $309,150 has been raised - far exceeding the $250,000 target. 

After the target amount had been reached, it emerged that the Kinney family owned a second house a mere two miles away. Thus, Antifa were defending a legally foreclosed property on behalf of a wealthy family, presumably purely on the basis of the colour of their skin. 

The description provided in the GoFundMe fundraiser did not mention their second home:

“In the midst of a deadly, global pandemic, while most of the state was ablaze and the air filled with toxic smoke, the Kinney family was forcibly removed from their fourth-generation home. In the morning of September 9th, 2020, Multnomah County Sheriffs bashed open the Kinney family door at gunpoint. Armed with assault rifles, they barked orders for the family to pack up their belongings and move within 30 minutes. The Kinneys were given no prior legal notice, as their case was still in litigation in a higher court. Multnomah County Judge Judith H. Matazarro authorized the eviction in direct violation of state and federal eviction moratoriums.”

A deal was reached on Saturday night between the authorities and the Kinney family, resulting in Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler announcing the removal of the blockades. 

Wheeler, who originally called for law enforcement to remove the Autonomous Zone using any lawful means, later backpedalled on his position. Wheeler apologised for calling the area an “autonomous zone” and for calling for police to use any legal means. 

The legal owner of the ‘red house’ told OregonLive.com journalists that one of Wheeler’s staff had reached out to him to attempt to find some form of compromise. He stated that he is willing to sell the house to the Kinney family at an increased cost, due to concerns for his physical safety. 

The barricades blocking off the Mississippi Avenue residence were removed on Sunday in response to ‘negotiations’. However, Portland authorities buckling to Antifa’s demands sets a disturbing precedent. Government officials do not tend to consider demands made by those they have a legal right to arrest, suggesting Mayor Ted Wheeler is more concerned with signalling his Antifa sympathies than enforcing fair and equal laws in Portland.