Yesterday a mob of Portland leftists harassed police and set up what is now being called the Red House Autonomous Zone or RHAZ for short. Here’s some video of what that looks like. As you can see, they’ve set up homemade spike strips in case police return.

Portland protesters have put up barricades on Mississippi Ave in an attempt to block an eviction of “The Red House” residence. Portland police have attempted to evict on multiple occasions during the over the past year. #Portland #protest #Portlandprotests #BLM #Antifa pic.twitter.com/0yYKH8r3ln

— Independent Media PDX (@NDpendentPDX) December 9, 2020

Surprisingly, instead of rolling over for the mob, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, who is also the city’s police commissioner, authorized police to clear out the RHAZ. He referred to it (correctly) as an “illegal occupation.”

We all agree many of our nation’s systems and structures are fundamentally racist and require significant reform. There’s a housing crisis, a health care crisis, an education crisis, an employment crisis, a mental health crisis, and an addiction crisis.

— Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) December 9, 2020

It’s also true that illegal trespassing, ignoring lawful orders from police, blocking sidewalks and streets, and intimidating neighbors inflame these crises and make them more difficult to solve. That is what’s happening on North Mississippi Avenue right now.

— Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) December 9, 2020

Here comes law & order Ted:

It’s time for the encampment and occupation to end. There are many ways to protest and work toward needed reform. Illegally occupying private property, openly carrying weapons, threatening and intimidating people are not among them.

— Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) December 9, 2020

Hundreds of people on Twitter are letting Mayor Wheeler know it’s too little, too late:

Should have tried this 6 months ago but you were worried about being re-elected. https://t.co/qlYSI63EfL

— Beth Baumann (@eb454) December 9, 2020

This bit of understatement, given all that has happened in Portland, made me laugh.

Did something go wrong? https://t.co/GgRlJZ7bRD

— Amy Bresnen (@amy_bresnen) December 9, 2020

He really has done a 180, albeit very slowly.

Who are you and what did you do with the real Ted Wheeler? https://t.co/15nJKlfzPm

— Brandon Darby (@brandondarby) December 9, 2020

I’m starting to think Mayor Wheeler may have learned something from the experience of being forced out of his house and mocked as “Teargas Ted.” Or maybe it was the nightly riots and having someone beaten unconscious in the streets of his city. Maybe it was the “100% Antifa” murder that caused him to change his tune. Whatever it was, it seems the mayor is no longer bending over backwards to appease left-wing extremists the way he used to.

So will anything actually happen? It hasn’t so far and Antifa are clearly prepared for a street battle with police now:

ANTIFA has prepared for an all out war with @PortlandPolice

Molotov’s everywhere, more are in The Red House. pic.twitter.com/fuZjNnHB77

— Tayler Hansen (@TaylerUSA) December 9, 2020

I guess we’ll see if the new Mayor Wheeler is ready to send his cops in to be fire-bombed by this mob or if he’ll once again back down and let them have their way. As a final reminder, every place where an autonomous zone has been set up before, in Seattle, in Minneapolis and in Atlanta, the result has been increased violence. In Seattle, five people were shot. In Atlanta, an 8-year-old girl was killed. Now is the time to get ahead of this before Portland once again becomes home to anarchist violence.

Update: The AP just published a story saying nothing has changed so far.

Several city blocks remained closed by a series of blockades Wednesday fabricated with wood, metal and wire fencing. Protesters dressed in black and wearing ski masks stood watch from atop a nearby wall.

The street behind the blockade in the residential neighborhood of homes, coffee shops and restaurants was laced with booby traps aimed at keeping officers out — including homemade spike strips, piles of rocks and thick bands of plastic wrap stretched at neck-height across the roadway.

What is the mayor waiting for?