Sarah Iannarone, Portland’s mayoral candidate who identifies herself as a supporter of Antifa, has been spotted wearing a skirt featuring prominent communists, including Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and Che Guevara.
Iannarone, who is hoping to unseat Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler (D), has openly identified herself as a supporter of Antifa and has done little to hide her radical ideology, as seen in a recent fashion choice documented by journalist Andy Ngo. He also revealed that her campaign manager has identified himself as a communist:
"I am a communist"
This is the campaign manager for Sarah Iannarone, who is up for election to become Portland's next mayor. She is currently polling double digits ahead of @tedwheeler. #antifa https://t.co/hF8U3ua5H1 pic.twitter.com/RenLroZMQH
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) October 6, 2020
Iannarone has dismissed the buzz around her skirt featuring the communist figures, telling the Washington Examiner that the photo was taken “with Reverend Billy, whose spectacle of the absurd is a treat whenever it comes to town.”
The skirt, she continued, is nothing more than “pop art”:
I dressed flamboyantly that day in a skirt that features pop art — art that is meant to satirize the subjects. While most Americans are focused on stopping COVID from taking our lives and jobs, some internet commentators are focused on how I dressed during a performance art appearance in 2016. I’m focused on winning a Green New Deal and Housing for All Portlanders, not on false controversy meant to distract from real issues.
What is more, recent polling shows the “Antifa” candidate leading Wheeler in the polls by double digits, 41 percent to the incumbent’s 30 percent. While 16 percent want to write in a candidate, another 13 percent remain undecided.
As Willamette Week reported:
The results are somewhat surprising given that Iannarone finished more than 20 points behind the mayor in the primary, in which Wheeler nearly received the 50% plus one of votes required to avert a runoff.
At the same time, Wheeler has faced intense criticism throughout the summer for his handling of protests and policing. And another recent poll, conducted on behalf of a City Hall police accountability measure, had Wheeler at 26% favorability, The Oregonian reported.
On her campaign website, Iannarone accuses federal officers of committing “acts of violence against Portlanders in our streets, including shooting peaceful protesters in the head, arresting protesters without cause, tear gassing moms, and beating a Navy veteran” and calls for reducing the budget of the Portland Police Bureau (PPB).
“Divesting from PPB means divesting from tear gas and harassing the houseless, and more money for direct support for houseless Portlanders,” her website reads.
“Divesting means Black and brown Portlanders feel safe to call for emergency response without fear of death and all Portlanders have access to emergency responders trained to meet their specific needs,” it adds, making no mention of the non-stop violence committed by demonstrators on a nightly basis.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.