Portland councilor Loretta Smith proposes allowing open carry at City Hall after protest-related arrests

Proposal follows disruptions at City Hall and renewed debate over safety, protest rights, and firearm rules

Portland City Councilor Loretta Smith has drafted an ordinance that would allow city councilors to openly carry a firearm while conducting city business, a shift from long-standing practices at City Hall. The proposal emerged after a protest at a Wednesday evening council meeting that led to four arrests and a temporary suspension of in-person proceedings.

The protest involved roughly 40 participants affiliated with “Revoke the ICE Permit PDX,” a group urging the city to take legislative action aimed at closing a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in South Portland. During the meeting, one participant moved to the area near the council dais while holding a petition described as containing 19,000 signatures. Security intervened, and police later arrested four people and booked them on trespassing charges. No injuries were reported.

Following the disruption, the meeting resumed after an approximately 40-minute delay, with councilors appearing remotely. The incident marked the latest in a series of disruptions connected to the same group; a Jan. 21 council meeting also shifted online after a protest prompted a brief shutdown.

How Portland’s firearm restrictions shape the debate

Portland law prohibits knowingly possessing or carrying a loaded firearm in a public place, with defined exceptions that include law enforcement, military members on duty, and individuals licensed to carry a concealed handgun. State law also allows cities to regulate loaded firearms in public places while preserving exemptions for concealed handgun license holders and certain other categories.

Smith’s draft ordinance aims to create an exception that would permit elected councilors to openly carry a firearm while performing official duties. Smith has said she has not previously carried a firearm and described the proposal as a security measure intended to deter threats and intimidation. The ordinance has not yet been reviewed by the city’s legal team.

Opposition from protest organizers and responses from city leaders

Organizers associated with the ICE-permit campaign criticized the proposal, arguing it would escalate tensions and mischaracterize nonviolent protest. One organizer said the councilor’s plan framed constituents’ First Amendment activity as a threat and warned that introducing openly carried firearms into the council environment could increase risk rather than reduce it.

City leadership has signaled interest in evaluating security protocols. Council President Jamie Dunphy, who is responsible for decisions on removing disruptive attendees and moving meetings online, said he planned to work with security staff to strengthen safety measures while maintaining space for lawful protest. Mayor Keith Wilson described meeting disruptions as creating serious safety risks and expressed support for councilors who faced aggressive behavior, while stopping short of endorsing the open-carry proposal.

• Four people were arrested and charged with trespassing following the Wednesday protest.
• No injuries were reported, and police said 26 officers responded.
• The proposal would test how elected officials’ security concerns intersect with Portland’s rules limiting loaded firearms in public places.

The ordinance, if formally advanced, is expected to trigger legal review and public debate over whether firearms carried by elected officials inside City Hall would improve safety or heighten the likelihood of confrontation.