TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY Romain FONSEGRIVES, "Portland, the ex-utopia of the American left, in the midst of an identity crisis"
Erica Hetfeld opens a locked security gate as she walks her daughter to a school bus from their suburban home outside of Portland, where their family moved from downtown Portland due to safety concerns following the decriminalization of all drugs in Portland, Oregon on January 25, 2024. In the midst of a presidential election year, Portland's decline is brandished by the conservative press depicting a city ravaged by its progressive ideals, in a state controlled by the left for over 40 years. Hetfeld, a victim of a burglary in 2021, has left downtown for an affluent suburb, entrenched behind a security gate. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP)