An image of Wheeler in goggles and a mask adorns the bottles., who began protesting after the killing of George Floyd in May, have criticized Wheeler for failing to curb heavy-handed police tactics., which burns the eyes and causes crying, coughing, and breathing difficulties.in July when federal agents sprayed a crowd during a police brutality protest that he was visiting.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler reacts after being exposed to tear gas fired by federal agents into a crowd of protesters on July 22, 2020.It was this sight that inspired protester and cook August Winningham to launch the sauce. "I just figured that [would] be a nice little way to bring awareness to the fact that Ted Wheeler is responsible for the way his police force has been acting," he toldHe added that "watching protesters get tear-gassed and beat the s--t out of, experiencing that myself a couple of times, [left me] feeling really overwhelmed and needing to do something, however small.
The sauce contains peppers such as serranos, jalapenos, and tomatillos, but Winningham is currently experimenting with carrot, habanero, and smoked pineapple. The bottles are free, with Winningham himself funding the production, but customers must donate at least $10 to Don't Shoot Portland, a social justice nonprofit.Winningham said he was considering shipping the bottles beyond Portland — his first batch of 75 bottles were all gone within a weekend that his intention was "never to build a business or make money, it was a really small way to raise awareness.