The mayors of Portland and over a dozen other Oregonian cities presented a united front against President Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to quell violence in Portland.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson led a column of Oregonian mayors, each of whom came to the podium to give their perspective. The theme of the speeches was generally the same: Portland was improving, so there was no need for a military deployment, and soldiers weren’t properly trained for policing duties.

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“We measure ourselves by our ability to make friends and to build bridges. We measure ourselves by the love of our communities and our commitment to service. I’m so deeply grateful to join my fellow mayors today and humbled by their commitments to finding common purpose in these uncertain times. By joining together, we can accomplish far more and protect our communities far better than we ever could alone,” Wilson began, thanking his fellow mayors for joining him.

Many of the speakers had previous military experience, tapping into this to argue against a deployment to Portland. One of the first to speak was Beaverton Mayor Lacey Beaty, one of Portland’s closest neighbors. She boasted of her combat duty experience in the U.S. Army, then said that Trump was “listening to the wrong people.” She claimed that violent footage from Portland was over 10 years old and doesn’t reflect the current reality.

“Bringing the military doesn’t just drive a wedge through our society, but is a misuse of that purpose. As a U.S. Army veteran who has served in combat, not only do I know what a war zone looks like, I can assure you, Portland is not that, but I also know firsthand the role of the military, and it is not to police our neighborhoods,” Beaty said.

Hillsboro Mayor Beach Pace concurred with everything Beaty said, adding that she was a West Point graduate and gun owner.

Forest Grove Mayor Malynda Mazel went further, denouncing Trump’s approach to policies and immigration enforcement.

“Today, we come together with a clear and unified message: We reject the unprecedented militarization of law and immigration enforcement. This is not who we are, or what our community needs. As mayors and local leaders, we see the daily impact of federal operations that do not reflect the values or standards we hold,” she said.

Gladstone Mayor Michael Mylch took on a more historic view of the situation.

“I affirm the foundational American belief that domestic civilian affairs should be managed by domestic civilian authorities whenever possible. There is a tradition in American law and political thought with roots that can be traced back to medieval England that opposes any kind of military interference in civilian affairs outside of emergencies,” he said.

WATCH LIVE: PORTLAND MAYOR HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE WITH OTHER MAYORS

Others, such as Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knox, argued that if Trump wanted to help, all resources used in the deployment should be redirected toward affordable healthcare for all.

Portland is known across the country as a hub of left-wing extremist activity, hosting the oldest and most prominent antifa cell in the country, Rose City Antifa.