Portland police declared a riot on Saturday night after the police union building was broken into and a fire was lit. It was the 51st night of protests in Portland, where federal authorities have been sent in despite opposition from state and local officials.
Federal officers deployed tear gas once again on Saturday night as fencing was torn down around the federal courthouse, where officers and protesters have clashed before, CBS Portland affiliate KOIN reported. The fencing around the courthouse had come down Friday night, was repaired and replaced on Saturday and then torn down again.
Protests in Portland erupted in June after George Floyd’s death at the hands of police in Minneapolis — but lately, they’ve become about federal authorities’ presence in the city.
Under an executive order from President Trump in June, federal agents have been deployed to protect federal monuments and buildings in cities such as Portland, Seattle and others. The federal courthouse in Portland is also under their jurisdiction.
A report from Oregon Public Broadcasting earlier this week found that federal officials from a number of agencies have been driving around and detaining people. Personal accounts and video posted to social media show the federal officers detaining individuals without explanation, according to the OPB. One demonstrator, Mark Pettibone, told OPB he was “basically tossed” into a van and driven downtown without explanation.
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said Friday the state is filing a lawsuit against several federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, for engaging in “unlawful law enforcement in violation of the civil rights” of protesters and detaining people without probable cause.
The New York Times reported on Saturday that a memo from the Department of Homeland Security, which has deployed officers to Portland, had warned the officers didn’t have proper training. In a statement on Friday, Customs and Border Patrol, a division of Homeland Security, said at least one of the arrests was made by their officers.
Oregon officials have been calling for federal authorities to leave, and on Saturday, Portland police told federal officials they could no longer use their command center.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that the presence of federal officers is “actually leading to more violence.”
“They are not wanted here, we have not asked them here, and in fact, we want them to leave,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler and other Oregon officials have blamed the Trump administration for the escalation of violence.
“The tactics the Trump administration are using on the streets of Portland are horrid,” Wheeler said. “As you indicated, people are literally being scooped off the street and into unmarked vans, rental cars apparently. They are being denied probable cause and due process. They don’t even know who is pulling them into the vans, the people are not identifying themselves. As far as I can see this is completely unconstitutional.”
Mr. Trump on Sunday tweeted that “we are trying to help Portland, not hurt it.”
“Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators,” he continued. “They are missing in action. We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal!”
In an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News on Sunday, Mr. Trump said “we’ve arrested many leaders” in Portland.
“If we didn’t take a stand right now, you would have a problem,” Mr. Trump said. “They’re going to lose Portland.”
Source: Read Full Article