Politics: Oregon governor criticizes Trump for sending federal officers to Portland
- By thehill
- july 17, 2020
Chicago won't see 'Portland-style deployment' of federal agents, Mayor Lori Lightfoot says
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday that President Donald Trump would not be deploying unnamed federal officers to the city."What I understand at this point, and I caveat that, is that the Trump administration is not going to foolishly deploy unnamed agents to the streets of Chicago," Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday. "We have information that allows us to say, at least at this point, that we don’t see a Portland-style deployment coming to Chicago.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday that President Donald Trump would not be deploying unnamed federal officers to the city."What I understand at this point, and I caveat that, is that the Trump administration is not going to foolishly deploy unnamed agents to the streets of Chicago," Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Tuesday. "We have information that allows us to say, at least at this point, that we don’t see a Portland-style deployment coming to Chicago. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) lashed out at President Trump and acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf amid reports of federal officers detaining protesters in Portland, Ore.
© Getty Oregon governor criticizes Trump for sending federal officers to Portland "This political theater from President Trump has nothing to do with public safety. The President is failing to lead this nation. Now he is deploying federal officers to patrol the streets of Portland in a blatant abuse of power by the federal government," Brown tweeted Thursday after Wolf defended sending the forces, claiming that the city of Portland has been "under siege for 47 straight days by a violent mob."
Federal agents vs. demonstrators in Portland, Ore.
The actions of federal law enforcement officers at protests in Oregon's largest city are raising the prospect of a constitutional crisis. This political theater from President Trump has nothing to do with public safety. The President is failing to lead this nation. Now he is deploying federal officers to patrol the streets of Portland in a blatant abuse of power by the federal government. https://t.co/PdlZkmW0mQ
- Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) July 16, 2020
Protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd earlier this year have rocked Portland's downtown area for more than a month. Some of the demonstrations have led to damage of federal buildings, including the Hatfield Federal Courthouse.
Federal officers deployed by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice have occupied the courthouse and other nearby buildings for weeks. Some officers have reportedly worn unmarked military fatigues and driven unmarked vans.
'This is not a dictatorship!': Portland pushes back harder against Trump, federal agents
President Donald Trump sent federal agents to Portland to crack down on protesters. His move appears to have backfired and energized activists.“Feds go home! Feds go home! Get out of our city!” the 22-year-old man shouted. Brown also demanded the federal government withdraw officers from Portland's streets.
"I told Acting Secretary Wolf that the federal government should remove all federal officers from our streets. His response showed me he is on a mission to provoke confrontation for political purposes. He is putting both Oregonians and local law enforcement officers in harm's way," she said in another tweet.
"This, coming from the same President who used tear gas to clear out peaceful protesters in Washington, DC to engineer a photo opportunity," she added. "Trump is looking for a confrontation in Oregon in the hopes of winning political points in Ohio or Iowa."
I told Acting Secretary Wolf that the federal government should remove all federal officers from our streets. His response showed me he is on a mission to provoke confrontation for political purposes. He is putting both Oregonians and local law enforcement officers in harm's way.
Legality of federal agents in Portland scrutinized as protests become more violent
- Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) July 16, 2020
"We need you to leave right now," Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said. Over the weekend, he posted images on Twitter of a group of moms who had created what they called a "Wall of Moms" to protect protesters. On the other side of their barrier, however, were not the city's own police force, but rather federal authorities. A few hours after they'd formed the wall, the moms were among protesters who were tear gassed by these agents during violent clashes. This, coming from the same President who used tear gas to clear out peaceful protesters in Washington, DC to engineer a photo opportunity.
Trump is looking for a confrontation in Oregon in the hopes of winning political points in Ohio or Iowa.
- Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) July 16, 2020
Trump walked to visit the historic St. John's Church near the White House last month after protesters in Washington, D.C., were forcibly removed from the area by law enforcement officers firing an irritant.
Federal forces in Portland have used tear gas and nonlethal rounds to break up protests. Some demonstrators tried to make an autonomous zone across the street from the courthouse Wednesday, similar to the former area in Seattle.
Brown is not the only Oregon lawmaker to blast the Trump administration over sending federal forces this month. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) said Tuesday that he told Wolf that "my biggest immediate concern is the violence federal officers brought to our streets in recent days, and the life-threatening tactics his agents use. We do not need or want their help."
"The best thing they can do is stay inside their building, or leave Portland altogether. Our goal is to end these violent demonstrations quickly and safely. And in the meantime, I asked him to clean up the graffiti on local federal facilities," Wheeler tweeted Tuesday.
I told the Acting Secretary that my biggest immediate concern is the violence federal officers brought to our streets in recent days, and the life-threatening tactics his agents use. We do not need or want their help.
- Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) July 14, 2020
US agents use gas, flash bangs to clear Portland protesters .
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A night that started with a reported shooting and a bag containing loaded rifle magazines and Molotov cocktails amid a peaceful protest morphed into an intense early morning confrontation between demonstrators and law enforcement in Oregon's largest city. U.S. agents repeatedly fired what appeared to be tear gas, flash bangs and pepper balls early Monday to clear a mass of protesters outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland. Some protesters had climbed over the fence surrounding the courthouse, while others shot fireworks, banged on the fence and projected lights on the building.
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