Read on Twitter
Need more context for what's going on in Portland right now? Here's what we know so far.
THREAD
THREAD
1/ Beginning a few days ago, first-hand reports of an unmarked, unidentified police force began emerging from protesters and civilians. https://twitter.com/JoshuaPotash/status/1283481667836039169
2/ Yesterday @OPB confirmed that this federal force, wearing camouflage with bold "POLICE" lettering on the front—but no badges or other identification—were "driving around the area in unmarked minivans grabbing people off the street." https://www.opb.org/news/article/federal-law-enforcement-unmarked-vehicles-portland-protesters/
3/ This force even refused to explain to those it was detaining why they were being detained or where they were being taken.
“It’s like stop and frisk meets Guantanamo Bay,” said attorney Juan Chavez, director of the civil rights project at the Oregon Justice Resource Center.
“It’s like stop and frisk meets Guantanamo Bay,” said attorney Juan Chavez, director of the civil rights project at the Oregon Justice Resource Center.
4/ Mark Pettibone was walking home from after a peaceful protest (well afterward, around 2am) when he was detained and put in a van. He believes he was targeted "for simply wearing black clothing in the area of the demonstration."
5/ Pettibone was blinded with his hat, driven around, & eventually "put into a cell. Soon after, two officers came in to read him his Miranda rights. They didn’t tell him why he was being arrested. He said they asked him if he wanted to waive his rights & answer some questions..
6/ "...but Pettibone declined and said he wanted a lawyer. The interview was terminated, and about 90 minutes later he was released. He said he did not receive any paperwork, citation or record of his arrest."
7/ “I just happened to be wearing black on a sidewalk in downtown Portland at the time,” Pettibone said. “And that apparently is grounds for detaining me.” https://www.opb.org/news/article/federal-law-enforcement-unmarked-vehicles-portland-protesters/
8/ All of this was preceded by an incident on 7/12 in which federal officers shot Donavan LaBella, a 26-year-old protester, in the head with "less lethal" impact munitions.
TW: I'm putting the video in the next tweet. https://www.opb.org/news/article/federal-officers-portland-protester-shot-less-lethal-munitions/
TW: I'm putting the video in the next tweet. https://www.opb.org/news/article/federal-officers-portland-protester-shot-less-lethal-munitions/
9/ Video of Donavan LaBella after having been shot by federal officers. https://twitter.com/hungrybowtie/status/1282176328305762307
10/ Again TW: graphic content.
Here's a montage of that protest from @hungrybowtie: https://twitter.com/hungrybowtie/status/1282741804824014848
Here's a montage of that protest from @hungrybowtie: https://twitter.com/hungrybowtie/status/1282741804824014848
11/ I'll include more of the gnarly stuff later on for the masochists in the room. But for now: who are these police? They're from the Department of Homeland Security. https://www.koin.com/news/protests/acting-department-of-homeland-security-secretary-condemns-violence-at-portland-protests/
12/ See the following tweet this morning from DHS Acting Secretary Chad Wolf https://twitter.com/DHS_Wolf/status/1284095516276592641
13/ The justification he provides is the apparent "lawlessness" in the city as demonstrated by...graffiti. https://twitter.com/DHS_Wolf/status/1284095525122453504
14/ See @IwriteOK's live video for more: https://twitter.com/IwriteOK/status/1284056277480398853
15/ Also: now is an important time to listen to 'It Could Happen Here,' a podcast that looks at the ingredients that could lead to a second American Civil War based on @IwriteOK's experience.
We're seeing these ideas play out in Portland in real time. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-it-could-happen-here-30717896/
We're seeing these ideas play out in Portland in real time. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-it-could-happen-here-30717896/
16/ @SethAbramson also has an excellent (terrifying) thread on how this action relates to "Barr's army" based on his research for the Proof books, as well as the more haunting prospect of Erik Prince's spy armies and privatized military forces. https://twitter.com/SethAbramson/status/1284153441036754945
17/ Note that these federal officers are actually in violation of their authorization in Oregon. https://twitter.com/steve_vladeck/status/1284162358055763969
18/ Worse: this follows an early foot-in-the-water test by Barr in DC last month, in which heavily armed, unmarked officers stood in front of the White House, refusing to identify themselves. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/06/05/protests-washington-dc-federal-agents-law-enforcement-302551
19/ This alarmed many, including @SpeakerPelosi, who said that "officers operating with full anonymity undermines accountability, ignites government distrust and suspicion, and is counter to the principle of procedural justice and legitimacy...." https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/04/us/politics/unidentified-police-protests.html?smid=tw-share
20/ Of the use of these unarmed DHS forces in Portland last night, @SenWarren wrote: https://twitter.com/SenWarren/status/1284170318551146503
21/ What follows are some videos that depict what these unidentified DHS agents are doing in Portland:
22/
23/
25/
26/
27/
28/
https://twitter.com/hungrybowtie/status/1284101803416580101?s=21 https://twitter.com/hungrybowtie/status/1284101803416580101
https://twitter.com/hungrybowtie/status/1284101803416580101?s=21 https://twitter.com/hungrybowtie/status/1284101803416580101
30/ This thread is focused on the federal agents, but if you want to see what state and local police are doing, I recommend this thread: https://twitter.com/PDXRosieRiddle/status/1284020202145902593
31/ This thread from @MrOlmos gives a chronological glimpse of what protesting was like yesterday—including violence and force from the federal agents. https://twitter.com/MrOlmos/status/1283994952150577152
32/ @SenJeffMerkley calls the use of unmarked federal agents "absolutely unacceptable" https://twitter.com/SenJeffMerkley/status/1283852273089683464
33/ @RuthMarcus calls this use of federal force dangerous and unconstitutional: https://twitter.com/RuthMarcus/status/1284207708573327360
34/ Chad Wolf is now attempting to reverse justify the use of a secret militarized police force because they were assaulted with lasers and water bottles. https://twitter.com/dhs_wolf/status/1284154662791401472?s=21 https://twitter.com/dhs_wolf/status/1284154662791401472
35/ Apparently nobody on the federal side ever even met with @PortlandPolice before all of this. 
https://twitter.com/KOINNews/status/1284237854818758656
https://twitter.com/KOINNews/status/1284237854818758656
36/ https://twitter.com/bgrueskin/status/1284224510900740097?s=21 https://twitter.com/bgrueskin/status/1284224510900740097
37/ https://twitter.com/sethabramson/status/1284233006648107009?s=21 https://twitter.com/SethAbramson/status/1284233006648107009
38/ https://twitter.com/theplumlinegs/status/1284236681969831948?s=21 https://twitter.com/theplumlinegs/status/1284236681969831948
39/ Wow. Here’s the proof that Portland is merely a test case.
@kenklippenstein reveals in leaked docs that these federal agents will be deployed “indefinitely”—with drones “on standby to assist as needed.”
Truly chilling.
https://twitter.com/kenklippenstein/status/1284244386088460288?s=21 https://twitter.com/kenklippenstein/status/1284244386088460288
@kenklippenstein reveals in leaked docs that these federal agents will be deployed “indefinitely”—with drones “on standby to assist as needed.”
Truly chilling.
https://twitter.com/kenklippenstein/status/1284244386088460288?s=21 https://twitter.com/kenklippenstein/status/1284244386088460288
40/ The upshot here is that DHS and CBP can do whatever they want until and unless Congress steps in. https://www.thenation.com/article/society/border-patrol-portland-arrest/
41/ Anybody find this unreasonable? Anybody? https://twitter.com/joshuapotash/status/1284297093658615809?s=21 https://twitter.com/joshuapotash/status/1284297093658615809
42/ It happened again last night. Here’s a video from journalist @econbrkfst—it shows what a federally occupied major American city looks like: a war zone, rife with confusion.
https://twitter.com/econbrkfst/status/1284416790215311367?s=21 https://twitter.com/econbrkfst/status/1284416790215311367
https://twitter.com/econbrkfst/status/1284416790215311367?s=21 https://twitter.com/econbrkfst/status/1284416790215311367
43/ A lot more info/video in this thread from @MrOlmos https://twitter.com/mrolmos/status/1284359084334960646?s=21 https://twitter.com/mrolmos/status/1284359084334960646
44/ https://twitter.com/killendave/status/1284362413639299072?s=21 https://twitter.com/killendave/status/1284362413639299072
45/ This is a high school paper 
https://twitter.com/clypian/status/1284357381204217856?s=21 https://twitter.com/clypian/status/1284357381204217856
https://twitter.com/clypian/status/1284357381204217856?s=21 https://twitter.com/clypian/status/1284357381204217856
46/ The main issue last night is that Portland was covered in gas by federal agents.
https://twitter.com/alex_zee/status/1284357333993152513?s=21 https://twitter.com/alex_zee/status/1284357333993152513
https://twitter.com/alex_zee/status/1284357333993152513?s=21 https://twitter.com/alex_zee/status/1284357333993152513
47/
https://twitter.com/pdxzane/status/1284359621751128064?s=21 https://twitter.com/pdxzane/status/1284359621751128064
https://twitter.com/pdxzane/status/1284359621751128064?s=21 https://twitter.com/pdxzane/status/1284359621751128064
48/ This thread provides a progression of events last night
https://twitter.com/hungrybowtie/status/1284356289280086016?s=21 https://twitter.com/hungrybowtie/status/1284356289280086016
https://twitter.com/hungrybowtie/status/1284356289280086016?s=21 https://twitter.com/hungrybowtie/status/1284356289280086016
49/ omfg. yes.
https://twitter.com/donovanfarley/status/1284410621283328000?s=21 https://twitter.com/DonovanFarley/status/1284410621283328000
https://twitter.com/donovanfarley/status/1284410621283328000?s=21 https://twitter.com/DonovanFarley/status/1284410621283328000
50/ Wow. Mythic heroism.
https://twitter.com/donovanfarley/status/1284411412672999425?s=21 https://twitter.com/donovanfarley/status/1284411412672999425
https://twitter.com/donovanfarley/status/1284411412672999425?s=21 https://twitter.com/donovanfarley/status/1284411412672999425
51/ Someone give this person an award.
https://twitter.com/donovanfarley/status/1284412288774975489?s=21 https://twitter.com/donovanfarley/status/1284412288774975489
https://twitter.com/donovanfarley/status/1284412288774975489?s=21 https://twitter.com/donovanfarley/status/1284412288774975489
52/ The Oregon AG is suing you stop federal arrests of protesters. Time to see what America actually thinks of the 4th Amendment
https://twitter.com/aaronmesh/status/1284348322900111360?s=21 https://twitter.com/aaronmesh/status/1284348322900111360
https://twitter.com/aaronmesh/status/1284348322900111360?s=21 https://twitter.com/aaronmesh/status/1284348322900111360
55/ Homeland Security has restricted airspace over Portland through 8/16.
https://twitter.com/gregorymckelvey/status/1284549041368383488?s=21 https://twitter.com/GregoryMcKelvey/status/1284549041368383488
https://twitter.com/gregorymckelvey/status/1284549041368383488?s=21 https://twitter.com/GregoryMcKelvey/status/1284549041368383488
56/ Nothing like knowing the federal secret police aren’t even properly trained.
https://twitter.com/bymikebaker/status/1284601923128025088?s=21 https://twitter.com/bymikebaker/status/1284601923128025088
https://twitter.com/bymikebaker/status/1284601923128025088?s=21 https://twitter.com/bymikebaker/status/1284601923128025088
57/
https://twitter.com/jessedamiani/status/1284636813429104640?s=21 https://twitter.com/jessedamiani/status/1284636813429104640
https://twitter.com/jessedamiani/status/1284636813429104640?s=21 https://twitter.com/jessedamiani/status/1284636813429104640
58/ https://twitter.com/juniperlsimonis/status/1284573413625851904?s=21 https://twitter.com/juniperlsimonis/status/1284573413625851904
59/ Portland is at it tonight—in force. See full thread from @IwriteOK https://twitter.com/iwriteok/status/1284686543844589569?s=21 https://twitter.com/IwriteOK/status/1284686543844589569
60/ New thread: https://twitter.com/JesseDamiani/status/1284880759908560896
