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What happened when Trump sent Homeland Security officers to Portland this month? Our latest video shows how the president’s task force reignited protests and led to chaos in the streets. Thread: https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000007243995/portland-protests-federal-government.html
Activists, lawyers and local officials worry that Portland is a political test case for Trump. Why’s that a problem? Federal forces attacked and arrested protesters, often without provocation, inflaming the situation in the face of local opposition.
We reviewed hundreds of videos that showed the involvement of the Federal Protective Service, U.S. Marshals, Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the crackdown on the crowd in Portland.
Often, the federal officers involved were members of special operations groups meant to deal with armed and dangerous suspects, such as Border Patrol’s BORTAC and ICE’s Special Response Team. A memo leaked to The Times said that these teams were not trained in crowd control.
The videos show these officers blanketing crowds in tear gas, firing pepper balls and other projectiles, hitting people with batons and making arrests off federal grounds without identifying themselves.
In several cases, federal forces attacked medics, media or other "neutrals," up to and including last night, when doing so would've been in violation of a federal judge's new temporary restraining order.
Protests over racism and police brutality had been happening in Portland since the killing of George Floyd on 5/25. Then, on 6/26, Trump issued an executive order pledging to protect federal property from “left-wing extremists,” Marxists and “anarchists.” https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-protecting-american-monuments-memorials-statues-combating-recent-criminal-violence/
When Homeland Security's new Protecting American Communities Task Force appeared around July 4, it inflamed protests, which shifted to the federal courthouse. Since then, people have shot fireworks, tagged it with graffiti, and tried to tear down barriers and light fires.
Task force officers have arrested dozens of people since then. At least 27 have been federally charged. At least four people who shined lasers have been charged with assaulting federal officers and could face a maximum of eight years if convicted. https://justice.gov/usao-or/pr/seven-arrested-facing-federal-charges-after-weekend-riots-hatfield-federal-courthouse
Even as the federal presence has come under increasing scrutiny, Homeland Security has deployed more forces. On Wednesday, C.B.P. sent a Beechcraft B300C to orbit the crowd and provide real-time video to officers in the courthouse command center below.
Portland is now the subject of a lawsuit from the Oregon attorney general and a class action supported by the A.C.L.U., both seeking to limit federal officers’ powers. The inspectors general of the Justice and Homeland Security departments have opened investigations.
Tonight, a federal judge denied Oregon's motion for a temporary restraining order, saying the state lacked standing and didn't prove unlawful federal arrests were widespread. (Portland filed today seeking to join the case as amicus curiae.) https://apnews.com/847341576e44e4d9e717128db08faad4?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP&utm_campaign=SocialFlow&pnespid=h_lwq.YAXBGNWPj0gW..NnuledkgIU0yZfvOFeUp
