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I spent the weekend inside the Portland federal courthouse w/ the US Marshals. Mortars were being fired off repeatedly, fireworks & flares shot into the lobby, frozen bottles, concrete, cans & bouncy balls regularly whizzed over the fence at high speeds. https://apnews.com/1dd1bb39093a3691f4e78093787ab877
We wanted to show you a look inside the protests from both perspectives — out in the crowd with protesters and inside the courthouse with federal officers. It was a really eye opening experience to see it firsthand. I was inside the courthouse & @gflaccus was outside the fence.
I watched as injured officers were hauled inside. In one case, the commercial firework came over so fast the officer didn’t have time to respond. It burned through his sleeves & he had bloody gashes on both forearms. Another had a concussion from being hit in the head w/ a mortar
The lights inside the courthouse have to be turned off for safety & the light from high-powered lasers bounced across the lobby almost all night. The fear is palpable. Three officers were struck in the last few weeks & still haven’t regained their vision.
When we were out inside the fence line, someone fired off a mortar. It exploded inches away from us, but no one was hurt. A large bonfire had been started in the street & people were aiming fireworks through the fire at officers behind the fence. It was almost 2:30 a.m. then.
The officers outside the Portland courthouse have been hit by an array of objects from canned food to ball bearings fired from slingshots. On Saturday night, a DHS officer was soaked completely in orange paint thrown from of one of many paint cans later seized by authorities.
It was clear USMS tactical decisions this weekend were very thought out. Even after a large hole was cut in the fence on Sat. night, they made a decision not to go out b/c it could escalate tensions. They cleared the area only after a huge section of the fence was pulled down.
It was really striking talking to the Deputy US Marshals who have been working to protect the courthouse for weeks. Many are from Portland. They have friends who peacefully protest during the day, but at night, they say demonstrations are hijacked by agitators set on violence.
A Deputy US Marshal told me, "I am worried for my life, every time I walk outside of the building" & that feeling extends widely. They are offended by being told to get out of Portland. They live there, work daily to take violent criminals off the street & it is their city too.
Everyone I spoke to this weekend acknowledged there were different groups of protesters — by day, there are mostly peaceful protesters who want to effect meaningful change, but by the middle of the night, nearly all of those people are gone and the violence really picks up.
One thing is very clear: there's no plan for the feds to retreat right now. Those protecting the building feel a personal & professional duty to protect the courthouse. Many raised the same point — the courthouse stands for justice, for all people. And they aren’t going anywhere.
On the outside of the fence, my colleague @gflaccus was talking to folks who say the tactics by federal officials are going too far. Many say they want true criminal justice reform & aren’t there to be destructive. Some have even said their message is being coopted by agitators.
