Turmoil in Portland continues despite drawdown of U.S. agents
PORTLAND, Ore. — Clashes outside a U.S. courthouse in Portland, Oregon, have largely stopped since Democratic Gov. Kate Brown reached a deal that called for the drawdown of federal agents sent by the Trump administration to protect the building — but the turmoil is far from over.
For the past several nights, Portland police have skirmished with protesters in other parts of city, far from the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse, as residents rally around a call to defund the police force. Demonstrators are also mad at the use of tear gas by police multiple times over the summer to tamp down unrest.
Early Wednesday, police declared a riot and made three arrests after saying demonstrators set fires, erected barricades in a street and broke into the police union headquarters. Police said that someone fired a gun during the unrest and a pickup accelerated into the crowd while pushing an unoccupied motorcycle in front of it.
No one was injured. Police have interviewed the driver of the truck but have made no arrests. Police did not use tear gas during the demonstration.
The city also said Wednesday it is beginning to monitor for any potential long-term pollution from tear gas that was released by federal agents night after night in a twoblock area less than a mile from the Willamette River.
Police Chief Chuck Lovell, who is Black, said he was concerned that the national attention paid to the protests and the resources needed to police them were hurting the “beautiful, vibrant city” of Portland. Police have arrested more than 400 people since late May, he said.
U.S. agents arrested at least 94 people on federal charges through July 30.
“This is not forwarding the goals of things that are going to lead to better outcomes for people of color,” said Lovell, who wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times this week. “This movement is very powerful and I feel like the violence has taken away from it in a really kind of concerning way.”
Residents have protested in Portland for 69 consecutive days since George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis.