Woke up to national coverage of the Trump administration’s dangerous escalation of police violence here in Portland, in large part thanks to @OPB's report on federal officers silently grabbing protestors off the streets in unmarked minivans. opb.org/news/article/f…
Our county sheriff, mayor, and governor have all denounced the intervention, calling the federal response a “a significant setback,” “irresponsible,” and a “blatant abuse of power by the federal government.”
“‘I think Portland is a test case,’ Zakir Khan, a spokesman for the Oregon chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, told The Post. ‘They want to see what they can get away with before launching into other parts of the country.’” washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/07…
"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." wweek.com/news/2020/07/1…
The federal government is using extralegal tactics as part of a military occupation of a city that doesn’t want or need them, with city, county, and state representatives all demanding their removal.
Don’t fall for the DHS’s inflammatory rhetoric about the city being “under siege” from violent anarchists. The vast majority of actual violence here has come from the police themselves. Graffiti isn’t violence.
And while it’s great this news is getting national attention, the best way to track this story is by following the incredible reporters who have relentlessly covered it on the ground for weeks, including @tuckwoodstock, @alex_zee, @MrOlmos, @TheRealCoryElia, and @LindseyPSmith7.
Two days ago, Stephen Miller promised a "major announcement next week about how this president will be using the authorities of the federal government to come to the rescue of these long-suffering citizens" in cities with liberal mayors "refusing our generous hand offering help."
Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, Reps. Earl Blumenhauer and Suzanne Bonamici, and the U.S. Attorney for Oregon have all called for an investigation into "the unrequested presence and violent actions of federal forces in Portland." oregonlive.com/news/2020/07/u…
I... what... The federal officers were using rental cars to snatch Portlanders off the streets. wweek.com/news/2020/07/1…
Great thread from @tuckwoodstock.
Friday night news.
Statement from Oregon’s Attorney General.
